The record-union., 1891-07-18
Music AND THE DRAMA.
Daniel Frohman's Lyceum Theater
Company.
The Character of tho Plays Now Be-
foro the Public-s.The Grab Bag''
and ''A Royal Pass''-General Stage
Notes


and 'sA Royal Pass''-General Stage
Notes.
Those who remember the visit of the
Lyceum Theater Company two years ago
at the Metropolitan Theater, when their
excellent work in 1.-THE Wife, and
Sweet lavender presented quality of
dramatic work such as had not been in
this city for many years, will be pleased
TO learn that Manager Hall has induced
this company, now playing at the Bald
win in San Francisco, to so alter their
tour as to give one performance in Sacra-
mento. To do this the time contracted
1or at Salt Lake City was shora of its
opening night, and Monday, August 18th,
given to Mr.. Hall. Tho play will he
| The Charity Ball. which is now in tho
hight OF its success in San Francisco.
The play is by the same author as 1.-The
| Wife," and is written in the same happy
| voin. While all the papers in San Fran
cisco gave the highest praise to the COM
pany and admitted that the play had as
many strong situations as 1.-THE Wife,"
! the one attack made upon it was that the
!
! Gus fact Will in reality be a recommended
ton to those who wish the performances
| which they witness at the theater to in
struct without horrible examples. A
/ play which can teach good lesson with
out depicting the revolving phases of
crime will certainly not be any more OBJ
! Jectlonable on that account to the average
auditor. The representations of scenes
| or daily llfe-the struggles and tempta-
| tlons (which come to every man-when
| acted by a competent company must GER
tainly be more worthy than those which
| depend upon lurid situations for their
! success.
| OF the people previously seen here, Her
! bert kelccy is still the leading man, and
Georgia Cavan the leading woman. w.
j. Lemoyne appears in character SINH
| lar to his Major in 1.-The Wife, and plays
! an opposite part, as before, to Mrs. Wal
! cot. The new faces in the company are
Henrietta Crosman, Ellie Shannon, Fritz
| Williams, K. J.. Radcliffe and Eugene
| Ormonde. All these have been received
| during the present San Francisco en-
| gagement with the same hearty approval
accorded to the older favorites. Mr..
| ErOhman has shown in the few additions
to the company that he has no intention
| of lowering its standard of excellence
There are at the present time but two
recognized high-class stock organizations
in the United States. One of them is that
oI AuSuSllu LAZY, VINO presents only
works of the lighter German farcical
| school, and the other that of Daniel Froh-
man, which give plays of more serious
| order. A. NJ. Palmer, who was pre-
viously in the field, has seemingly de-
cided to produce only plays with COM
panies especially selected for them, as
| will be seen later with the charming pic
ture of Southern life, Alabama" which
has recently been such a success East.
/ The Charles Frohman Company, which
recently played Men and Women" here,
must also be classed as special organiZa-
ton of this sort. While such companies
are certainly attractive, and are fire.
! quently composed Of excellent players,
| yet it is only in stock companies that per-
feet unity of action can occur which alone
can give the amplest scope to the abilities
OF the players and the fullest appreciation
of the beauties of the play. Mr.. Froh-
man has for four years held together one
| of the strongest and most evenly balanced
stock companies New York has ever
seen, and made of the Lyceum Theater,
| which had always been improbable
until he assumed control, the leading
stock theater of the metropolis. Mr..
/ Frohman's policy has been TO present
plays dealing exclusively with the better
class of society-of ladies and gentle
| men-with plot of heart interest and a
moral pertaining to daily life, but with
nothing to offend, and the whole inter
mingled with clean, pure comedy that
one may laugh more than weep, be gay
more than sorrowful. In fact the
| secret OF the Lyceum Company'S success
/ is that Manager Frohman, having col
lected company of the most talented
| players which money could induce to
come together, was careful TO supply
| them with plays which should be free
| from strained situations or obnoxious
| sentiments and suggestions, and at the
same time depict life in cultured circles
only. He believes that the hero can be as
manly in broadcloth as in fustian, the
villain as wicked with polite as with
rough, uncouth language, the heroine
suffer as keenly in silk as in rags, and
! the comedians be as funny in neat attire
as in loud checks and stripes.
In this day, when education and refine
ment are at least understood even by the
| gallery gods, it Is certainly pleasure to
witness performance where the charac-
ters depicted are ladies and gentlemen.
| 1t is undoubtedly more difficult to obtain
strong dramatic situations and laughable
scenes without the so-called ''pictur-
esque" surroundings of the common and
vulgar, but when done 1t is certainly
more effective and acceptable to the pub
lie at large. All the plays of the Lyceum
| Company are what the bluff and burly
members of the profession are want TO
sneeringly designate as "dress-coat
pieces" They represent the aristocracy
OF the drama, and are equally pleasing 10
all classes. IL certainly does not lessen
the attractiveneSs of n good play il all the
costumes of the ladies are exquisite gems
OF the modiste's skill, and the clothing of
the men is of fine texture and worn with
ont suggestion of unfamiliarity with its
wearer.
Mr.. Frohman's company will present
THE Charity BalP' at the Metropolitan
on August l7th.
"a ROYAL PASS"
The best reports reach us concerning
George c. Staley, the German dialect
comedian, and his play, "a Royal Pass"
Mr.. Staley Is said to be equal to any of
our best comedians. He is at home in
pathos as well as III comedy, and his role
is arranged TO give him full scope for his
varied talents. Mr.. Staley is also one of
our best lullaby singers and yodlers, his
yodling being of a different style from
Emnet's or any of the German character
opponents. Some of his songs are be-
coming great favorites, notably the ones
entitled My Hearts Delight" and "Lit-
tie Rogue's Asleep" The play, "a Royal
Pass" is well spoken of. 1t is said to be
both interesting and amusing. The per-
sonages of the play are Swiss and Rus
sian. All the parts are correctly and
beautifully costumed and interpreted by
cast of special excellence. Mr.. Staley
will be the attraction at the Metropolitan
on Monday, July 9th.
1.-THE GRAB BAG.''
The next theatrical attraction will be
1.-THE GRAB Bag, or Prohibition" at the
| Clunie Opera-house, on Friday night
next, July 24th. The company is recently
from the East, and is now closing q two
weeks successful engagement in San
Francisco. II is headed by the old favor
I Il NJ