On and Off the Stage

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLII, Issue 20503, 22 August 1936, Page 14

On and Off the Stage

News About Plays and Players

Bernard Shaw is holding his own in America; or at any rate his “Saint Joan” succeeds in doing so. Katharine Cornell is on tour in this great chronicle play, and at the Opera House, Boston, in June the production took nearly 39,000 dollars for eight performances. Mr D. G. Macdougall, who is honorary organising secretary for the City of Sydney Eisteddfod, has supplied an analysis of this year’s entries, as compared with those on earlier occasions. In the first place, he points out, it must be remembered that the period of the eisteddfod will be shorter in 1936 than it was in 1935. Last year the contests occupied two weeks and part of a third. Five choirs have entered for the Interstate Championship, for which the “Sydney Morning Herald” has donated a new shield this year. One of these choirs will come from Melbourne; two from Newcastle; and two are locai bodies. A choral contest for mixed voices has drawn three entries; a contest for male voices seven; for female

voices eight; and for church choirs four. That makes 27 adult choral entries in all; and there are 77 entries for juvenile choirs. Larger numbers than in previous years have interested themselves in the sections devoted to operatic arias, organ solos (15 entries), scenes from Shakespeare H (11 groups), and dancing. Three new sections for flautists, comprising solo, obligato, and group contests, have proved to be catering for a definite demand; and a widening of scope in the composition class has resulted in 17 entries being received, instead of only three or four, as in previous years. Women singers | will include Miss Mollie Smyth, from I Launceston, who won the women’s vocal championship at Ballarat last year, and Miss Eileen Courtnay, who > was acclaimed champion in May at the New Zealand National Contest.

I The Christchurch and North Canteri bury area of the British Drama League held its annual festival this week. ! Nine city teams and one from the j country participated. The adjudicator . was Miss Ngaio Marsh. As the National Broadcasting Service is giving a charity concert, feai turing the Australian pianist, Miss ! Eileen Joyce, in the Auckland Town ; Hall on August 27. the Dorian Choir, which had booked the concert chamber I for that night, has decided to postpone its presentation of Bach’s “Magnificat” until September 29. The success of American’s famous tenor. Richard Crooks, in Australia | has resulted in a delayed opening of {his New Zealand tour. Originally | scheduled by J. and N. Tait to com- | mence his tour in Auckland on SepI tember 19, his sponsors have had so j many requests for appearances in Aus-

tralia that they have decided to extend his eason there. Consequently his Dominion tour has been re-

arranged, and he will now open at Wellington on September 29, with another recital on October 1. The singer will give concerts at Christchurch on October 3. 7 and 8. at Dunedin on October 5, and at Auckland on October 10. 13 and 15. Accompanying Richard Crooks is Fred Schauwecker, a brilliant pianist.

Miss Doris Fitton and her Independent Theatre recently embarked on an interesting experiment in Sydney with a production of Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest.” It would be dangerous to attempt this play nowadays except in period costume, so definitely do its artificial epigrams belong to the nineties. Miss Fitton took the dressing out of the contemporary fashion; Chekhov’s “The Three Sisters.” has its action in the same decade, and she does not want a close repetition in sartorical styles. The whole of the presentation will be in black and white, following a precedent set a few years ago at the Hammersmith Theatre in London. Mr Harold Abbott, who has done the scenery, has based his designs on prints of Aubrey Beardsley. On Wednesday next, the Independent Theatre will give another of its periodical mid-week shows. The management hopes that by making these events more and more frequent, it can gradually work up a regular following twice weekly throughout the year. The next play, entitled “Other Men's Wives,” will give a chance to a new producer, Miss Mimi Spaull, who has already been seen several times as an actress in the Independent Theatre productions. Written by Walter Hackett, the author of “Road House. ’ “Other Men's Wives” was staged m London a year or two ago, with Marion Lome. Fay Compton, and Leslie Banks in leading roles. It is a mystery story, containing a good deal of light comedy.