Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-08-08
NEW YORK LETTER.


ro,vx~epondencs Of the Richmond Dispatcn.
NEW YORK, August 7, 1886.
AZ This season Of The year, when tn
tksstrss Are closed, the plays are haules
rs. coppsr. bottcmsd, and caulked, resdy
a. tbe fall regatta. Most Of tho play
1hat ays now before The American pub
IL = money -naksrs were really bull
IL sscoud or third year AFTER they wer'
hunched.
10 follew out the nautical figure, th'
shipwrisht who thinks he is . play
WRIGHT launches his lumber, stick by
stisk, and builds his bost In the watel
or let's the tide shake her.
That IL the way "The Bunch o.
Keys- was written. That's the way
/" josh Whitcomb VAS written.
Just now the shipyards are full Of
crafts that sailed last year and are DO
Ing over hauled for ncxt. Some OF them
az being converted from sloops to
scboeness. Mackays, Caxsursn, and
ether master mechanics hare their
hands full.
There's Mr.. Frederick Bryton's play.
Il sailed originally as Jack Of Dia-
nonds." Then 1t was hauled up, q
bowsprit put in, and 1t became For.
sivsn." This year II will open in
brooklyn with csntreboard and anew
crew.
Mr.. Dsnman Thompson's successful
plsy Of "Josh whitcomb grew slow
II hon . vulgar variety show sketch
Is . New England idyl without being
taken of the boards.
Evolution Ii the law Of the popular
drama. Creation 10 IN exploded idea.
suppose something Of the same pro-
cess goes on with actresses. Just now
there is good deal Of Lillian Olcott in
The wind. 1t is not 50 long ego that
she was launched in Brooklyn ss an
amateur and fell out Of the race. re-
member her o. failure. Now she re-
appears and the papers interview her.
She has bought Sardou's {" Theodora."
She will produce it at Niblo's Garden
before Berphardt gets here with it..
She has hitched on to circumstance.
" Thsodsra" being an event, Olcott
gets talked about.
AwOKE TO FIND HIMSELF FAMOUS.
This is not unlike the man who re-
Gently jumped from the Brooklyn
bridge, and who is now getting el00 .
week in Bowery dime museum. He
never in his life did anything, and had
nothing in himself to exhibit. But it
occurred to him one day that grsvita-
ton was big thing if you could only
get it into the market. Then he took ,
diop. He hitched on to gravitation.
Among the coming events of next
season will be Wilson Barrett, Mod
jsska, Fortescue. There isn't much
else in the way Of names. Among
plays will be "The Martyrs" -" Theo-
dora" and Anarchy" Dizzy being
out Of the country, some Of these peo-
pie will have . chance TO make some
money.
And speaking Of Dixey-there was
man who built his own bridge and then
jumped of. Talk about 800 feet. He
fell 1900 miles, and swsars that he
landed on his feet. This beats Milton's
fall Of Satan. Against all the foreign
plays will be one worthy American
drama. Idon't know what its chances
are. only know what its merits are.
I'll bet q years salary against new
hat that there isn't o manager in New
York that viii touch it. Ill 30 farther /;
I'll bet there isn't . manager in New
York, with possibly one exception, that
could tell before it was acted whether
It was bad or good.
That's why managers wait to hear
from Europe before they buy. When
ever they buy here they buy badly.
Look at the recent rubbish produced at
the Peoples Theatre. Look at the
plays Mr.. j. M. Hill has bought. Look,
o look, at "The Little Tycoon
Our friend. Hoyt, Of Boston, has just
finished, in conjunction with Mr.. Lii
liam Russell Solomon, an American
opera called the " Maid and the Moon
sinners" Mr.. Hoyt is . man who
is travelling on . most inflated
reputation. Nearly every one of
the variety farces that bear his name
owe their popularity entirely to the
work Of the stage manager and the
comedian. Mr.. Hoyt furnishes lines to
be cut out. They graft funny business
on his syllables, and he walks OIL with
. literary reputation. hope he has
written clever American opera, be-
cause want to correct the obstinate
notion have long had that something
cannot come out Of nothing.
THE THIRTEEN CLUB.
There are three rather unique clubs
in New York that, judging by their re-
cent growth, viii in time become quite
celebrated. Ono is the Thirteen Club,
which meets ct dinner at 7:l3 o'clock
on the 18th Of each month to disprove
the popular superstition that one OF
every thirteen who sit down to table
viii die before tho year is out.
The Club started several years
$40 ri,h thirteen at . table, but
90 sopuisr have their dinners BECOME,
by reason Of the feast Of wit and wisdom,
not to say the viands provided. that at
their dinner next week At the BRIGHTON
Beach Hotel, Consy Island, thirteen
tables, each seating thirteen, will be
provided. There are thirteen courses
On the menu, thirteen ct table, thirteen
speeches made, and the number is in
tfoducsd In every possible way and
shape. Not being able TO make the
s,eMs card in the shape Of the numeral,
thsssggsstivs form Of q coffin 10 adopted
TIE neurology Of the Club sfsctually
sxplodss the theory Of the fatality o
The numbsf, and the Club y gain
Ing recruits every dinner, and vii
have Z headquarters and take It
place among The social clubs next sea
son. The other club u the Twiligh
Club, which meets ct . dinner ever
fortnight, and aftsr the cloth has bee
removed discusses the leading question
Of the day, pro and con-, according
the predictions Of the speakers, VII
are generally selected because they ar
known to b Antagonistic. The antsgo
n;sn Of the speakers prevents the Gu
from aver beinG n mutual Admiration