Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1890-12-21
ABOUT THE STAGE
MANSFIELD ASPlRES TO BE A PERMANENT
NEW YORK ACTOR.
BE Is Writing New Play Which BE Will Pro-
duce There-Wiss Actors and Actresses Rest
ing-A Passion Play Suit-General Notes
About Players and Theaters.

New YORK, December 20.-If Richard
Mansfield comes back to town with
''Beau Brummell," as now seems likely,
to play at the Garden Theatre after
New Years, it may be a step toward
his ardent desire to become permanent
actor in New York. Those who know
Mansfield pretty well believe that he
will achieve his purpose eventually.
His artistic and financial failure in
Richard Ill" was so disastrous that
many believed him TO be irrevocably
ruined for important enterprises, but he
has made money and popularity with
"Beau Brummell," and has clearly laid
out his plans for next season, so far as
they relate to the stage portion of his
Work. He is writing play, which may
bear the title of THE Adventures of
Don Juan" 1t is to be in in four acts,
two of which are completed. The
project of this drama and the hand that
will pen it are declared to be Mansfield's
alone. The scene is Spain. the time is
that of Byron's poem; SO that the color
should be rich and the life joyous.
There is not likely to be more than an
outline of the poets Don Juan in Mans
fields stage use of him. Obviously, the
amorouS freebooter cannot be truly
copied before polite audiences: but will
the public accept anything else? Mans
field has endeavored TO utilize the pic
turesquenesS and the romance of the
period, while telling story that will
be sentimental without indicate Sug-
geStivencss. Incidentally he is so to
satirize mod ern society. 1t is his hope
that Don Juan will be ready for its cru
cial test in this city about October OF
next season. The actor is Sketching his
own scene plots as he proceeds.
\ new and enjoyable German comedy.
entitled Best Cure for Nervousness, ;"
was presented at Amberg'S on Monday
night. The cure consists in transfer
ring three nervous and hysterical wo-
men, the wife, daughter and sister of Il
wealthy retired gentleman, from a city
environment to the fresh air and activity
of a country town. This the rich man
effects by pretending to lose his fortune,
and the humor of the last act consists
mainly in the idea which gets hold OF
his family and friends that he has lost
his mind. The somewhat farcical fun
of the first two acts springs from the
fact that the gentleman mistakes com
mercial traveller for the son of a wealthy
friend. sent incognto TO win his
daughter, A maze of misunderStand-
ings is the result, in which Il fire. eating
retired Colonel, who imagines everyone
to be in love with his wife, serves TO in
crease the confusion. With one or two
exceptions, the play was most admirably
given, and it served to keep the large
audience in the best of spirits. Rank
as the retired gentleman, DttrichStein
as the commercial traveller, Kruger as
the old confidential servant, were cX-
cellent in their respective parts, while
Won Moser-Sperner as the sister.
Schmitz as the wife, and Burg as the
daughter, were particularly successful
in their portraitures of the three nerv-
GUS women, as wetl as in their changed
characters when apparent calamity has
overtaken them and they settle down to
the matter of fact duties of plain every
day life.
An action for libel seems likely to
arise out of THE Passion Play" ac-
cording to the London Era, which eX-
plains that German lady has published
novel in which the Christ of the play
is made to fall in love with a woman of
dubious propriety. AS Joseph Mayer
has played the part of Christ'S for
three decades in succession, he consid-
ers himself libelled by the story, and
he demands redress.
Many rich and poor actors alike will
have chance to rest this week and up
TO Christmas, for the ante-hoiday sea-
son brings little profit to the travelling
PLAYERS. Clara Morris, Sol Smith Rus
sell, Lillian Lewis, 1.-The Fair Rube"
company opera troupe, and
a dozen other organizations
are cautiously idle this week.
Many more are less fortunate, because
they have collapsed altogether. Maud
Banks. the ambitious and clever daugh-
ter of Gen. n. p. Banks, closed her tour
last night 1t had proved Improbable,
and her managers gave up in despair.
Miss Banks has travelled in towns so re-
mote that the general public will doubt
less be surprised to learn that, like
Margaret Mather she has been playing
Joan of Arc" But she used her own
dramatization of the historical incident,
and she had produced it months before
Miss Mather began. The ''Struck Gas"
company, which was at a Harlem thea
tire fortnight ago, has stopped short.
A Third avenue saloon keeper was its
capitalist. but he grew weary, and the
troupe lasted just one week. A failure
that was even briefer occurred in Bos-
ton. where "Danites" company was
organized. All the actors reported and
rehearsed, but on the very day OF the
first engagement the managers money
gave out, and the troupe disbanded be-
fore performance had been given. Ken
nedy & Williams company, which had
been playing a farce called THE Two
American Drummers," Joined the grand
army of theatrical wrecks last Monday
night. This troupe had also recently
appeared in Harlem, though that fact
need not necessarily Indicate thata Har-
lem engagement is forerunner OF woe.
FOOTLIGHT FLASHES.