The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-08-30

sors chosen from tbs TWO opeEa Z.
while the military band y ti,sa q Ine III
hfafed C0id.StEeam Guards. us Dsss ssa. ..
able artists, vocal and tnstr l nIe
gapet. and the programmes are 30 u.ss '.sr
fied az 10 suit all tastes tna. ,ne
prospectus makes special feature w o,sa.
stcal music on certain nignIs. AnonS sne
|snstrur1ensaf novelties anIioun ls pm , OF
nhssts nj seleofior, arranged by Mr. Celtier,
- ~ carmen. (which the knowing ones say
oil, crowd the house. "A large section OF
The mI,stc. loving public who are LETT IN
town are mot likely to be tesoiate for lack
OF amusement. !.
The, SILLY SEASON.
Ambition is said to be great spu m, 20
ability when II doesn't oyerleap ftseii. ne
. original y romantic PLAY. z'ilah,m wnls.
opened the so.called silly season az ~, tn "
Lvceum Theatre, under the manaeeuens ~
Miss GeneYfeve Ward. turned OUT tue gl ,,s
nnn,enalIy had. II lot oifwild boys and
oiris. with an Indian and a Gypsy, bad got
ten mn an extempore play 10 the backwoods
somewhere. It would have been better, DE.
conse fnnnier. 1t could not have lacked
more in common sense. On The occasion OF
:. Zillab's" appearance weit-sciecteo au-
dience were silent aud respecflul during Tue
| frat act. When the curtain dropped: each
person turned to the other and asked WIN
an ayowal OF stupidity, What Is 1t all
about." They were willing to ackno"-
ledge that the want OF clearness must De IN
themselves. The sympatbizing friend hoped
that the evident mystery Of plot and motive
MIGHT be q good sign; that the revelation
in the cenoument would be startling and
brilliant.
And 50, when the curtain went up again.
vain hone turned to despair, and the gal
lery and pit turned to "guylnS." Ids
| word, familiar enough to actors, means the
supremest ridicule. 1t is worse than Missing
play; it is annibilating it. The Laughter
was universal, and the audience VINO cahe
to give thoughtful and honest criticism re-
NAMED to laugh like boys and girls. IL was
al the bloody -murder scene, when the au-
dience were expected to weep, ana at au
impresslveIy dangerous scene, wnen an
aoed man hung suspended from bucket
over q deep well with his heels kicking IN
the air. that the laughter was loudest. Inc
laughter all came III at the wrong place lor
the actor. which confused some OF them TO
point OF dropping their bis and putting
them on, while the clever Professionalism
took I'D the spirit OF the audience ana
laughed in the right place &,
Miss Ward, who is classically beautliu!
woman on the stage. appears as gypsy ana
as a lady alternately, and as "qu1ck'
change artist" has achieved reputation !;
but neither Zillah nor Lady Constance eX-
cites the least interest in the play. After
this it is quite unnecessary to describe tue
plot, when there was, indeed, no plot, but
great deal of plotting, because there can
be no interest or profit 10 filing the columns
of any paper in regard to it. 1t would not
serve as warning to any playwright in
America. for there is no one there 80 lack
ing IN common sense, 80 witless, as to offer
such a play to the public. At the conclu-
sion of the play the house called for "the
fathers OF ZiIah." but Messrs. P. Simpson
and Claude Templar the nom de plume OF
a barrister) had made their exit safely.
"Lucrezia Borga." drama in four acts,
adapted from the French OF Victor Hugo
by Mr.. w. Young, is now doing revenge,
poison, boody-inurder service in the place
OF the unfortunate "Zillah." Miss Ward
is very strong in the representation OF Vic
tor Hugo's wicked heroine, but the weather
has become too bright and summary for the
public to lind much pleasure in it.