, 1881-07-31
The Stage Carpenter Reveling
Through Five Acts and
Nine Tableaux.
The Danicheffs at Ho0tey's Theatre,
with James 0'MeiIl as
Osslp.
i" The Hidden Hand" and Pop
u1ar Prices Of the
Grand.
BLACK Diamond" at the Olympic
Dramatic Jottings at Home
and Abroad.

ekTJIE WORLD AT N,TICKEn,S.
Sk11lful advertising AMI G previous good rep;1
1ation brought to NcEickcrs Theatre Thurslt
night remarkable first night audience to wit
ness the production of "Toe World" Onl
thosc can appreciate the attendance fully VII
remember the dis1na! opening of Nic1ickcr'
scasons In l6'+, 1873. 1916, and 1877, when tn
panic had left everybody poor or apprchcnsiy
OF poverty, and the theatres had struggle 10
existence. 4 chccful contrast was afforded t
those had times in tho bustlinG uudicuce O
Thursday, which put standur-roolu Mt Il prcni
,lsu and represented cash, not free tickets, Il
nrs1-M!Eht audiences III Chicago nrc Apt TO do
The World" did not fully meet public cx
pect1uons- There is too much machinery IL, i
aud too little intrigue. The stage-carpcutcr ha
full sway. 1t is his piece frum beginning to el1l
Without him 1t would be nothing. In an o:di
nary theutrc, with small stage and no uuus,lu
scenic or mechanical effects, tho play coult
not hold al intelligent audience through
single evening. ''Tho World" il
a good specimen OF tho mechanical
DRAMA It is Of Il lower order even than the
millinery drama by So much as the stage mil
liner has better taste and L more exalted mission
than the stagc-carpenter or mechanic It re.
4uircs more *soul" and "poctry" to dress .
pretty woman beconingly than to make u sceuc
revolye i RAFT - toss " on ten1pcstuous can
vas oceun.
Aside from tho performances of the carpenter,
who is plainly the te,tx haacliGa Of tho play,
The merit or The World lies solely IN num-
N:r of iso!ntcd dramatic situations. WI should
not f0ryrI that they are dramatic, ait houyh they
art: pitched into the composition without much
reference to clcl other Or t. the general eject
The scene OH the steamer just before the cxplo-
sion. when the duucd cuHsp;rutur BEES for q
beat, is highly druuu1ic: SO are thc r1it scenc
daif,IIl fFSff IL
uony OF the t.oycrncss. the escape fr.ln the in
sane asylun; the assault Of liu1Tu upon Mary.
been referred to as. the assault" has no pur-
ule in recent stage history, and VIC hrpc it inuy
not soon have co1npauion. Its COLI blooded
atrocitr cxccis anything that was attempted in
the Restoration comedies. Though IT may be {.
stTonE dramatic situation 1t is NIT good art. 1t
must have been suggested to the English au-
th0rs by the heroic exploit Of Col. Valentine
Naktr. uni Since his apothet,sis 1y tho London
ctusss II is not perhaps strange thAt British 1u-
dtcIceS Should tolerate such An exhibition: but
tue coura.e OF the persons who have introduced
~ America cannot tie too much wondered Mt.
When the strength Of the situations hus been
of The World The diaios is not redeemed
by q gseatn Of huncE. There Is not an epigraln
IN II Melodrama is not. OF course, Il fruitful
World IL has comic character there would seem
~ be no gross impropriety In giving him some
The action is not consecutive. We expressed
ths. opinion Friday morning that ''The World''
was originally two, und possibly three, plays. 1t
has three authors, and each Of them catne to
the task OF collaborau it is i.ient,conpetey
tsluipped with u plot. characters. and effects.
The diamond conspiracy bus nothing to do with
ting Sir Cit1ncfH under lock and key would hayc
been us strong lis II the Lily Of the Valley had
not peen blown up Even No Jetsel, who is intro
1uced somewhat cluu:sily rs the connecting
link would have had sufficient room for joining
the conspiracy IL be had had nothing to do With
the Internal machine and the insurance-fruud.
II IN 80 3e1
order Aya~icc and fear are the controlling
motives Love cuts 10 figure IN it. The dra-
1nnt,sfs have runK the changes on parental love
until It has become wcarisoule theme when
clumsi!y treated. hut Its clpacity for providing
1oater!ul TO the clever playwright IS incxhausti-
nlc; f .1nu now much n noblcr and more refined
Compare ..Tho World" - with THE '71 Two
Orphans. 15, for example; and observe on
is than the Inter. The touc Of " The Work" is
positively vulgar. 1t Is criminal debauch in
live acts and niue taDlcaux. 1t has, moreover,
Orphans" exhibits. Such a thing as dramatic
is to say, the putting to-
give them the ncs1 possi6le eiect IN reIation ia m
each other-tha authors of 1.-The World" did
not understand. Yer it is the touchstone OF uli
NIcvickcr's is quite equal to its merits. Tho
first was badly done Thursday night, owing to
the nervousness Of the principal performers,
end. Roland Reeds Ajo JelceN is perhaps cou-
rcndonal. but there Is really nothing in the
part or in any Ct the others. Mr. George Nor
aon.s Horn was pleasing because not
let let. the authors play the villain through
him Instead of attempting to cxaggerate and
1ravesty their IDEAS In view OF tho extreme
difficulty of the part. ana tho fair measure Of
success enjoyed in the presentation OF it, Mr.
Norton deserves to be congratulated. Mr. Crisp |
sts Sir 13a7y was quite satisfactory in the scenes
that REQUIRED vigorous action, but not entirely |
at bis ease In those which demanded only d |
modest department and simplicity of speech |
and manner. Miss Agnes Proctor has improved |
decidedly IN the last few years. She dressed !
atnd acrcd tho part Of Ndi,cl with marked intel /
1iycnce. Miss Hetty Tracy was shade too stif |
llud slow as Md'y I}'Ddic, but Agreeable through
The reserve OF her dcmeanor. The minor paris |
were almost without exception well taken. The |
acting was at no time Extensively bad or dis |
t.ordaut- t
It would be doing great injustice to 1.-THE
World y to pass from the mention OF It without |
r. reference to tne ttiumphs Of scenic md me-
chaflic art with which it is adorned. The cx-
plosion OF the Lily OF the Valley tho revolving
house scene. the raft and the elevator arc
all Us wonderful rs anybody could wish. Stage
art has ndranced d long way since Mr. Crutnr1cls |
could eIet:trify his patrons with pump, i'm
nlense audiences at four performances last
week testified their approval Of s. The World"
In every usual manner ]