Greenroom Gossip.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVIII, Issue 1049, 14 April 1910, Page 17

Greenroom Gossip.

BABBIE’S DELIGHTFUL PT. Ay. Mr. J. C. Williamson’s “Peter Pan” company closed a most successful season of fourteen nights at the Wellington Opera House on Saturday when “from his house among the tree tops (vide “The Dominion”) Peter Pan waved adieu to a Wellington audience for the last time,” His Excellency the Governor and Sir Joseph and Lady Ward being amongst those who witnessed the farewell performance. The play is regarded as one of the greatest successes ever staged in New Zealand under the J. C. Williamson management, and is certain to be received enthusiastically wherever it is presented. The company is now touring the “smalls” of the North Island, and played at Palmerston North last evening, and will appear there again to-night. They are due in Auckland from Gisborne on the 25th. They play at Masterton, Hastings, Napier and Gisborne en route, and remain in Auckland until May 14. The subsequent dates are: New Plymouth, May 16; Wanganui, May 17 and 18; Palmerston North, May 19 and 20; Christchurch, May 24 to June 4; Timaru, June 6 and 7; Oamaru, June 8 and 9; Dunedin, June 10 to 22; Invercargill, June 23 to 25. •••■ ■ * « EEBT BOYLE IN CHABGE. Our old friend Bert Royle is in charge of the company, Mr. George Portus acting as advance agent, Mr. Harold Ashton, who brought the company across from Sydney to Wellington, having returned to Australia to accompany Mr. J. C. Williamson to Europe in search of further attractions for the. Australian stage. Mr. Royle, who sends me two new and hitherto unpublished pictures of Miss Lizette Parkes, one of which is the subject of this week’s “Review” frohtispiece, says that Barrie’s masterpiece has had a great vogue in Wellington where the critics have been unanimous in its praises. “The performance is,” he says, “honestly ideal right through the cast.” Some gems from the “Script” of “Peter Pan” are republished from “ The Dominion” over page. * * * * LYCEUM PICTUBE COMPANY. The Lyceum Picture Company report having concluded a highly successful tour of Tauranga and Opotiki districts. They left for Fiji by the Navua on Wednesday, opening in the ..Town Hall, Suva, on the 20th inst. They play the principal towns of the groups and return to Auckland about the end of June. In securing the services of Levarto (the herculean juggler and balancer) recently with Messrs. John Fuller; and Sons, the management considers itself fortunate as Levarto’s clever acts will certainly hit the tastes 7 of Island audiences. Mr. Norman Menzies and Mr. Harry ; Collins are alsp Ito appear in a strong bill. A general tour of the .principal towns of the 1 Dominion will be undertaken: on the return of the company, • when other ‘ vaudeville attractions are to be secured. ■■ ■' ■*' *•;' ? * THE NEW DRAMATIC COMBINATON. The Allan Hamilton-Max Maxwell dramatic company have scored quite a sensational success at the Palace Theatre; Sydney, the building being at every performance. It is generally admitted that the lavish manner in which everything connected with the production of “Woman and. Wine” tias been done entitles the management to rank as worthy successors to Bland Holt, (whose plays the. new firm are .fortunate enough to have, secured. At the close of the six : weeks’ season -.in, Sydney, the Allan Hamilton-Max J Maxwell company embark at once on a comprehensive New Zealand tour.. starting at Auckland oh. Monday;? May ;16. Five plays :will: consti tpte the : repertoire, “Woman and; Wine,” “A iWoman’s Hate,” “In:. London. Town?*? “Revenge” and . “Lights, o’. London;”/: Everything down to the smallest-detaii? will be carried on •the forthcoming tour. ONLY “LOANED.”

Messrs. J. and N. Tait, who are managing Miss Amy Castles’ temporarily interrupted tour of Australia,

desire it to be plainly understood that, at the conclusion of her present engagement in grand opera, she is to resume her contract under their direction.. Miss Castles has only been loaned, as it 'were, for certain limited appearances in the operas of “Madame Butterfly” and “La Boheme,” and, by a previous arrangement, is booked to sing only in the cities of Sydney and Melbourne. The brilliant young songstress will, therefore, continue her series of popular concerts in due course, and again visit many of the scenes of her former triumphs under Messrs. Tait’s control as heretofore. • *■ ♦ ... - -♦ MODERN POLICE METHODS. In “ The Third Degree,” one of the big situations designed by Charles Klein to expose the cruelties of the modern police inquisition in New York, presents . a man after seven hours continuous cross-examining. The time is in no way exaggerated. Only- recently there went the rounds of” the Australian papers an account, clipped from New York journals, of how Emily Sara, a young Finlander, underwent the torture —for there is no milder word to describe it. “The Third Degree” began at 3 o’clock on February 7 (says the “New York Times”) and continued, without a pause, till midnight. At 9 o’clock on Tuesday morning the inquisition was resumed. No breakfast was given to the unfortunate woman, all that she had being a glass of water. Then they took her to the morgue to look at the body of the murdered woman. All that day and night they plied her with questions until at last, at 3 a.m., she broke down and confessed that the husband of the murdered woman was the criminal. And even now the cables are full of the police efforts to make the alleged murderer of Ruth Wheeler, the unfortunate girl who iwas killed in New York last week, confess to his crime by the same means. ’ e ♦ * ♦ THE WELLINGTON SEASON. The Phil Walsh Dramatic Company is booked for a fortnight’s season at the Wellington Opera House, under the direction of Mr. E. McLean, commencing on June 28th next. Mr. Phil Walsh’s last appearance at that theatre was in “The Land of the Moa.” Prior to his departure for America in 1901, Mr. Walsh established a record at the same theatre by playing the part of “Conn the Shaughran” for seventeen nights. • ♦ * * * MEW CRITICS AND ODD IDEAS. “Many of the new critics,” writes Mr. G. K. Chesterton in the “Daily

News,” “ask in a wondering way why melodrama is so popular. I can tell them on the spur of the moment, and without the least hesitation. Melodrama is popular because of its profound truth; because it goes on repeating the things which humanity has really found to be central facts. This endless repetition profoundly annoys the irritable artist inside you and me. But it ought to profoundly please the realist. The melodrama is perpetually telling us that mothers are devoted to their children; because mothers are devoted to their children. Humanity may for a time grow tired of hearing this truth; but humanity will never grow tired of fulfilling it. The melodramas say that men are chiefly sensitive upon honour and their personal claim to courage. Men are. It bores one to hear one’s honour reiterated; but it would startle one to hear it denied. Now the modern critics seem to mean (when they talk of ideas) some ideas other than, or even opposite to, these old and certain ideas; but surely they are wrong.” * ♦ • ♦ “ THE THIRD DEGREE.” A powerful play which Mr. Harold Ashton secured in America for Mr. J. C. Williamson was “The Third Degree,” a virile impeachment of the police methods of extorting confessions and evidence from prisoners. “I shall never forget,” he said, “Eddinger as the weak, vaccinating prisoner charged with murder—his weak, troubled face, as he said ‘I never did it —no, I never did it! The light is full on his perspiring face and all round him are police endeavouring to hammer a confession out of him. At last a burly sergeant snaps out: ‘You shot him with this!’ and produces a revolver. The glint of light on the barrel hypnotises the tired prisoner, who gazes in a dazed manner at the barrel as he says, I shot him with that!’ At which the police sigh with satisfaction. Their work is done. The third degree exists more or less in every country in America it has been condemned by press and public alike.” A CHARACTER FROM LIFE. Miss Beatrice Day; who with Mr. H. R. Roberts, will appear in Hall Caine’s play, “Pete,” under the management of Clarke and Meyhell, is looking forward with keen interest to her return in such a. fine drama. “I loved the part of Kate,” sTie told a Melbourne interviewer, “immediately I read it. It is full of human feelings and heart interest. It is a character that lives and breathes. It is one of us from life.”

AN “INSPIRATION.” It is not every actress who can claim that she has been the “ inspiration” for a number of artists, in whose work she has figured prominently. But Miss Mab Paul, of “The Night of the Party” Company, may justly claim that distinction. Miss Paul is a most striking-looking actress. While appearing in London, her beauty attracted the attention of George Broughton, R.A., who asked her to pose for him, and she is immortalised in his famous picture, “ The Lady of Shalott.” She has also posed for some of the pictures of Holman Hunt, Hon. George Collier, and other notable painters. From the artist’s studio she went on the stage, and has appeared with some of the leading companies in England and America, as well as producing a number of pieces under her own management. 4> * • ♦ “BABES IN THE WOOD.” In West Australia William Anderson’s pantomime, “ Babes in the Wood,” has scored tremendous successes, as was only to be expected from the great popularity which it gained during its season in Melbourne. Crowded houses have been experienced everywhere, and the pantomime has been considerably altered and improved in many ways since it left Melbourne. The Company returns East shortly, opening at Broken Hill first for a seven nights’ season.