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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 18, 1933.
Art and Drama
Author And Actor Combined
Distinguished Career Of Sacha Guitry
PROLIFIC PLAYWRIGHT
(By Sydney D. Carroll.)
Nothing has so distinguished and his finger-tips. Nursed in rose adorned the career of our friend pink and cradled" in properties, the Mr. C. B. Cochran as his graceful moment he steps on the boards the habit of periodically inviting to confidence and assurance of his de- London the notable actors and ac meanour, bis grip of the scene are treases of other countries, in order dominant and potent with fascina-
THE THEATRE IN BERLIN.
New Play By Georg Kaiser.
Berlin.
THE CHINA MAIL.
News of a new play by Georg Kalser, to be produced with music by Kurt Weill, is gratifying to those who once, saw in him the hope of tho post-war German- stage.
The Alhambra's Ballets
History And A Suggestion
RUSSIAN INFLUENCE
No theatre anywhere in Germany has put on any of his plays for a year or more; the devotion to Every playhouse has its own been. Carmen was a brilliantly The dancing la it Goethe and Hauptmann during the special Divinity watching its for-staged affair. past and present season is the tunes. The success of the ballet of the Spaniard, La Malagucnita,
proved especially acceptable. alleged reason for neglect of all in Sir Oswald Stoll's latest must. Many strange kinds of choreo
cal comedy at the 'Alhambra, “A graphic compositions have figured that is new and inspiring.
Kiss in Spring," stirs up many in their time on the Alhambra The fact is that the theatres are
stage. Marionette ballets, equos in such a bad way themselves that
wonderful memories. For the trienne dances, French, Italian, special Divinity of the Alhambra and international dancing revels,
of Nations it is not uninteresting It is not so very long ago since to remember that one of the bal- lets, called, I believe, "L'Entente the Alhambra was almost wholly Cordiale," and accompanied by inspired and directed, and who have and solely identified with the art music composed by Sir (thon Mr.) bridge Theatre) of M. Sacha Guil- As I listened to his handling of all and each owed most of their sc- of the danseuse, and when the Landon Ronald, was staged in the try, whose world-wide celebrity as the opening scene in his first complishments and their success to a comedian and a writer of comedies production at the Cambridge his superhuman skill in the super-chief preoccupation of its directora great Powers of Europe assembled Grove of Concordia, in which five It would be hard to equal.
Theatre, it filled me with vision of their witchery. He has was rivalling the Empire as a home to pay their dues to the Goddess of finite regret that the English st played the part of Svengali to more of English ballet. The Alhambra Peace. M. Guitry is no stranger to us has so neglected the almost lost art than one Trilby in his time, and has had an extraordinary and
of studying and comparing their merits and methods.
the Dance.
that we may have an opportunity tion. His sense of humour novor they dare take no risks. The pro has always been the Goddess of whilst in these days of the League |
leaves him. However grave or vocative Kaiser always meant risks serious the passage, there is always for his producer. underlying a subtle current of The latest instance of Mr. Coch. ran's enterprise in this direction Irony, ridicule, and comic perapi- comes in the return (at the Cam-cacity of the finest quality.
..
Russian Influence.
He has several times honoured us of the soliloquy. To ses Sacha am not going to range myself with varied series of experiences. It Thanks to the influence of the
We have had the good fortune to
with his plays and his presence. Guitry taking the audience int!- those who unduly lament the die sce his admirable wit and comicmately into his confidence, reveal-ppearance of one of his protegees skill displayed through Englishing to them all his fears, thoughts, and unnecessarily enthuse over the
hopes, and moods, and yet retaining arrival of another.
duced.
was opened in 1854 as a "Panopti- Russians, (themselves no strangers con of the Arts and Sciences," and to the Alhambra) the art of the Queen Victoria granted it a Royal ballet has made amazing progress since those days in the matter of technique and composition.
Charter in 1860.
Art and Morality.
acting and translation into English, sincerity, conviction, and veracity, The brain that gave us Pasteur,
A as well as in French, and there is was an object lesson in that order Mozart, Marlette and a score of Failing in its higher purposes, it stage and an auditorium such as hardly any other foreign actor who can claim to have so endeared him- of acting that formerly so endear other diverting gems selected from then descended to the simple art the Alhambra provides form an modern French of amusement, coupled on Sundays ideal academy for artistic expres- self to London audiences or to have ed the great players of the past to the crown of
comedy, the art that has thrilled with moral edification. Religious alon of technical efficiency in ballst introduced more favourably to our their audiences." notice the elegancies, the polishy| Hearing a soliloquy so delivered, again and again with its his services of a sort were provided on Far better will it be to devote the trionic supremacy, cannot be held Sundays--boxing contesta and entire evening to the exposition of and the brilliance of modern with such perfect Insight and ex-
Subso- rhythm and poetic movement, French dramatic art.
pression, is like taking a peep into dependent upon the attraction of a wrestling on weekdays,
supplementary feminine partner, quently a well-known theatrical groupings, colour, and barmonies a man's soul. In one respect M. Guitry fa the
however delightful and however manager with the popular name of of physical plasticity than to at most remarkable man of the pre- Observe the art that produces so enchanting that lady may be. Smith gave it the name of The tempt fun, humour, and story-tell- sent-day stage, for in the whole of perfectly the illusion of nature.
The author who can write playa Alhambra and turned it into a con- ing without proper material and his stage record he has never act-Everything has been studied to the for himself as an actor is much ventional music-hall. Mr. Smith's lacking a true sense of the comic. Sir Oswald Stoll has in the past ed in a play that was not written last comma, yet it all bubbles out too rare a bird in the theatre. He plans, however, did not succeed. by himself, and he has written near-in a sparkling torrent with the ra- it is who knows how to make a The place had to be turned into been identified with many beauti. ly a hundred plays, between eighty pidity and effervescence of a moun- and ninety of which have been pro-tain spring, apparently the irresis-play at any rate actable, how to a circus. Other proprietors and ful and glorious ballets provided tible urge of a scintillating flood adjust this particular medium to managers followed, and with the for him by representatives of arrival of the seventies ballet various nations. In my poor judg A ment ho will do well to consider the once more became the vogue. spectacular business called "Les desirability of once again focusing Nations" was produced, with many the public mind on the finer and well-known and popular dancers, more striking aspects of an art in a highly coloured production the that has flourished from time im chief feature of which was a memorial.
He has in the Alhambra un Ideal "Parialan Quadrilie,”
From. then onwards ballets of theatre to his hand for this pur one sort and another invariably pose. formed the principal part of the evening programme. This was usually lavish and varied far be- yond present-day ideas. For the small sum of sixpence the patron of the gallery could start his en- tertainment at a quarter past seven and have the privilege of seeing for that triding amount a farce, a comio opera, à troupe of eccen- trics, and a grand ballet.
A Famous Family.
of eloquence that cannot be repress- ed.
A Real Svengali.
his own talents or shortcomings.
There are those who hold that acting and authorship have no real relationship to each
and
other,
дев
The name of Guitry is one of the most honourable in the annals of the French stage. His father, M. Guitry has had the habit of should be kept distinct. A visit to Lucian Guitry, was one of the great-associating himself in his produc- the Cambridge Theatre to
of his est actors of his time and ackloved tions, ever since his youth, not only Sacha Guitry in any one not a few of his triumphs in his with one, but with various charm-present pieces should. Sufficiently son's pieces. Sacha Is an actor to Ing actresses whose talent he has dispel this idea.
Dear Sir/Madam,
Gloucester Building
(Residential) Bong Kong
January 18, 1933.
Just a few lines to advise you there will be a Carnival Dinner Dance on Wednesday the 25th January, Chinese New Year's Eve, extension to 1 a.m.
We trust our old patrons will bring new guests to participate in this
celebration.
Assuring you at the same time that no effort will be spared by us to ensure
successful and pleasurable evening,
Sincerely yours,
Cherman
A Fine Ballet,
Stage entertainments have a singular babit of recurring. The time la now surely overdue when a return to ballet in its full magni- ficence would be very welcome." That much was evidenced by, the reception given to the English ballet. at the Alhambra. The ad- mirable troupe, led so superbly by Madame Markova and Mr. Harold Turner, in a series of genuine dance poems-lifted the plece im- mediately into the higher realms of art. They came on too late fo the action, and should have been used from the first scene.
How exquialtely pleasing and arresting a ballet can be when it is well conceived and performed in the right spirit! What ample.com pereation the emotional grace and Beauty of the dance in its highest form can provide for one whole
act of insipidity
A Long List,
A record of the famous ballets of the Alhambra would probably All more than a column of this journal. Particularly memorable was the version of "Carmen" pro- duced by Mr. Dion Clayton Cal throp. This designer's work for the stage has latterly not been as much in evidence as it should have
QUAINT LUCIFERS
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up at the tip
But varisimilitude was carried still further in the
the late Zord-Ray
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