The STAGE

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17569, 20 June 1925, Page 22 (Supplement)

The STAGE

The famous Russian actor, Maurice Moscovitch, although most famous for I'iis Shakespearean characterisations, " il! open 1 1 is season here on June 25 with “ The Outsider.” a tense, modern drama. The play was specially written for him by Dorothy Brandon, an English crippled girl. It. is a play of humanity, understanding and pity, relieved by clever comedy. Mr Moscovitch appears as an unregistered practitioner, who defies the whole Royal College of Surgeons, and cures a crippled girl. The Phil Smith Revue Company, which arrived in Wellington from Sydney on June 8. to play the Fuller Circuit, went straight on to Dunedin, opening there on Saturday. Phil Smith and his company have played long seasons in the Australian cities, where, their shows have met with more than ordinary success. Another revue company to open at Christchurch on June 22 is headed by Moon and Morris, who will be remembered as providing a very fine comedy act here more than a year ago. Mr Walter George, well and favourably known as a most successful producer, has charge of the production end of the combination. Mr W alter Fuller was in reminiscent mood on June 10, at the farewell function tendered by the picture and theatrical profession to him and Mr Scott, of the New Zealand Picture Supplies (says the “ New Zealand Times’). Mr Fuller, who has lived twelve vears in Wellington, said he and his brothers family owed a deep debt of gratitude to Wellington, as it was to that city that they owed the foundation of their fortune. They knew the vicissitudes of country touring, and thev were touring the North Island. It was race time at Palmerston North, and they were told they would do good business there. They went, and took £9. which a boil t paid the hotel bill. They went on to give a bush show, and a fire near bv lost them all they had. On reaching Wellington they saw that Julius Knight was to appear in ‘‘The’ Sign °f the Cross. ' and as they had some Eastern scenery they gave a performance and called it “ The Land of the Gross.” That was in the theatre now known as the Tivoli, and they took the handsome sum of £9O. From that time they never-looked back, and on that account they had a verv warm ( !P ot in their Ixcarts for Wellington

When Constance Evans, who is on her way to Australia by the Makura under engagement to Mr Hugh J. ™ ar( J, appears in Melbourne, theatregoers will have the pleasure of seeing one of the most remarkable dancers the modern stage has produced (says the "Leader”). Though still in her teens, Constance Evans has amazed New York with her artistry. Pauline Broderick, at present appearing in Melbourne irj her second play, “ I ho Lady.” is very impressed "'ith Australian audiences ; they are so responsive and warm-hearted (hat it. I*, she says, a, pleasure to act to them hi America the audiences are cold and dispassionate, and undemonstrative, and with such an audience an actress, especially an intensely emotional one, can never appear at her best. t larence Wilmot Mar-on. an actor well known in New Zealand as Charles Howard, died in Sydney last month. 5 cars ago Charles Howard was a prominent artist in vaudeville theatres under the Di.-c and Fuller banners. Of late years he. has been a member cf T. William companies, notably pantomime and musical comedy. One of his recent appearances here was with the Jo sic Melville Company in “Sally.” At the time of his death he was playing with Miss Melville in the musical comedy Kid Boots.” lie was fifty vears of age. “ r an I account for mv lasting popularity.'” “No,” says Maggie Moore, who is appearing in “ Thank U ” at the Melbourne Athenaeum Theatre, “ unless it is because I try to love the audience and make them feel that I go right out to them while they are in the theatre, as they are in me. I can offer no other reason. I do know that it makes me supremely happy; if there is o::e thing that I like more than another it is to be genuine. I am not ashamed to say I am an old woman—l am proud of it—but otherwise I am as old as I l'eel.” She will celebrate her fifty-first year on the Australian stage in August. Lawrence Power, the young Adelaide tenor, goes to Italy for further study (writes a Sydney ” Bulletin ” correspondent)- Since winning the ‘‘Sun” prize, at Ballarat last year he has been singing in Sydney and Melbourne, on the advice of Alfred Hill, who was judge on that occasion, with the idea of earning enough to take him to Europe. A Sydney man, who prefers to remain anonymous for the present, has now offered to frank the young genius to Milan for three years at least. Power, who got all his training at Adelaide Conservatorium, is an athlete as well, with infer-Stato cricket and interuniversity baseball reputation. With the departure of Wee Gecrgie Wood, another bov star will appear in the programme of the Tivoli (says Melbourne “ Table Talk ”) . ” Traps.” the six-year old drummer and jazz musician who will appear next week, is already known throughout America as the star of the Greenwich Village. Follies. In a voting contest held by the Keith Theatre, New York, for the most popular vaudeville programme. *‘ Traps ” was second in the list, such stars as Ruby Norton, the Duncan Sisters, Eddie Cantor. Gallagher and Shean being behind hjm. His real name is Bernard Rich, and he gets his stage name from the trap drums which he operates so skilfully. Hayden and Nevard, the popular vocalists now at the Tivoli, give a delightful contrast between present-day compositions and those which were popular a hundred years ago (says a Melbourne paper). At the piano is the lover of syncopated jazz music, accompanying the singer oi old-world ballads, and one of their prettiest numbers, Garden of Dreams, is a most artistic offering for the vaudeville stage. Each singer extols the virtues of his own generation. Hayden ran a concert party during the war, and it was in France that he met Nevard One of their first engagements was to sing before the Prince of Wales at the London metropolitan police concert. Con Moreni, who musical comedy company has established itself firmly in favouritism at Fuller’s Theatre. Sydney, was born in Sydney. He ha« been through every branch of the entertaining profession, with the exception of Grand Opera and Shakespeare. Ho was so small when he first started in the show business that his first pair of tights were made from a pair of ladies’ stockings. lie has been n dummy clown in a circus, ling; master, and advance agent. He lias played in drama us juvenile lead, and also as comedian. lie lias also

played under every management in Australia. including the lato Mr George Stephenson, in whoso pantomime, “ Humpty Dumpty,” he played dame rm the New Zealand tour o. 191 1.-15. Rose Quc-ng* the Melbourne Chinese girl, has been hailed in London as an actress of genius (writes a Sydney "Bulletin” correspondent). A great enthusiast, she always worked hard in the local repertory societies, and her " Nan ” in Masefield’s tragedy is remembered as a notable performance. But her opportunities here were limited and critics who though nobody except an expensive imported star could possibly lie good, failed to realise her powers. At the tercentenary performance in London of " The Maid’s Tragedy," a drama by Beaumont and Fletcher, containing scenes worthy of Shakespeare, she made a deep impression in the part of Aspasia. Rose has any amount of quaint humour, but she i.; best suited for tragedy, especially poetical tragedy. Li I v Benin nd of the Veterans of Variety, a troupe of old time stars engaged by Sir Benjamin Fuller lor a tour ot their vaudeville circuit, was in 1910 billed as Lovely. Lively Lily Bor nand. To-day she lias three daughters and four gva 1 id-children, but she remains buxom and fresh looking. In private life she is Mrs Arthur Slater and her husband, who figured in the original production of “The Belle of New York ' 5 in London, is a member of the same organisation. She is a great grand-daughter of the late Hubert* Stephenson, inventor of the locomotive. and is keenly interested in till kinds of machinery. One of her daughters married Count Pogamy, the artist, and is now in America. Another daughter i< playing at the’ LyricTheatre, Lomlou. “ Kid Bonis*'' is now in its tenth week in Sydney.’and still the public; are flocking to see the absurdities c. George Gee and the winsome charm of Josie Melville (says the “Leader” of June 0). Sparkling throughout, it culminates in a last act of many novelties. The curtain rises on u scene reproducing a beautilul cocoa-nut grove, and as the audience watches a platform moves forward from among the palms bringing a jazz band in view. r I ins band plays several lively tunes, which set the audience swaying, and prepares them for the cocoa nut ball whic h follows. Girls and men in brilliant costumes then appear. George Gee unexpectedly steps forth in black make up, Josie Melville breaks through a drum to give one of her most delightful dances, and so the fun goes oil. “In an enormously successful London play of the hour, at which the spectators a re mostly young people, nearly all the characters are degenerates.’’ Sir George Tallis, managing director of Messrs J. 'Williamson, Ltd., the Australian theatrical firm, is reported to have said in a Melbourne interview on his return from a. trip to the United States and Europe. It is clear to all who follow’ the- theatre closely that people s tastes have broadened immensely of late, and that plays which neither the censor nor the public would have tolerated once are new those to which a very considerable section of Theatregoers flock. A great many London playgoers, especially young people, seem to he quite unshoekable. Quite a general present-day attitude seems to be: “fall a. spado a spade, if you want to. but spare us inneundo.” George 'Wallace, the comedian, who is now appearing in Melbourne with his own revue company, is only 27. Ho comes of a theatrical family and played ins first, part at i years ni a pantomime with his father. yV 110,1 school days ended, however, he did not look to tiie stage as a career, hut preferred country life, and tor some time followed such avocations a- sdroving. shearing and sugar cane cutting in Queensland. During this period ho considerably enlarged liis experience ot Australian types which he now successfully exploits in his comedy. Five vears ago be was signed up by the Fuller management for a tour of New Zealand with a revue company. He remained eighteen months in the Dominion and subsequently played long seasons in Sydney. Brisbane. Adelaide and elsewhere. In Adelaide his revue company put up the record for that Mauv an actress has achieved fame purelv bv favour of the gcd*. or rather.’ the goddesses (says “ Smith & Weekly”*. Mostly they go in groups l 0 eT -erv new piece and this practice has increased considerably since s?ats near the roof,can be booked. With girlish enthusiasm they idolise those artists who measure up to their standards. Eve Grey, now' in London, will remember all her life the wonderful reception she cot from the callcry when she appeared in “ Bulldog 1 Drummond ” in Melbourne. Gladys j Moncrieff in “The Lady of the Rose ” ■ received the ovation that is always hers from 1 he same quarter. Josie Melville among many is similarly indebted for sudden fame. Others, including a recent American importation. have been sent home early through their failure t<> please the lilr Je ladies iu 1 igli plac s. These w ho.n

the gods love may die young, but if they do they're killed with kindness. Theatrical houses now proclaim that there are separate, arm-rested, upholstered seats in their galleries (says a writer in u Sydney paper). They have put peanuts, oranges, beer and smokes upon the index, and the rattling aerated water bottle will inevitably follow. The newest houses are even abolishing the word "gallery"; amphitheatre, upper circle and balcony the worldly-wise call it. And the ‘ gods” are changing. They, too, are becoming consciously respectable. The earlv-door brigade which queues up so docilely novanights is different from the crowd we used to know; better dressed and better mannered, but older. Gone is the panting pack in the side line; gene the danger-spiced scramble when the great door, governed by preposterous fire laws, swung impossibly outward into the mass; gone the big-chinned lunipc.r who dared the packer to shift him, and always shifted; gone the packer, too. Seldom now does a gallery—-I mean amphitheatre---burst into song. It no longer ripples into laughter and ironic cheers when a stumbling man sits in a. lady's lap. Tt has hardly enough of the primeval left in it to bawl a stentorian "Sit down in front” to an offender excited by the acted scene. As for dropping fragments of ice-cream down the dccolletagc of Mrs Avoir du Pois in the stalls—why, it simply isn't done. Much, indeed, of the tang of gallery-going (and I have practised the rite for thirty years, from the fourpennies of English provinces to the three-and-three of Australia’s latest imposition, plus tax) has vanished. One enjoys the play better, perhaps, but one misses the impromptu of the free prologue. To sec 200 different performances of revues and musical comedies in less than ten months must be a record. It was achieved by Mr Hugh J. Ward, who arrived back in Sydney on May 20, after a whirlwind tour of Great Britain. Europe and America. In his search for new theatrical attractions for Australia. Mr Ward twice made hurried dashes to England from America to see the opening of new productions. And the show that impressed him most was "No, No, Nanette!” which, from the financial side, he says, i,s an even bigger success than "The Merry Widow.” "No. No, Nanette” has completed a year's run in Chicago, and it is now in its fourth month at Los Angeles. It is booked for a summer at Philadeffihia and for a season in Boston, and the show will be seen, too, in Budapest. Paris and Berlin, and later in Australia and perhaps in New Zealand. Other musical plays which have been secured by Mr Ward are "My Girl." ‘Archie,’ "The Trial Honeymoon," "Lady Be Good." and “Mercenary Mary." The Music Box Revue and three London revues called "Better Days." "Leap Year" and “Brighter London." are also to be produced in Australia. To appear in seme cf these shows Mr Ward has signed up Jimmy Godden, a star comedian, and William Morton, another leading comedian, who has been appearing at the Savoy in London. Then the steamer passages have been booked cf two leading ladies. Miss Madge White comes from the London Vaudeville Theatre and Miss Elsie French from the London Hippodrome. Two dancers of distinction are also coining to Australia under the Ward management. Miss Constance Evans and Miss Edith Dailey. Thirty-six (ontraets calling for new theatres throughout the United States, renresentiug a* total of 18.790,800 dollars. were placed between January 1 and April 20. A play which is having a great success in London is " The Tyrant." by Mr Rafael Sabatini. It is described as a wonderful picture of life during the Italian Renaissance. Mrs Kendal is .seventy-six this year, and there is no need for anyone to adopt the mock-politeness attitude of "Who would have thought it?" since the famous actress makes no attempt to hide the truth about her age. She even wears a bonnet. It was on March 15. 1849, that Madge Robertson was born, and the coming of her birthday is sure to revive the old fable that she was the twenty-second child of her parents. As a matter of fact, the Robertsons. who were both cn the stage, did have many children; but the total -- according to a relative of Mrs Kendal’s -was only fourteen. As Madge Robertson, Mrs Kendal made her London stage debut in 1805, when she played Ophelia Revival of the historic Sadler’s Wells Theatre, with a. longer history than almost any other theatre in London, and its conversion into an “ Old Vic.” for north London are called for in a scheme put forward by the Duke of Devonshire as chairman of an influential committee, which has issued an appeal for £60,000 to launch the venture (writes a London correspondent). For this sum, it is estimated, the romantic old building at Sadler’s Wells, rich in theatrical memories and traditions, but. now derelict, can be pure‘based ami reconstructed. The existing “Old Vic..” under the energetic management cf Miss Lilian Bay-

lis, aims at bringing drama and opera of the highest quality within the reach of the poorer sections of the public. Starting from small beginnings, it has been enormously successful in brightening the lives and enlarging the minds of the workers of south London. Jt }i;it constantly developed from concerts to opera, from stage turns to Shakespeare, until to-day it produces Shakespeare and opera continuously at modest prices, and has made itself a centre of pilgrimage for playgoers who find such dramatic fare provided nowhere in London ns a commercial proposition. A London paper informs its readers that a Repertory Theatre is a theatre with a stock of plays, and is practically independent of outside help. In the earlier days of the stage, almost every provincial theatre was a stock or repertory house. It had its own company of actors and actresses, ready to produce one play one week, or another the next. The plays might be changed more or less often, but the point was that every play put on at that house was played by the theatre's own company, and as far as possible dressed and staged by its own resource. Later it became the custom to tour a successful play, one company always taking the same piece and even the same parts, travelling round with their own dresses and scenery from town to town. The theatre therefore had nothing to do but provide the actual stage. The modern Repertory Theatre is simply a return to the cld system. a host of good stories told by Cnarles Chaplin is one concerning his early days, when he toured the country with various fifth-rate shows. One day the property man came to the manager of the particular one he was just then travelling with, and rel ported as follows: “We re in the soup, j guv'nor. Some thief has been and I stolen Cleopatra's jewels and King Solo- ; mon s sceptre, as well as the Imperial Crown used in the ‘Blue Hussar/” “ VI ell, look here.” said the manager sternly, “it’s your job to guard the jewel chest, and I shall have to deduct the full -value of the stolen jewels from your next week’s wages. They’ll cost } ou seven and ninepence.” Mr G. B. Burgin, the well-known author, in his recently published “ Some 'lore Memoirs,” tells the following story of that wonderful imj promptu wit, W. S. Gilbert, who was j fond of amateur theatricals, and who . once agreed to take the part of Pierrot. ; “ The company, unwilling to run any j n'sks with so important a part, en- ! listed the services of a very fascinating J ‘ pro.’ for Pierrette. Gilbert was much ! r. leased with her attractive personality, j .and they became friendly. As they , went down in the train to a place some | distance from London, where they j were to perform, the Pierrette confined i to Gilbert that on occasions like the { present she invariably took her mother | with hrr as a precautionary measure. ! Gilbert looked at her with well-feigned i astonishment. *Do you mean to tell j me that you cannot trust your m Cher alone in London- for one night? - ’ | Sir Johnston l*'orbes-Robertson’s rei cently-published book, entitled “ A | Player L'nder Three Reigns,” contains I many good things about the stage and famous players. The author's memories cf his tour in America include the following apropos a performance cf “ Hamlet “ I think it was in Washington when my prompter one night told me that the fireman cf the theatre', having watched the progress cf the play with ! great interest, said to him: ‘Say, this j is a bully play your governor’s got. Did he get it written for him?’ ] " The next morning I met an aoI quaintance at the club who did not • share the fireman’s enthusiasm. During | our conversation he incidentally re- ! marked that he had been to the theatre the night before, and pronounced j upon what lie had seen thus: — i “‘I liked vou, but it's a fool play!’ j j “On another occasion when * Ilamj let ’ was being played, the dresser i begged the lady she was attending to j enlighten her as to the author and tin J plav c*f which she had never heard, j When being told that it was the. work i of the greatest of all poets, and that ! he lived three hundred years ago, she i remarked:— ! “‘Land rakes, you don't say; quite : a back number, isn't he? ” ' The theatrical business in New V ork ! is in the. throes of a slump, and nobody | seems able to tell just why (writes a ! weeks box office receipts, except for I half a dozen real hits, have been deplorably small, and there seems to be nothing on which to base a hope for a resumption c f better times. The writer of this has a feeling that a move to bring theatre prices back to what might be called norma! has set in. Top price along Broadway now is sdol 50 cents a seat. This obtains, of course, only in a few instances. But there are others where 4dol 40 cents is asked, land any number that want 3dol 30 cents. These prices arc. comparatively speaking, double those <f ten years ago, and they are a strain on the purses . of many ardent theatre-goers. It wouldn’t be so bad this scale—if it weren't for the fact that seats are not available at these figures at the box offices of real hit-. The speculatorhave ail the good seats for such showpay 7dol 70 rents, or even Sdol SO cents for a ticket marked sdol 50 cents. It never has been and never will be posj siblc to make the public stick together j and boycott the theatres because of exorbitant, prices. But now a goodly | portion of the playgoers arc in what might be called “an unconscious combine” to bring about reductions— ! I forced into it by the necessity for cur- I tailing their expenditure along Broad- j

FUTURE OF THE STAGE.

j i PLAYWRIGHT’S PREDICTION. I Every one*: in a while a prophet c f j | gloom arises to predict the. doom of i j the stage (says a writer in a New York j I paper*. The latest to foresee the down- j I fall of the spoken drama, with it* ulti- j • mate complete extinction is 1 osm > J Hamilton, playwright, who recentlv pre j 1 dieted that in five years there will not j ! be a single theatre around Forty-second , Street in New York's theatrical db j l trict I i Mr Hamilton uttered his forebodings ! i 'bout the drama at a luncheon of the j Union of East and West in this city j I when he, with other speakers, debated i i the subject of “ The Stage as Pulpit.” j ] In the playwright's opinion cemmer- ! cialism, movies and the radio are tho I agencies that will contribute to the j downfall of the spoken drama. He as- j serted that in five years New York's I theatrical district will be all office build- ! ings. " There may be a few non-com- I mercial theatres in existence in the neighbourhood of Fifty-seventh Street," j he said. " but the. stage in America i' j | almost on its last legs. To-day there |

are only two real show towns, Ne'.v ork and Chicago. Outside of them the stage does not exist. It has been supplanted by the cinema and the ith these views this writer does not agree. W ith certain attractive play 3 running a year, two years and more, and with six out of every ten of New A. ork s theatregoers fighting to buy seats from the agencies at fifty cent:? over the present steep box-office prices, we fail to sec what the radio and tho movies are going to do to dramatic amusement when it is clean, intelligent and stimulating to the mind. \\ c look to see the “ edge ’* wear off both the radio and the movies, with a. corresponding increase in the public's liking for spoken drama. About the cinema and the radio and the phonograph there is something “ canned,’*" which indicates that they will assume less and less importance in a thinking American community as time goes on. The drama, being the product of enlightened human consciousness, has in it the elements of immortality. Anyway, we wish somebody would make us a present of a theatre somewhere between Forty-second and Fiftyninth Streets, and we’d think we weru on Easy Street for life.