Mr. Hugh J. Ward.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLV, Issue 22, 30 November 1910, Page 2

Mr. Hugh J. Ward.

His Retirement from the Stage — Interesting Career.

TIT O have been an actor and a comedian, to have been the medium A of letting recreation and laughter into the lives of the people, and to drop from that honourable mission into the office of a theatrical manager and become a mere 'hewer of salaries, and a drawer of dividends—ah! it is a terrible fall. Yet it is surprising with what equanimity Mr. Hugh Ward faces that prospective declension. He smilingly thinks that he ,is progressing and prospering, but how can a man be progressing who throws his talents into the lumber loom and allows his artistic self to be overgrown with moss and liehens? No, on July 1, 1911, when Hugh Ward, a principal in the firm of J. Williamson and Co. is born, Hugh Ward the actor dies so far as the theatre-going public are concerned. And he dies in the prosperity of his youth and the fulness

of his talents. It is time even now to write 'his obituary notice, to drop a tear over a Thespian's grave, and to murmur a prayer for an early and glorious resurrection. Hugh Ward, the actor, seen in . his retrospective entirety, is an interesting stage personality. He lias had a more interesting and versatile career than the majority of young actors. Twenty-two years ago —and it is no secret that he was then 17 years of age—he joined the stage in America, and for 11 years played in "Stock.” To the sound and varied training which he gained during that period, he attributed his later success. A weekly change of programme, and a weekly change of parts involving transition from humour to pathos, from farce to tragedy, and vi.ee-ver.sa, were the genesis of versatility and the development of artistic capacity over its widest range. The last 11 years have been divided between Australia and the Old Country. 'With an American reputation he came to Australia to play character parts, but was immediately thrown into pantomime, and the public thinking light entertainment to be his forte have ever since given him a standing order for that class Of fare. Yet in those 22 years we can recall Mr. Ward in a variety of divergent roles. He stands now at the head of a most interesting gallery of very mixed characters, all of them striking portraits of himself variously expressed. Out of a conglomeration of over 400 parts come thoughts of him as a pantomime comedian, as a serious dramatic artist, as a character actor, as an eccentric dancer, and as a comedian in musical comedy and comic opera. The gallery of portraits show the .same personality liehind such opposite characters as Sir Toby Belch in “Twelfth Night,” Matbias in “The Bells,” Beau Farintosli in “School,” Eccles in “Caste,” “The Fencing Master,” "The Private Secretary,” “Mr. Hopkinson,” •'The Man from Mexico,” and those half-dozen of giddy but nimblefooted old gentlemen whom Mr. Ward

has given to us in the lighter theatrical fare of recent years. We can recall the fact that for two years in succession he contributed a star turn in the Drury Lane pantomime, first in a thoughtful and entertaining sketch of Simian progression entitled “The •Evolution of Man,” and next in an eccentric dancing act known as “The Scarecrow,” a performance which proved so great an attraction that he was engaged by a French manager to repeat it in Paris with a French supporting company, which included ■Mdlle. Gaby des Lys, to whom tne misfortunes of the King of Portugal have quite recently brought notoriety. In the interval between the pantomimes he was for many months premiere dancer at the Empire Theatre with the famous Mdlle. Genee. For the last five years, he has been m management on his own account, and has travelled his company throughout Australasia and tile Far East. It must be almost superfluous to remind the public of Mr. Ward’s success during that period. He has been the one actormanager, who self financed, lias been able to keep continuously before the Australian audiences a first-grade company playing high-class .comedies and charging top prices. A sound theatrical education in “stock,” experience in America, Canada, London, Paris, Australasia, and the Orient, versatile work as an exponent of all emotions, and as a manager and producer, form a very valuable and comprehensive professional asset. Mr. Ward, also owes much to the fact that he has studied the literature of the stage, has had opportunities of discussing the higher meaning of dramatic art' with such men as the late Sir Henry Irving, Joseph Jefferson, and Mounet Soully, the eminent French tragedian, and has thought on acting in its intellectual and aesthetic aspects. . As before indicated, Mr. Ward considers an experience irs “stock” a magnificent education. "It creates enormous resource,” he said. “It gives mental and' physical pliability and its develops wonderful observations from a tinman viewpoint. The consequence is that whenever one is called upon to play a part he has stored in his mind a wide knowledge of the oddities and eccentricities of human nature, and these he can reproduce subjective to artistic technique. After all, the soul of acting is truth idealised.” Those are the observations of an actor soon to be no more. What then does the prospective corpse say of his business hereafter? What does it feel like to be at the point of death of one’s artistic self? “Something like suicide—although I have never tried it." the iToomed actor replied. “In leaving the footlights and in surrendering the joys of acting and. of counterfeiting tiie pathos and humour of life, one naturally feels ma.y regrets, because it is to the actual playing 1 attribute whatever success I have had. Time after time J have been fortunate in being able to execute little bits of humanity limned by authors with wonderful imagination, and they have led me into the hearts of characters, to give life and speech and thought to whom was a real delight. The sensation of playing a part is the same Joyous thing as that felt by a little girl in mothering a doll, or a boy in winning the worlddisturbing battles with regiments of tin soldiers. The actor lives in a great world of make-believe, and the characters of his creation are mentally hia friends and associates always. This is the perfume of the actor’s existence. Bug in going into management there is stilt great play for one's imagination, ami for his knowledge of theatrical technique. One’s foot light individuality disappears, 'but in managing and producing om> e ssays bigger creations and expresses one’s ideals per medium of the talents of otliers. To mould a production inti* proper form, to see in prospective the ensemble, to imbue the members of the company with your own artistic perceptions of what is necessary, to see that) each character is first complete in itself

»nd then dovetails accurately with the Others —in that work there is the fullest Scope for theatrical knowledge and experience.” Then you have happy anticipations for the future ? I am not entering a new field. From my first arrival in Australia I have known the spirit of the firm, and the magnetic personality of Mr. Williamson. I have worked for him, and I can say that he has always held the respect and regard of the profession. His is a brilliant and kindly personality. Having been an actor first, he has airways retained an artistic consciousness and sympathy with the workers in the profession. He has striven ever to maintain a high standard in Australian theatricals, and I know that his tendency will always be to progress. Mr. Tallis, too, is a brilliant man, who, though never an actor, knows what acting Js and how things should Le done. He was practically only a b,y when he joined the’firm, (but he thoroughly absorbed the ideas of his principal, and is to-day a partner, having the entire business at his fingertips. The real pleasure 1 have in joining (the firm is the fact that I have understood and appreciated the principals for so many years.”