DRAMA AND MUSIC.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 14325, 15 October 1910, Page 1 (Supplement)

DRAMA AND MUSIC.

THEATRE BOOKINGS. Oct. 2U—Jack Willis. Nov. 4 aud o —Belle Gronie (pencilled..) Nov. 17 —Amy Murphy. Nov. IS and* 19—Eardiey Reynolds. Nov. 22, and 23—Timaru Operatic Society. Nov. 30—Amy Murphv (pencilled;. Wesley Hall, 'Thursday, Oct. 20th— Timaru Choral and Orchestral Society's tccond subscription concert. MIL J L'LIL'S iiNIGHT. Although Mr Julius Knight has played in a wide and varied round of parts since he came to Australia, there is no character with which he is more closely associated in the liiin'is of tho public than that of Marcus Superbus in "The Sign of the Cross." He has just said farewell to Australian audiences iu that popular Wilson Barrett drama at the Mel bourne Princess's Theatre after a fortnight of excellent business. J!is popularity on this side of the world was still further proved at his benefit matinee, when every Company in -Melbourne at the time contributed towards the programme, ami not only so but showed themselves only too eager to show by practical means their appreciation of the popular artist who for so many years has upheld the dramatic profession under Southern skies.

AN AMKRICAN ACTRESS

Specialisation is becoming more and more the rule in professions and trades, and in no profession is the principle applied so minutely as in the dramatic. Examples of this will occur to any theatre-goer. The latest example is seen in Mr J. C. Williamson's bringing front America, a Miss Ivatherine Grac. to take the lead in two plays—"Paid in Eall" and "Salvation Neil." The first-named piece is by Eugene Walter, a friend cf Miss Grey's Originally he. was a newspaper man and afterwards he became a press agent, miring his "advance" tours he invariably made a. practice -of writing a plnv. ' and on his return to Now York 'he used to carry the play round to the various managers in that- city for consideration. Again aud again he met with disappointment", only to start all over again, and finally he came back with ""Paid in Full." it was accepted, staged and ran for two years on Broadway. Then tho managers veered round and were quite ready to accept the plays they had previously rejected at any" price. Mr AY" a Iter chose to' ask. When he heard that Miss Grey was to produce the piece out here he sent her a special script. PLAYS AT ss. A curious feature of the estate of Captain Robert- Ala-shall. . the wellknown dramatic- author, of Park-place, St James's. S.AY.. and of Edinburgh, who died on July Ist, is that the rights in thirteen of his plays arc valued at only os each, whilst one week's royalty due by Air Charles Frohman for performances of "His Excellency the Governor" amounts t-o £lB 18s- Od. The latter was, perhaps, "tho best known of Captain Marshall's works. The plays of which the rights are valued at a crown each arc "The Shades or Night," "The Broad Road," "His. Excellency the Governor," "'A Royal Family," "The Second in Command," "The Noble Lord," "There's Manv a Slip," "The 'Unforeseen." "The Duke of Kiliiecrankie." "The Lady of Leeds," "The Abalaster Staircase," "The Outsider," and "Tho Second Fortune." His rights in the novel. "The Haunted Major.'"' aro also valued at os only. Captain Marshall was formerlv in the Highland Light Infantry, ".and afterwards served with the Duke of AA'ellington's Regiment. He was 47 years of acre at the time of his death, aud the, whole of his estate in the Lnited Kingdom, which was valued at £22,209, was personal. Probate of his trust, disposition and settlement has been granted to Air. William Cree, merchant, of Fingash Castle, Erroi, Perthshire, and Air. Robert Guthrie, writer to the signet, of Edinburgh.

NOTES. Mr Ilnrconrt Beatty. now with -Miss Nellie Stewart in '"New Zealand, has e. good story to tell about old-time stage properties. When a- youngster, ho was phiyiug Armand iu "Camilla." in those days they did not carry realism to the extent they do now. Molasses and water were used for wine, and South Sea coltim represented ice cream. He and Camillo were seated at a tabic when a servant entered carrying a lighted candelabrum. As sbe pla-erd it on the T-ablo between the lovers, bu.sdy engaged in eon versa hlon, one of the candles toppled over and set liie to ihe iee cream, which shot forth in red flames. Tragedy immediately gave way to comedy. Percy Kehoe. the conductor of '•Tiu- Whip" oroho-:tra at her • Majesty's Theatre, -Melbourne, makes it a pn.ud boast that he has held a similar position in connection with every Drury Lane drama that has been presented in Australia. "I was touring the small towns of Scotland at- the time," relates Mr. Neil Kvimm, who has come from England to play the chief comedy role in ""The Islander." "One day i" was sitting hi the hall-way talking to the custodian when a roiigh-louknig chan in a collier's dress came in. Fie iisked to seo the manager, and I told him I was the stage manager. He said ho had a recitation called 'The Collier,' and asked me if I would put him through it, and give him points, I went through tha poem with him: then he wanted to know how to dress for the piece. 'Dress as you are,' I said, 'and wear the lamp in your cap.'" He thanked me kindlv for the hints I had given him and left. That man was Harry Lauder, the comedian. We have been the closest friends ever since. Some _of tbo most popular operas ever tvritten were more or less failures at fir-it. Gounod's "Faust" is, of course, a classical instance. ' while an equally striking case in uoint is that of '•Carmen." which at its first performsince fell utterly flat. Nor is it only modern audiences who have shown their lack of judgment when heat-in" now works for the first time. The Viennese public of a hundred years ago was equally at fault when "Don- Giovanni" was. first produced, while "Die Zauberfloto" and" "Fidelio" were roceived_ .similarly with great indifference, if not with positive disfavour, at first.—"Westminster Gazette." The Hamilton - Dimmer - Denniston dramatic company opened its Dominion tour at His- Majesty's Theatre. Auckland, on Monday evening, iu the successful play, "Lovers' Lane," and met with a most enthusiastic reception. Miss Lizettc Parkes was an ideal Simplicity Johnson, whilst Mr Harry Dimmer, a<: the Rev. Singleton, gar'e a fine performance of the part. .Airs Brotigh met with a hearty receutioivin making her first entrance. Thi others. ui the cast, did their work well, '"'*■,