Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-10-20


culiarities which enable the ordinary OBJ
server to identify them.
Comedians, as rule, are more easily
recognized off the stage than other actors.
OF course, every one who has seen Booth
or Barrett would know them on the street,
but they would not be so readily recog-
nized as most of the funny men.
ENGLISH VARIETY SHOWS"
The imminent erection in Manchester of
"theater of varieties" on the model of
the most notable of those we have in Lon
don, says the Globe, appears to have greatly
exercised the local mind The columns Of
one of the newspapers is full of CORE
spondence which serves to show that there
Is wide difference of opinion as to the
benefits or the evils to be derived from
such an institution. On the one hand,
such establishments are denounced as en-
couraging vulgarity and vice, while on the
other they are saluted as agencies of cult
ure and recreation. The truth is, Of
course, that very much, if not everything,
depends upon the mode in which "theaters
of varieties" are conducted, both before
and behind the curtain; and that mode,
again, depends very much upon the
amount Of pressure exercised, one way or
the other, by public opinion. Whether
more might not be done by the proprietors
and managers of music halls to foster in
their patrons love of the truly melodious
and really humorous is, of course, mat
ter for discussion. We have always
thought, for instance, that the vocal ele-
ment in the programmes at these places of
resort might be revised and strengthened
with advantage. The "comic" songs are
too often, even at the most respectable
houses, as vulgar as the Manchester critics
say they are; while the sentimental ditties
are too often inane. Why should there
not be higher standard in both particu-
lars? Why should there not be good glee
singing? And, moreover, why should not
the level of vocal accomplishment be
higher? The public which goes to music
halls would, we believe, welcome the ad-
vent of singers who had voices of good
quality and could really sing. 1t is mis-
take to suppose that even the most uncul-
tivated have not keen appreciation of
all that is best in vocalism and it is 4
little surprising that the stiident voices
and blatant style of so many music hall
''vocalists" have been tolerated so long.
FUNNY THINGS ON THE STAGE.
Incidents that are out of the stage order
of things are very amusing to theater au-
diences, and especially the gallery boys,
who are more highly entertained by them
than by the play, says the Philadelphia
Inquirer In a recent performance of
"Faust" the tenor, in the garden scene,
brushed against large palm which was
not properly balanced in the pot. He set
it up several times, growing more and more
agitated, but the inclination of the plant
to lie down was so strong that finally, in
desperation, he took it by the trunk and
pitched pot and all at the stage manager,
who was standing in the wings.
During the last performance of Cesar"
the dead Roman turned tears of sorrow to
tears of laughter by raising his head from
the coffin pillow before the curtain shut
off the scene Assemblages of "supers"
retreating from the stage occasionally
cause mirth by stumbling backward over
some piece of stage machinery, and
the scrubwoman's perambulation across
the stage is an uncommonly interesting oc-
currence. A door leading into the stage,
and swinging both ways, the other evening
revealed the stage manager in his shirt
sleeves standing behind it, and the audi
ence laughed but the greatest accident
that has befallen player for long while
was that which interrupted the perform
ance of partners" at one of the theaters in
this city last season.
Mr.. Salvini, as Borgfeldt, overwhelmed
with possibilities of business ruin and do
mestic dishonor, raised himself to his full
hight in the strained attitude of desperate
grief, and, with an exclamation, sits down
suddenly on a patent revolving chair,
buries his head in his hands and shakes
his body with emotion. Just as he dropped
his 200 pounds into state of quivering
emotion, the chair broke. The gallery
was prepared to roar but the actor quickly
mastered the situation, caught himselffrom
falling, flung the chair away, drew up an
other heavy leather chair, and went on as
though nothing had happened.
THE PRErTIEsT PARTISAN ACTRESS.
Thirty years ago the prettiest woman in
Paris was Blanche Pierson now it is Mile.
Depoix. The first was fair, the second
was dark; the first, even in her youth, had
the dimpied plumpness, which unluckily
became vexatious obesity; the second is
slender and thin, all muscle, without a
suspicion of fatness-just due covering of
flesh on her bones.
The fact is, she is pretty, distinctly and
charmingly pretty, with dark hair cling
ing to her forhead, clear, deep eyes, black
eyebrows drawn with single stroke of
masters hand, and long oval face, and
something sweet and maidenly and yet
sensual in her whole person, and above
all, the distinction which promises
woman of the world. There is no sign of
the free-and-easy airiness which stamps
the common actress; everything about her
close-ftting, close-buttoned, neat and in
good taste; nothing to catch the eye or
divert attention from that charming head,
on which we gaze with restful pleasure.
This beauty, this aristocratic witchery,
needs no frilis or furbelows. 1t has found
its proper setting-a stamp Of reserve,
almost OF disdain. This is what we see on
the boards when she plays, where she is to
be seen, for that is all that Is required OF
her; she need not speak.
DRAMATIC NOTES.
Dockstader's Minstrels have returned to
their own theater in New York.
"a noble dramatic work, nobly repre-
sented upon the stage, 'Ganelon is how
the Chicago Inter-OcedR SPEAKS OF Law
renee Barrett's new play, written by Wm.
Young.
The advance sale for the first week Of
Booth and Modjeska at the Broadway
Theater, n. Y, was the largest ever made
for the first week of Booth engagement
in that city.
Karl Gottfried Leopold Leitnsr, the
eminent German poet will be SO years old
on November 18th, but still retains his
mental vigor. He has Just completed
tragedy, "The Judge of Galway"
Miss Anna Dickinson is out with de-
NAL of the rumor that she is in ill-health,
and announces that she will soon return to
public life, probably on the platform and
certainly on the theatrical stage"
In the various companies with which
the late G. B. Bishop was connected ne
was always known as "The Doctor" and if
any one was i'll he always cheeriully pre-
scribed. Many are the people he helped
in this way, but he was never known to
accept money for such services.
The romantic story of Shenandoah" was
not written merely to furnish setting for
Sheridan's famous ride. 1t has founda-
II Iii