Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-09-07

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BIJOU THKATER. R........-..........'L 'Llttle IucA
GRAND OPERA HoUsE.....' .'Under the Gaslight."
HARRIS, THEATER. ....... sTrue Irish Hearts,"
WILLIAMS ACADEMY. Graves Burlesquers'
DAVIS FIFTH AvENU MUSEUM. Curiosities, Etc.
WORLDS MUsEUM.... ...Curloslles' h'e'
The above are the theatrical attractions for
this week.
*.*
The success of ''The City Directory"
demonstrates what company ofverv clever
actors can do with a weak piece. Mr.. Rus
sell has gathered together band of come
dians that has no equal in its field to-day.
The field is broad farce, or as the modern
term has it, farce comedy. Perhaps these
clever actors would not have made such
hit if the contrasts afforded in their ranks
had not been so marked. OF course 1t is IN
combining men and women of various pow
ers in such way as shall at once display
the ability of the individual and the col
lective strength of the company to the
best advantage that good management
consists. Mr.. Russell's skill is visible in
the composition Of his company. The come
dians are entirely dissimilar in methods
and temperament They are all in this
case forced to play low comedy, but it is
evident that several, if not all, OF
them could do far finer work. 1.-THE
City Directory is attributed to Mr..
Paul Potter on the programme. but under
stand that hardly anything of his is left in the
piece. He is said to disavow the authorship in
fact. Livery individual actor seems to have been
called upon to contribute situation to the
play; and it was patched together at rehearsals.
The result is that nobody who has seen 'Ihe
City Directory" can tell you what 1t is about:
But 1t is easy enough to describe the types OF
character caricauured: The detective, the gay
banker, the stage struck society girls. the club
dude the bunko steerer and the popular Dur-
lesque actress. The fun is all drawn from
contemporary life. There is good deal OF truth
in the characters, underneath the skin OF ex-
aggeration and burlesQue. The dry humor OF
Mr.. Collier as the stage manager Is enectlVe
because it is SO very near the truth.
1t is not fair to say, as some do, that "The
City Directory is a variety show, Some OF the
features of the vaudeville are there to be sure.
But when has the variety stage given us a
musical number like the barcarole which
Miss Rosa France. Miss Mayme Kelso and
Miss Bessie Cleveland sing in the first actf
Or when has such piece of pure satire as the
reading of the play in the second act found
place in a variety prOgrammef The topical
songs and the dancing are very far beyond
what the variety houses give us. Some OF the
Jokes, some of the business belong to the lower
law hut WlOlo.
cannot be called q variety show fairly.
80
Miss Rosa France, one of the Rosebuds in
"The City Directory" is wonderfully versa
tile little woman. There are very few SOU
brettes who can sing, dance and act as well as
She can. She comes of famous acting family.
Her mother is Rachel Noah, who for goodness
knows how long, played ingennc parts at the
Boston Theater, In the days when the stock
company was one of the glories of the town.
Rachel Noah's mother was a still more dis
tinguished actress, who supported Forest in
the palmiest days of his prosperity. Miss Rosa
seems to have succeeded to the histrlonio
property of her family, and doubtless she is
destined to rise.
In singing topical song Miss May Irwin has
no superior. Every word she says can be
heard, and the amount of expression she can
throw into very ordinary words with her voice
and face is remarkable. Her song with the
II don't know" refrain made great hit at the
Bijou. On Friday night she sang an extra
verse, which seems to have been aimed good
naturedly At certain element in the audience.
The verse in question ran thus:
When young man has had good time
Poker and billiards cost money, though prime
By the eud of vacation he ha sn t dinfe,
And his girl wants to 20 to the play.
Empty his pockets-he cam { tell her that;
Such confession would sound very fat.
But why does he tell her-he has 1t all pat
The piece is a leetle too gayp
dom knowl-what is the use of inQuiringl
He goes with the boys TO the very same show,
Although it's lmpro per-at least he says So
What does he do it for?-I don't knowI
30 there's no use your asking me.
f.x
THE public does not come in contact with the
advance agents, press representatives. man
ayers and hackers of theatrical enterprises.
Nobody can say how much the public misses in
this. Not even the managers and their agents
could be trusted to describe the calamity prop
erly. But dramatic editors and other highly
favored supernumeraries are permitted to min
gle with the chaste throng representing the
business end of the stage, Advance agents
even condescend to visit the newspaper offices,
distributing intensely accurate I'M ormation con-
cernlng the shows they represent wherever
There are many kinds of advance agents;
some bad some worse, and others worst A few
are useful and honorable men who work hard
fer their employers are courteous and consid-
crate in their dealings, and really do some good
for the stage. Most Of the advance agents re-
ceiye good salaries. but not more than 25 per
cent of them are worth penny to their en-
ployers or anyone else. The multiplication of
inefficient representatives in advance is alarm.
ing. All the brok n-down actors, newspaper
men and managers seem to become advance
agents.
since this season began Pittsburg has been
favored by the presence OF several of them.
But enough of the other kind have appeared to
make us wonder what the managers mean by
sending avant-couriers who can advance the
interests of no one but themselves.
The best type Of manager in advance or ad-
vance agent is well represented by Mr.. Frank
Murray, who has been looking after Frank
Daniels interests here during the past week.
A man who can write entertainingly, delight
full conversationalist, and learned student of
the stage--all these and more is Mr.. Murray.
The utility of such legate is easily seen, and
the wonder is that more men Of Mr.. Murray's
caliber are not found in position that re-
ouires tact, gentlemanliness, and special edu-
cation.
The quarrel between Manager Lykens and
the amiable hacker of his star Fay Temple
ton, has been patched up. The terms of the
peace are not published. but it is probable
that the basis of the pact consists in the agree
ment to grab the dear publics dollars which
stood some chance Of escaping if the quarrel
had been allowed to 60 on.
81
One Of the kindly interventions OF provi-
dence is seen in Minnie Palmers abandon
ment of her comic opera starring experiment
Minnie is not cut out for operatic work, and it
will prove more profitable for her to resume
her old perambulations in Lotta's footsteps than
to make the departure about which her agents
and managers have suddenly become silent
sxs
No woman on the American stage been so