The sun., 1878-11-03
AMUSEHEN7a
Iotta and Old Comea,..

had somewhat subsidized, and people came to
think about II. they said the 0rassl,opper de-
fed criticism.
This ia not true. She invites criticism. The
thing that sho denes is dccorum.
And 1t is for this defiance that she Ia admired
Genius has not alone the right to kick over
the traces Of propriety. Animaity reserves n
little Of this right for itself, and Iotta has
kicked herself out Of harness into hiarlty.
30 We cannot ignore the Grdsshopper in art
any more than we can in life. do not ask you
to read the agricultural reports Of Kansas in
part corroboration Of this. II will be sufficient
Tor my purpose II you try to buy some seats at
the Park Theatre.
These things exist-lct us not disturb the
links OF endoavor that make up our chain Of
amusement. II ia enough II by regarding, we
can understand them.
DO you know why people tolerate Lotta's def
ance OF the small laws Of propricty2
II Is because she docs not appear TO defy
them purposely-but unwittnRly. To most of
her Observers this implies the charming igno-
rance which We prefer to find in tho child. And
| suppose you have noticed long ago that the
grasshopper players. like Apollo. are always
young.
Miss Lotta in her new play IL vulgar. but Il is
the vulgarity of hithe. unconscious iuvenility
l suppose oil children prefer to cat with their
knives when they cannot use their fingers. Tho
natural disregard Of forks everywhere obsery-
able is. when you come to think OF IL, n very
strong argument in favor Of the common origin
ot our race II Is the protest Of the healthy saw
nge that remains in most OF us. and which, in
spite OF the frivolous attempts OF Mr. TalInnee
and others to disgust us with hereafter, looks
confidently forward to state Of existence in
which there are no corscts. no dress coats. no
Rendarmcrio Of art or conduct.
Have you ever crossed the continent and OBJ
served what takes place when the train after
hours OF dusty monotony, draws up to one OF
those water tanks that loom in tho desert.
with grateful circle fgrass about them, where
tue moisture has facn2 Everybody gets out Of
the ear and kicks M his heels and shouts. Ma
ture here lie SO vast that man feels that the only
tribute he can pay her Is TO be a savage for a
moment and give expression TO n fow sponta-
neous and scornful yells at the regular sort OF
thing he has left behind him.
Because We cannot all OF us get upon the
great plains of life and shout our dcrisiou at
the peaks behind us which We have been COM
PEELED to climb. is one reason | suppose. why
we take such delight in the little savagcs who
can.
Prctentiously absurd would 1t be 10 come 10
our little players work with the scale OF Vtru.
art has left few marks on II. But the crowds
stop there and are glad and enjoyment some
how springs round 1t like the green grass in the
wilderness.
One cannot help admirinc In spite Of himself
Lotta's steady refusal to Ice crowded into the
quart measure Of art Her eiIcrvescent over
flow has liberty Of its own that il pleasing.
Hers Ia the license Of small women used i'm
perlously. And you know what long rope
goes with ashort female. We get to calling even
her enormities little. For ten years at least
criticism has been hurling its biggest words at
her. Fortcn years an undoxterous propriety has
been trying TO throw its lasso over her head.
For ten years paragraphs have been shot pun
gently at her. But II the big words hit her she
did not know ii. She squrmed out Of tho lariat
like another ana more ETHEREAL Fay And not
paragraph lnctured her. for here she is to-
day the same invulnerable globule OF quick
silver that runs everywhere. except into the
stage grooves. and has gone up and down tho
world setting everybody shaking as II. indeed.
everybody had some grains Of the same metal
in his nature.
The Mdrchi0ness and similar roles were not
worn easily by Lotta. Their serious incidents
crampcd her. La gale fits her like one Of those
dresses that the Persians coll woven wind
II does not hide. it heigtens her nature.
|
La Cigale Is sufficiently serious story
whose figures have been carefully cut out and
carelessy sewed in again upside down. and this
| process always results in burlcsque.
Tho jack o. lantern style in which IottA plays
the heroine is not only rrepressby restless
but irrcsistbly comic. The humor all springs
from her buresque disdain Of the conditions Of
character and plot which governed the making
Of the story. Her conduct in the presence Of
the artist who rescues her is not at all calculated
"a win his affection or respet-it is rather cal
cuated to keep tho audience in a roar. And
this 1t does 10y virtue Of its ureasonableness
We laugh heartily because the artist does fall in
love with her, and does respect her.
Mr., Frederick Robinson. who is associated In
our minds with grave roles and who. for the
most part. Ia dignined and methodica actor
takes 10 his business very much M man who
desires TO swim takes TO the water from the end
OF dock. he leaves everything that properly
belongs to him behind. even his respect for the
ordinances.
And yet it is patent that tho fellow never ex-
| hibted SO much freedom. so much grace and
so much activity on dry land as he exhibits
cayorting and plunging about there in the now
element.
| In buresque we get rid OF department Tho
success OF negro minstrclsy in the United States
was owing In great measure 70 the fact that
mono OF the performers were required 10 DO.
! have themselves. The license OF black skins
was more cfilcacious than the folk songs OF the
plantation The real charm Of such plays as
Forbidden Fruit" and " Pink Dominos is
that the men and women in them snap their
fingers at propriety and skate on the thnnest
Ice without breaking through. This is the re-
venge that the stage takes upon society which
has for many years snapped its fingers at the
players.
| But La Cigale " is a buresque Of demennor.
| not OF morals. The snrghtly nymph of tho
| circus, who is a sort OF skipping angel. takes
| us back 10 that arcAdian condition when all
arenic nymphs We're not only as graceful but
IA pure as snowfakes, and 10 be a ballet girl
was to be without guile. We never for mo-
mert associate her with any purely sensuous
| purpose She kicks up her heels RS no other
| woman dare kick them up, but II Is inoffcn-
! slYe. because. like the child in the playground
| she is unconscious OF the possession OF legs,
How quickly an assembago marks the differ
ence between betrayal Of the person and an
| exhibition Of II
/ like the lnxity OF this play. 1t unbends all
| the bows. without weakening them. II affords
! the kind OF relaxation from which we quickly
recover 1t is simple advertisement. and
| amuSee with its animation like a swarm OF