The New York herald., 1879-01-05
THE DRAWING ROOM THEATRE.

A DARK sEANCE WITHOUT ACrORs-THE LAST
ACT IN MISS MINNIE CUMMINGS THEATRICAL
FIAsco.
Yesterday morning the HERAID's advertising col
umns contained brief but glowing announcement of
the grand reopening' of Miss Minnie Cummings
Drawing Room Theatre, with the new French opera
boutfe company. The attractions to be .'un-
rivalled' There were to be mo more disappoint-
ments' and mo more injunctions. Altogether the
laconic and suggestive advertisement of the man
ageress bright with good promise; but
the promise of this specious pronunciamento
proved the be all and the end all of the whole
affair. The hour announced for the opening of the
performance came, and with it a small number oe
wouldbc patrons. These, however, got no further
than the box Office where the cheerful information
awaited them that the company had not put in
place
afternoon the manager of the French Opera Com
papy, in stormy alteration with Miss Cummings.
denounced that enterprising lady in terms that
vorcd of strength more than of godiness as a
fraud. and emphaticaly refused to allow the com
pany appear claiming that the performance had not
been adequately advertised He was a. good as his
word, and not q member of the company appeared
last night upon the stage of the Drawing Room
Theatre, which, thus far. has proved but sorry
draw. But even had the managerial French Barkis
beeu 'willin'" a performance would have been out
of the question for a soulless gas corporation on
Friday obdurately turned deaf to Miss Cum
mings New Year promises, which it claimed were
lacking in the new leaf flavor, most to be desired
under the circumstances at this time, and sternly
declined to be trihed with in 1879 as il had been
tricked in 49,
Miss Cummings. it seems. had been prolgal
in her. consumption of the illuminating material.
having burned day and night for want of any other
heating facilit for the house, and although the
balance due the corporation was but S2i, she seems
to have been unable to raise this modest sum- The
gas was consequently shut off in the summary man.
ner customary in such exigencies and as Miss Cum
mnys herself announced as sick last night. il is
difficult To understand her purpose in order
ing the theatre. opened for dark scancc.
unless. indeed. she hoped to successfully
invoke the shade of the lamented Heller
in his former abiding place. The statement made
yesterday in the HERALD of Miss Cummings troubles
on account of non-payment OF rent by Hermann. the
magician, only in part explains the coil i'll which she
involved: for will be from the facts above
stated. aside from this matter of the rent, the
bill. u comparatively insignificant amount. had not
been paid The whole difficulty probably lies in the
ill advised ambition of Miss Cummings TO figure as
dramatic celebrity. She is not the first amateur
who has essayed to rise from the bottom to the
top the ladder at step. and she has met with
a fall, the severity of which is in proportion to the
excess of her tcmcrty beyond her fellow alvcnturers
1t is likely that she will at present find another
Fortuuatus like Mr. Louis Parmc to pay her rent and
expenses for two weeks; and, should she do so. 1t
probable that the interest OF the public in any
similar enterprise upon her part will DC extrava-
CANT The future fate of the beautiful little theatre
that is associated with Miss Cummings fiasco is 1t
is understood as yet undetermined. IL is rumored,
however, that Mr.. Jacob Gosch the veteran man
ager of the Theodore Thomas orchestra and now the
manager OF the Criterion Comedy Company.
will lease the theatre to present this organization.
which has been playing with uncxceptional sue
cess in .'Our Boys Caste in the provincial
cities, in play by Mr.. Stanley Mckenna.