Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-09-14

Room Gentry on the Pave-Maggie
MitcheIPs Mistake-Langtry's Rival.
NEW YORK, September 12-There has been
no dramatic event so far this season that has
excited as much interest as the production of
Miss Laura Don's comedy drama, "a Daughter
of the Nile" at the Standard Theatre. This
young actress and authoress is wonderful
woman. 1t is something to be a good actress,
and she is that; it is more to write a good play,
and she has done that. The average woman is
not so ambitious that she is not contented to
be one or the other-indeed most of them are
content with being beautiful. Miss Don has
achieved distinction in still another deld-that
of painting and decorations. Naturally, the
production OF drama from the pen Of a wo-
man with all these gifts was awaited with
much curiosity. Besides, in it she was to make
her first appearance as star. although she has
had for some time an established reputation as
a clever Coincidence. To give additional inter-
est she organized her own company. deter
mined to act as her own manager, and made
the designs of the scenery END appointments
and sketches for wi~S how bills
In the lobby of II .. .lio.e is also large
painting OF n6fSeiI reclining on u COUCH at
tired as an Egyptian Princess, which is the
work of her brush. l went to the theatre the
other evening to see this wonderful woman
and her play. The theatre was crowded. II l
may pause to remark it, the audience was bet
ter than you usually find at the Standard ex-
cept when Gilbert & Sullivan's inimitable op-
eras are on. There were dandies and women
of fashion enough to give dash OF
we'll of that which is so dear to so many
hearts. General Sickles stumped in on his
crutch and cane before the curtain went up,
thereby creating a sensation. He has killed
his mar, you know. in street ARRAY. GU could
see people all over the house whispering to
each other and looking over at him as if he
was some great lion. He is WelI-fed man OF
medium height, with round. rosy face, and
fierce moustache Throughout the play he
watched the actors attentiVely, and cbuckled
quietly when amused. In one of the upper
boxes on the left were two young women who
wore spectacles. They looked intellectual
enough to have come from Boston. In lower
box was great beauty, dressed In tight-fit-
ting grey gown. Once she stepped into the en-
trance back of the box, and just then some one
was heard drawing stopper.
Well, when the curtain went up there was a
pretty stage picture to look at. 1t repre-
scented a scene on the banks OF the Hudson.
During the first act Miss Don played the part
of rural Cinderella. She was here very
BRIGHT and unsophisticated country mal6en.
One Of her characteristics was an aptitude at
sketching with charcoal and she was ambi-
tious to become an artist. The cruelty OF her
relatives had reduced her to the condition of
an upper servant, and she could not aspire be-
YoDd making pumpkin pies and wearing calico
gowns Miss Don introduced some by-play in
the first ect that was highly amusing, such as
cutting out paper images OF people she did not
like, and then chopping them up by inches
with snaps OF her scissors. She cannot be said
to be a beauty, but she has a strikinglY intelli-
gent face. AS the play moves along, she be-
comes an Egyptian Princess and lives in
magnificent establishment in Paris where she
has achieved fame as an artist. She had run
away from home because she thought her
lover ian English Lord in disguise) false to her.
Here she looked really beautiful, as
her features are of the Oriental type,
and her figure is commanding enough to eX-
press dignity. A vivid picture OF Partisan
fashionable life is here presented One of the
acts was melodramatic ending-no less than
the disappearance down well of the rival
cousin, pushed over the brink by the Princess
To be in position to do this the heroine puts
on mask and passes as statue in garden
This is a very ingenious device and one Of the
chief novelties of the piece scene in a
garrett follows, whittier the Princess fees to
secrete herself. Thinking she has committed
murder she becomes mad, and here Miss Don
shows talent for tragedy. She marries the
English lord at last in the old Hudson farm.
One of the best qualities OF the play is its fine
language. l have merely indicated some OF
the features here. 1t has been pronounced a
success. Oscar Wilde has written the authorizes
q letter, in which he pronounces the drama
brilliantly written, and speaks of her acting as
Wilde says so does not make it so, but the
critics have all expressed favorable opinion
and what is more conclusive still, private opin-
ion is favorable. How one woman can achieve
so much is question for philosophers to pom
der.
/ have before referred TO the usurpation of
the New York stage by the melo1rsma. On
Saturday night Wallack's Theatre-which, by
the way we used to point to with pride as a
playhouse devoted to the intellectual drama;
but alas those days are gone by-was opened
with another melodrama, making seven in all
that burn and howl their way through every
night. ! ester Wallacks new play is called
Taken from Life" The opening perform
ance attracted large and brilliant audience;
for, Notwithstanding the fact that melodrama
has displaced fine old English comedy, an
opening at this theatre is still social event.
There were scores Of pretty women in the
boxes and the orchestra chairs, dressed as il
for a reception or ball room and shining with
diamonds. Their escorts were in the glory of
shirt fronts and swalloW-tail coats.
There is no place / know Of where the dandy
has better opportunity to plume himself than
at the theatre. When he saunters in with his
opera hat crushed under one arm and his lady
on the other arm he is conspicuous. He likes
to be stared at In the way he is by those
already in the house. Wis breast swells with
pride until it makes his glistening shirt front
cracke as he sees that opera glasses are
brought to bear upon him from all parts of the
auditorium. How proud he is of the creature
on his arm-if she is pretty Between the acts
he strolls through the lobbies, smoking opera
puffs and talking to eny acquaintance of his
club he may chance to meet. He de-
lights in being a swell" and when
strangers in the city stare at him in
osity for admiration. One of his diversions is
to carry on a sly filtration with ladies in the
boxes while the play is going on, of which ma
nRuvring his companion is unconscious, so sly
is he. To me, the shows to be seen in front Of
the footlights are as interesting as the perform
ance behind them.
The story OF Taken from Life deals with
the fortrnes of a poor artist, who has had q
hard time of it. He is accused of murder by a
villain who loves his wife and consigned to
prison from which he is finally released by an
explosion of dynamite under the prison wall.
This is enough to indicate the character of the
piece, which is largely dependent on scenery
and stage carpentry The invisible man who
attends to the explosion does his work well
Loud applause greeted the explosion on Satur-
day night and in justice the dynamite
tain, torch in hand, and bowed his ac-
acknowledgements. But he didn't. Perhaps his
face and hands were too black. TIE leading
actors appeared, however, smiling and bow
nothing to do with the mechanism that
worked so admirably Several new actors and
actresses were introduced to the New York
public in this play-au of them English inn
portations So far as the scope of the piece af-
forded them opportunity TO display their ca
liabilities; thev made favorable impression.
Miss Rose Coghlan, who has been retained as
leading lady, was warmly greeted She did
not have an opportunity in the midst of the
rubbish TO show her art, but she looked beau
tifuI. She always does.
There is a strong likelihood that theatrical
club will be organized in New York with the
Garrick Club of London as its model. Such a
club is very much needed here, as there is alb
solutely no headquarters for theatrical peo
pie except the sidewalk in front OF the Union
Square Theatre. This rendezvous has become
famous almost from the extraordinary scenes
it constantly presents, and the establishment
of q club would be a blessing, If for no other
reason than that it would serve to draw the
crowd of theatrical men in doors and away
from the public eye They stand on this
sidewalk all day long waiting for "jobs" or
chatting with ''the boys and staring at the
ladies, while the great crowds that press up
ard down Broadway stare at them and try TO
recognize their faces. The sidewalk is wide
enough to accommodate several hundred of
as there are men, and in various degrees of
from the successful star in the most
expensive clothes, with diamonds glitteriDg all
over his shirt front, to the round -shouldered
and ragged super" who looks hungry and for
lorn. Many of them are dressed ike carica-
t4fes of men. / saw two of them yesterday
walking back and forth with great sells salts
faction and competency, ogling the ladies
and talking in loud voices. One was
clad in suit OF checked clothes,
with huge yellow and black squares,
and black braid on the edges. The coat was
absurdly short. and the trousers eHtso tight to
the leg that they wrinkled when he bent his
knee huge standing collar and voluminous
cuffs could be seen for blocks so conspicuous
were the red and white spots on them, and the |
tops of his shoes were OF lavender cloth. OF |
course he wore rings. smoked a strong cigar |
and wore his beaver hat over his left eye. His /
was dressed in a suit of startling /
blue as light as a woman's ball cos
tune, with blue and white striped collar |