Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-12-28

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GRAND OPERA HOUSE,. Poor Jonathan"
DUQUEsNE THEATER ''All the Comforts of HOme''
BIJoU THEATER. AFTER Dark
WILLIAMS ACADEMY. &c. -hernell's Naudevilles.
WORLDS ....-. CuriOsities. etc.
DAVIS AUskuM...----.-...---.----C etc.
HARRIs' THEATER ..-..-..-....-......-Pete Baker.
The above are the theatrical attractions
for the week.
Pittsburg is not likely to see anything
much better than the series of plays which
Mr.. Barrett's admirable company has given
al the Duquesne Theater during the past
week. Mr.. Barrett deserves infinite credit
Tor the way in which the plays are staged,
in scenery, costume, and other particulars.
1t has been urged in these columns very
often during the past two or three years that
the only way to make the performance of
the legitimate drama profitable is to give it
proper setting. The day for Shakespeare
with any sort ofold stock scenery and cos
tunes is past; the people who are accus-
toned to see comedy, comic opera and melo-
drama put on sumptuously will not 90 to
see Shakespeare in shabby clothes and with
out the least pictorial color. Mr.. Barrett
has the credit OF recognizing this fact and
acting generously.
The Barrett engagement has also reminded
Pittsburg that one o. the mos: talented ac-
tresses that America has produced is Miss
Gale. In about three or four years the
whole COUNTRY will be saving what has been
said about Miss Gales abilities in THE
DISPATCH. 1t takes some time to make a
great reputation III tine legitimate drama.
The legitimate actor cannot have recourse 10
the advertising lodges that his OF her fellows
may have in the lower walks of the pro-
1ession, and it is only merit and hard work,
coupled with a fair opportunity which in
wolves good management, that can be relied
upon to bring the legitimate actor to the top.
1t Is my opinion that Miss Gale has the
ability, the ambition and the appetite for
hard work that are needed to take her to
very high place, and she has reason to be
contented with herprogress so far.
Richard Mansfield has been quarreling with
the taste of indianapolis theater-goers They
were wicked enough to prefer The Broom
maker''to his performance of Beau Brummel"
II is singular how frequently Mr. Mansfeld dis
covers his superiority to the rest of mankind.
and he would do well to select his audience if
be can, and never play before any other
At present he contemplates producing a
satirlcal comedy in four acts, based on the
medieval legend of Don Juan" Mansfeld's
play Is not founded on any of the Spanish or
Italian dramas. or Da POnte's famous libretto
or on MOliere. Il Is an original modern render.
Ing Of the old theme The animated statue
will not appear in it, nor will Juan in the eli
max. disappear through trap in the glare OF
sulphurous flames.
The only New 1ork novelty in the theatrical
line last week was Fanny Davenports produc- |
ton of Cleopatra - in which Sara Bernhardt I
lanUtrN Shad drI,a
Old World. II the consensus of metropolitan |
criticism is to be trusted, there is not much in
the play or in Miss Davenport's embodiment of !
the Egyptlan heroine to please American audi
ences. The dresses and the undressing of |
Cteopdt are n,ucI.talked of. but these feat |
ures ana Miss Davenport's knowledge of her |
art alone seem to have saved the play from |
failure. SardOu's work in Cleopatra is not |
at all commended, and William Winter sums |
up the case in the New York Tribune as fol- |
lows: miss Davenport makes a good whole
some, domestic B0stonian or Philadelphia |
Cleopatra, who would really do not one of the |
naughty deeds of the enhancing Egyptian but |
rather would have married AntoRy and settled |
him as Chief Justice of Alexandra. Mr. Mel |
bourne Mcdowell. heavy man, with vast laws |
and uger-illle countenanCe. uresente ed Antonu |
and created frequent disturbances"
Stuart Robson says that comedy is the most |
serious business in the world" If he is think
ing Of that deplorable question as Marriage a |
Failure: Mr.. Robson states the ruth mildly
'S 7-SNAe soy tAah SOllt COlueOl
The dialect comedy craze is spreading lust as |
the dialect poetry overwhelmed us for time |
after James Whitcomb Riley made it a thing |
OF beauty and joy so long as he held the pen. |
Manager Jacob Lift gave for the first time at |
Troy. y. T., on Christmas Day, lyon Yonson." |
drama full of Swedlsh-American dialect and |
dealing with life in the numbering district in |
the Northwest. A realistic representation of a |
log jam is said to have had more to do with |
I IA nj 81,
Swedish.
The lovely Lillian Russell is embarrassed |
with good fortune. According to stories cur |
rent in theatrical circles this week the comic !
opera prima donna is in doubt whether to re- |
main with Mr.. Aronson at the New York Ca |
sinO at salary saId to be $500 a week. to accep.
Manager French's offer of S. COO a week to play |
at the Garden Iheater, or bO star by herself in |
company that an amiable gentleman whose |
name Is not mentioned, but who is possessed of |
wealth untold, has offered TO organize for her 1
she refuses to say which path she intends to |
take, but as all lead to fortune for her at all |
events she can afford 10 let the managers and |
the hackers in prospective do the Worrying
Another rumor about the fairy Lillian is that
she is once more contemplating a matrimonial
alliance. The happy man who is said to be the
oblecU Of her choice Is the same heroic person
who has offered to raise great comic opera
company for her. As is usual in such cases
he IS described as wealthy bachelor engaged
bear
fighting in Wall street. If he ever resolves
into substantial Reality at the altar he will be
Miss Russel's husband No Her friends do
not believe in the matrimonial Story bur il has
oeen her way to do the unexpected thing at all
times, and there is no reason why a man who
is willing to try to manage her should not be
daring enough to marry her.
In spite of the unfavorable criticisms. Mar
garct Nather's Joan of Arc'' is said to have at
tractad large audiences in New York. Mana
ger Gulick, of the Bijou Theater saw the piece
when be was in New y ork last week, and tells
me that its spectacular power at all events is
very great The house was crowded the nirbt
be was there, and Margaret Mather was re-
called at the end of every act. New York iudp-
ment is not infallible, and maybe Pittsburg, |
which has always been very partial TO Miss |
Mather. viii take more kindly to Joan of Arc.D
It viii be seen here shortly.
-
Comic opera, light comedy and melodrama.
ire the staple attractions at the theaters this
week. Poor Jonathan" has the reputation of
being good deal of a novelty ih the way of
plot costumirg and action. 1t IS modern
4 every way. "Al the Comforts of Home'' is
2rce comedy in the real meaning of the word
lalf way between comedy and farce. After
Dark is a melodrama too well known to need
INV description, and the other theaters have
Amiliar attractions also.
HEPBURN JOHNS.