Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-05-18


decided that his duty is rather toward the
living than to the dead. He will not al
low the hatred and curse of daughter to
fall on an innocent father merely to keep
lnviolate the secrets of the confessional.
He tells Jeanne the truth, and, having
thus violated his faith, renounces his cali
ing. Of course Jeanne and Armand are
separated. The several points of the play
thus indicated have provoked great deal
of discussion, but the intense interest of the
play is conceded.
A HOPEFUL view
Edward A. Dittman takes "a hopeful
view" of the drama in the Dramatic Mr.
ror. In his opinion: "The American the
ater is in a transition state Just now the
shrewd manager is never looking for good
plays, but always for a play, one that will
suit the taste of the ordinary play-goers
from Maine to California, and that win be
paying property for, say, FIVE years. Such
plays are made not by dramatists but by
stage managers and masters of mere stage
craft. As the investment must be large
and the risk great, new experiments
are avoided. The most successful plays
those that yield the largest financial profit
are often practically builded up on the
stage out of well-tried materials. Mean
while we are producing very few plays that,
Judged by the only correct standard, can be
called good plays. Almost the best new
things we have are the very acrobatic
faress SO much in vogue at present,
that are so heartily despised by Sc
we're critics. They at least truthfully re-
fleet something of the essential spirit
of this particular age, and frequently con-
tain new ideas. They are coarse, some
times crude, ill-made, but on the whole
they compare favorably with the farces
Murphy, Garrick, Fielding, Townley and
others that are included in standard edi-
tions of plays, and have places on the
shelves of scholars libraries.
81 honestly believe that school of dra-
matists would very speedily arise in this
country if there were encouragement for
the writing of good plays. A play writ
ten upon the right principle would be
likely to repel a speculative manager, for
if it resembled, as might be expected, the
best contemporary fiction it would be dis
tinguished by subtle satire, delicate anal
ysis of character, and refined realization
Some of thepopular playwrights are capable
of much better work than they turn out
to meet the demands of the market
There is a CLEAN of hope in the reports of
bad business and great pecuniary losses in
the theatrical trade all over the country
during the last two years, although spec
ulative managers cannot be expected to
take this cheerful view of failure. The
field has been overcrowded, and competi-
ION hnc ID 20 L.
There must be a change of some kind and
if it is gradual return to the stock COM
pany system in the smaller cities the re.
suit will be beneficial That is the first
step to be taken toward the improvement
of the American theater, because Govern
ment subsidies are entirely out of the
question, and the management of theaters
by private corporations of wealthy men,
as the Metropolitan Opera House is man
aged, would be scarcely desirable"
HE SETTLED.
George Drew Barrymore has been tell
ing some of her Eastern friends good
story on well-known manager of Chicago
theater. The manager is noted for his
gallantry, and many pretty actress can
testify that he is almost without rival as
an entertainer. One Saturday night, when
the company with which Mrs. Barrymore
was playing had completed its Chicago en-
gagement, this young manager met the
lady as she was leaving the theater, and,
getting into her carriage, escorted her to
the depot, where she was to take train
for the East. As she was about to dismiss
the carriage her gallent escort told her not
to pay the driver, for he would ride home
in the same carriage and settle with the
driver himself. "Oh, you'll settle with
him, will you?' said Mrs. Barrymore,
naively, without suggestion of mischief
in her quizzical eyes; ''very well, thank
you. Goodbye She took the train and
the manager was driven home "How
much ?" he asked the driver, taking 81
bill from his pocket. "Twenty-eight dol
lars" was the reply. "What-for a dozen
blocks, you robber what do you mean ?"
"Twenty-eight dollars is what l mean.
Pve been taking that lady to and from the
theater all the week, and that's what it
amounts to. You told her you'd settle.n
The manager settled.
STAGE NOTES.
Robert Mantell will spend his summer
vacation in Scotland, his native land.
The DAILY Company goes to England for
season at Irvings Lyceum, London.
Next season Fanny Davenport will be seen
in the new play, CLEOPATRA" in the orig
inal French of which Bernhardt recently
hoped to create sensation.
Nine. Stambach-J ohns, German singer
of high repute, who has been living in re-
tirement since her marriage, will be the
soloist at the next Philadelphia concert of
the Boston Symphony Orchestra, yielding
in this to the earnest persuasion of Mr.
Nikisch, who knew and admired her in
Leipsic.
Mile. Rhea has decided to contine her
professional work to the acting of "Joseph-
Inc" next season, her success with Mr..
Haven's play making it an easy matter for
her to rest time from the trials imposed
by repertoire. MIL. Rhea, through the
medium of this play, is regaining her orig
inal successful theatrical position.
H. Grattan Donnelly is becoming both
prolific and successful writer of farce
comedy. His latest effort is said to be
quite as good as, if not better, than his
well-known "Natural Gas" 1t is called
"a Pair of Jacks" Will o. Wheeler,
many seasons the manager of Dan Sully, is
the manager of the new enterprise
J. w. Shannon, stage manager for Mr..
O'Neill, has entered into contract with
E. G. Unit, scenic artist of Hooley's, and
Mr.. Albert, artist of the Auditorium, for
the scenery for "The Dead Heart" and a
New York firm is busy on the costumes.
James ONeill will assume the character
!. of Robert Landry, played by Mr.. Irving
In London, and Wilton Lackaye the Able
Latour, played by Mr.. Bancroft in Lon
don.
An amusing story is told of DIR. Hans
Won Bulow. He conduced new Brahms
symphony in Vienna, and the audience
did not applaud. Evidently the audience
does not understand the symphony" he
said in loud tone; "we will play it over
again." 1t was played again, land there
was no lack of applause" But is i! sure
that the audience did not applaud the Sec
ond time from fear that otherwise Bulow
might repeat it once more?
Dixey's four weeks at the Chicago Opera
House were marked by large patronage
throughout, the public finding enough in
'sThe Seven Ages" to amuse it. Miss
Elaine Ellison, the lovely young lady who
as Chorus was one of the principal attrac-
s. L.