St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-11-15

in the manag ement by Mr.. John Rickaby, g
well-known and popular manager. He as
sumed charge of both the theater and OF
Miss Helen Dauvray this week.
~
Had the audience which assembled on
Tuesday at the Lyceum theater to witness
the first presentation of Mr.. Bronson How
ards new play. lone of Our Girls" been a
French one they could hardly have been
very well pleased with the portraiture of
Freuch customs and manners as given upon
the stage, however much of wholesome in
struction might have been contained in it. MIR.
Howard has drawn very biting parallel
between the French and American customs
in the treatment of young girls and in a
note printed upon the program. he shows
that he cannot be accused of eXaggeration,
as his authority has been the Social Code of
France, written by the Countess de Bassan-
vile, work generally accepted as the ex-
pOnent of the French idea. The author
takes marriage de convenience between a
young girl not yet out of her teens and a
prOtligate nObleman, then incarnation of
every fashionable vice, and makes it the
basis Of his plot. AS an Offset, an Ameri-
can girl is introduced. and she forms, of
course, a startling contrast in her independ-
ence and audacity to the tine-spun proprie-
ties of her French relations. Unfortunately,
the characterization goes too far and Kate
Shipley is irredeemably vulgar though
Miss Helen Dauvray, who plays the part,
does her best to elevate it. 1t is the
American girl abroad, all over again, with
all the vulgar self-asservativeness and I'M
ladylike pertness which has served in the
past, both as an ideal and real character. to
make her such disagreeable parsonage.
Mr.. Howard. while admirably successful in
satirizing French society, has. for Ameri-
can society, only achieved caricature.
The play dragged little at first in spite
of the exceeding clevernesS Of the dialogue,
which was remarkable for its verbal felici
ties and witty flashes. The situation of
the play comes in the third act, where the
young wife flies in despair to the apart
ments of her lover and is surprised by her
husband. but is secured from disgrace by
the generous self-devotiOn of our American
girl who saves her at the risk of compro-
missing her own reputation. The climax is
a very striking one and the audience did
not cease their expressions of approval of
it until the author appeared in person to
bow his acknowledgements. Mr.. F. F.
Mackey. as the cynical noble roue, was
easily excellent. Young Mr.. Sothern. as
the young English officer, somewhat affec-
ted an unimpresSionable, and yet in an
emergency the soul of honor and courage
made it thoroughly manly and pleasing
characterization. Miss Dauvray played her
difficult part very we'll and made it accepta-
bic in spite of its inherent coarseness. The
remainder of the cast was all that could be
desired and the stage setting and general
movement of the play y e excellent.
Emma" seems to be a favorite name
with American sopranos-witness Emma
Al5ani. Emma Nevada, Emma Thursby,
Emma Zuch and Emma Abbott, and when
we come down to the lesser lights of the
musical world the name meets you at every
turn.
/ understand that another Robertson play
is promised of the title of ''Births." 1t has
been lying per du among the manuscripts of
the deceased dramatist and has been a
treasure trove to his family.
~
For several seasons past, Lydia Thomp-
son has Signified her intention to come to
America, and Mr.. Samuel COlville, her
manager, when she was last in this coun-
try, has been in communication with her
for some time, arranging for an engage
ment to tour the country. She has obtained
the rights of the new English burlesque
'.Kenilworth' for this country.
Mr.. B. C. Stevenson has written COM
edy for Mr.. Lester Wallack. which will be
produced at Wallack's theater. after the
run of ''Hoodman Blind" the latter will
be brought out within the next few weeks.
If the new comedy meets with success, Mr..