The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-10-01
AN UsEMBNTS.
The New Play at the Pinh Avenpe-Bre.shsn
aud Ballet, Fisher and FiRurante, Cosh-
Ian and Coryphee, Lewis and Legs.

tainly m ade a sensation. Brougham and ballet
girls, LOWS and legs, Fawsitt and fgTdntes.
Coghlan and c0rpphecs have not hitherto been
associated in our minds. But for that matter
neither have comedy and burlesque, tragedy
and farce.
They are now
Much mystery surrounded the opening OF
Dllys new season, and divers predictions OF
diverse natures have been made as TO the at
traction. At last 1t came, and he II short or he
II long In many essentials, Life Is at all events
q merry one.
Unless we 60 to see a tragedy TO mourn with
Miranda or have the horrors with Hamlet, go
for rest and recreation. Home life Ia hum
drum TO the happiest OF mothers, and business
cares are carking to tho cheerfuiness OF work
ers. and visit to the theatre is instigated In all
rational minds by an ardent desire TO forget the
world OF realism and enter for a while the realm
OF fancy. IL we can 40 there merrly all the
better.
The compounder OF " Life" seems TO have I'M
derstood this and has mixed up a mess OF in
oonerui les, farces. foles. impossibllites, and
nonsense in kind Of dramatic hash, well
| favored by the spice OF novelty, aud admirably
served by prince Of caterers.
don't detail the plot. II is not necessary,
| and besides II would be impossible To devote
| column Of The SUN to a series Of absurd situa-
| tions
sufi-e u to cay that stage m 9th er-in-law and
| m insane COOK ombarrass, suspect follow, and
disconcert gallant who plays the busy lawyer
TO conndlng wife. and the attentive but unde-
monstrative lover to a hopeful widow.
About the husband revolve sundry friends,
mother-in-law, cook, a pretty client, a crack
Drained uncle, and the widow while about the
widow circle a series OF ridiculous lovers aud
| aspirants for the succession. She prefers the
leg II gallant, not knowing bin to be married.
and this regard leads to a number OF comical
adventures, ending of course, in discovery OF
the perndy, and q general feI dc JOE on the part
| OF everybody.
| The play Is absurd. BY itself It would not
draw week, but made conspicuous 10y its SUI
perb mounting, made sparkling by an extraord-
mary cast-Brougham, Fisher, Davidge, Cogh-
| Ian, Lewis, Barrymore, Misses Fdwsitt Drew,
Wells. Rigl, and Mrs Gilbert-and made phe-
| nomenal and unique by the introduction OF two
great dancers-Donfani and Sohlke and first
class ballet troupe besides, II becomes tho talk
Of tho town. and may have longer life to live
| than its species deserve.
whom John Drougham, ever so many years
| ago, burlesqued and made fun OF the Industrious
| John Smith, POichdtdn, and Pocdhontds. we all
| laughed. The folly was funny, and all the par
ties had been dead 40 long that no ones feelings
| were hurt. Admirable artist as Drougham is,
| he always seems to DC PLAYING buresaue. There
fore had lie been cast in any OF the " Life :"
roles, should have looked for fun. As It Il,
| lie makes game Of the late Mr.. Calvert, the chef
de spectacle at a rival theatre, ridcules his Decu-
larities, and so far as he can makes him small In
the eyes Of the public Its not very funny, and
| Il IN bad taste.
Mr.. James Lewis, the favorite comedian OF the
company, needs a disguise always. when he
| plays the role OF amoderu gentleman he gives
rather the Impression OF A" gent" Consequent
| ly while he played one Of the two leading roles
10 the dramatic portion Of the new piece, he
won his spurs and gained his triumph when In
the costume Of Il premier danse,lse he bounded
knobhy-kneed. powdered. and painted upon the
stage. The set represented a fresh view Of
Booths crowded auditorium, boxes and all.
Lewis and others OF the " Life " cast are pre-
sumably prescott to see what goes on but Lewis
Is forced into the ballet. OF course the absurd
| ity ofthe scene crowns its success As a dancer,
| the S2D0 a week comedian Is not bad. There Is q
variety show air about this scene, and, indeed.
the entire act. which appears harmonious
with the Fifth Avenues past but that's the
managers business, and II he ands profit ia II
he will probably 20 on from variety to variety.
| To Lewis and his elegant accessories MIR. DAILY
owes much. The rippling smile was not broken
| once WINE no was on tue stage. HOhs OF ldugu-
ter greeted every pirouette. Such comedian y"
must indeed be worth 500 a week.
A feature, which | had expected to be the
feature OF the evening, was the American debut
OF Miss Amy Fawsitt, a lady concerning whose
personal charms and artistic successes every
reader OF dramatic gossip knows so much.
Miss Fawsitt Is no better, no worse. than half
a dozen ladies who have been graduated by
Daily. She has pleasant face, not beautiful,
not handsome, and by no means pretty. She is
! unfortunate also in ngure, but her voice Is
| pleasing and her manner easy. II would be un-
fair to judge her dramatic ability by what she
did In Life" although that ia precisely what
we are asked TO do. She did not seem nervous.
although heavy fall caused by her tripping on
a door sill on the stage, might well have made
her so but she went through her part-mainly
that OF receiving guest after Ruest-very much
as a chicken hops about well corn scattered
yard, chippy and bright and contented, but not
especially notable. Like Mr.. Coghlan, who is
Irish, she is intensely English and an English
| Englishman on an American stage encounters
precisely what an out and-out American, twsng
Included, would naturally meet on the other
side. MIR. Coghlan plays the pasrt OF a young
married lawyer, dotted on by his wife, perse-
cuted by dreadful mother-In-law, and Plato
manly In love with a pretty widow, to whom,
|
manner are led to believe such things
are usually done. As on his first sp-
pearance Mr.. CoRhlsn betrayed great anIl-
ETY. for the success Of the piece. He was
restless-outside OF his part-and there was q
continuous air Of work about his performance
that sadly marroi It. II Life" is intended to
be farce burlesque OF an extravaganza,
all, or much Of the unnatural acting may be &C
counted for, tut Mr.. DAILY calls 1t a Comedy OF
City Types" and thus throws us OF the track OF
leniency. Mr.. CoRhan, hitherto clentless
4. surprised by the entrance Of lady
seeking his professional aid. Whether
We are to laugh With him or wonder at him II
the question. II he intends bures que, good but
n he means business not. M Coghlan's bump
| Of humfr IL we'll deyeOped, aud few parts
Ike schuyler samples Will develop him into a
! low cunedi IN, rs certain as fate.
Day mas provided Davidg', ms usual, with an
wretched little part. lie has, also as usual,
given Fisher character nit, in which that adj
| uirable actor, dresser and burlesquer has m ade
hit. lie makes up dyed and dandened old
beau, soft In cad but all right elsewhere, who
noes through life as a butterfly wings ADO e
the circle # Summer. Quaint aud queer are the
memories we must all nave OF FISHER. He Ia
Old, but green sun ana among the many favor.
ties on the Filtu Avenue list ranks high and
with the best
4. IL. A..