Omaha daily bee., 1891-03-08
The LOUNCER IN THE LOBBY
Lent aud its Effect Upon the Box Office
Receipts.
JOINING ATTRACTIONS At THE 1HEArtRS.
where the pIay.Gocr Will he Able 20
fnss an Evening Pleasantly.
Movements of Actors
and Actresses.

NV NbA ~ hAlNN VI Spllllk NNllllUE DtNNttu
htiul rasps Of winter remind one that in
very short time 1t will be- Easter.
The willow that makes a resilient etching
in my ncighbors gardou is growing yellow
a blue bird lust arrived from the south.
land pcrchcd outside my window yesterday,
and with the snow to blind its eyes and
chill March wind to runlc ITS feathers pipcd
song of renonstrancc at the fcttcrod
streams not yet released trom the embrace Of
the frost king
Lent IS "a long waiting for the renaissance
OF htC II Is IA period Of rctrOs pcctiou, yea Of
introspcction as well, and as such srccogui2ed
by the church.
Thus far Lent has not been uukind to the
thcatCrs, They have done fair business,
some OF the LcntCn attractions having like
"a Texas Steep played TO large houses
IL Is easy to say thatthc thcatCrhaS nothing
TO do with religion. But the fact is that
every serious play has to recognize 1t, not
only as a social but rs spiritual factor, for
1t belongs mdCstructibIy TO that life which
the thcatcr claims to reflect. To reflect life
and leave out the influence of the church
would not be reflection, hut rcfraCtiOn
And just here would like to call attention
TO n fact which has not vet been alluded to
TO any considerable extent and which is worth
moments consideration.
The thcatcr has no creed and recognizes no
sect Dogma is outside its vision entirely. a
Methodist play would be animpCrtnencc and
an EpisCOpaliau or Quaker play would
offend good taste, But there are nnumerabo
plays with Episcopalians and Quakers ana
McthOdlSts and priests in them.
The service of more than one church lends
its symbolism ana its invOCatiOus to the
stage The tact is the drama goes past all
the confusion OF dogma and the claims of
ecclcsasticsm to the religious instincts of
the race; to "a broad thcism and the recogni.
ton of the fatherhood of the deity and the
brot othCrhOod of man.
No audience in the playhouse objects to
this. 1t invariably gives its.rcspcct to the
recognition of eternal reason and infinite
mercy and it is worth rejecting that art
thus dealing with the public has thus un CON
sciousIy formulated, or at least recognized, a
basis of universal faith that the churches
themselves are vainly endeavoring to dis
cover.
But to return to our mouton.
The blue bird rallied at the Dackwardness
Of sunng and no doubt imagined, al ways pro
viding birds imagine, that its lot mad been
cast in very bleak and desolate country.
Theater- gOcrs have with entire reason,
ground upon which to base IA like complaint,
for, from an artistic standpoint the thcatri
cal season in Omaha has been decidedly
common place, taken all in all.
And as this is midLent and particularly
the period of rctros pection,a review of things
theatrical seems particularly apropos
From the standpoint of the box Office, that
iuiallible critic of the merit or demcrlt of
performance, far as the manager is con
Cerncd, the season has been good, nOtwth-
standing that Omaha has gone through Il
period of financial stress that has not had its
equal for many years.
But from the STANDPOINT of art the stage
has seemingly stood still as there has been
little produced in the local theatrical world
TO warrant an extended critical notice
The season has been in the main made up
of farce comedies, eXtravagan2as and comic
operas. The better class of plays and play
crs, with of course, several notable eNcep-
tions, have ignored the metropolis entirely,
much to the regret of those who are interest
ed in the drama from higher motive than
temporary enjoyment
Outside of the Bostonians, A. Nj. Palmcrs
company, Alexander Salvnt, Rose oghlan,
the Duff opera company, Roland Reed, Clara
Morris, Frohman's company, at BoydS and
the Jefferson Florence company at the Grand
there has been little produced at the theaters
this season above the dead level OF medioc-
rity.
Thus lar it has been au of wear theat-
rically, and from the list of attractions still
to be seen at Bovd's before the close of the
season, there is little to warrant the hope
that the theatrical year will close with a loud
flourish of trumpcts. The drama is seem
throws open its doors we cannot hope for
anything which will lift the haze that has
settled upon the play-houscs.
The LoUNGER.
Ehie Esler, the famous American actress
opeus her engagement ut Boyd's operahous e
this evening in the fOur-act comedy drama bv
+. }, SwartZ, entitled 1.-The GOvcrness.n On
Monday evening the same bill Will be given
Tuesday evening Miss Ellsler and her ex-
cellcnt company will be seen in her new play ,
Miss Manping,n ana on Wednesday even
ing she will close her engagement with Il
grand revival of Hazel Kirke," which she
made famous years ago by her wonderful
acting in the title role. Speaking of Miss
Ellsler and her company in 1.-The GoverneSs,n -
Mr. G.. ID, Cox of the Philadelphia Inquirer
said: 1.-The GovcrnesS,n edy-drama ia
four racts,b by +, j. Swart2 of this citv,was pre-
sented for the first time in Philadelphia las /
evening at the Arch Street theater, and met
with hearty approval from large audience
The plot is strong one and held the atteu-
ton of the audience from the start to the
finish The incidents are not at all forced
and the characters are well marked and con-
sistent. Etfic Ellslcr as the gOvcrnesS has a
part which fits her like aglove and her act
ing was well appreciated that she was
twice called before the curtain. Frank
Weston as JARVIS Coulter, an adviser. has Il
part just adapted to his talents, and he did il
fun justice. Jack Rogers, the lover of the
governess, was in the capable hands of
Clifford Dempsey, while Job Monckton, the
tramp, who turns up reformed in the last
act, and helps the heroine to happiness was
moro than well taken care of by John a.
Ellsler. The villains part was entrusted to
Adolphe Lcstina, who gave picture of a
polished scoundrel which showed much care
and consideration. Miss Lillian Hadley as
Mrs, Hamilton, rich widow, Miss Lillian
DAILY as Chrissie Rogers, her sister, and
Miss Loula Porter as Helen abbot, poor
relation, all filled their parts acceptaOy.
The acting of Little Rene as Lenny a four
year-old tot, was one OF the pleasing features
of the evening.
A very amusing Yankee drama entitled
"Si Plunkardn in which the New England
farmer character is portrayed TO perfection,
will be presented at the Grand this evening
for the first time in Omaha and for one per-
formance only, at popular prices, all orcheS-
ira seats being 80 cents and all balcony seats
being 30 cents, Among the pleasing and un-
usual novelties presented is a threshing ma
chine in full operation, threshing out fifteen
TO twenty bushels Of gram in full view of the
audience. This company is also noted for its
very superior solo orchestra and country far
mer band, and their street parades are re-
markable and noticeable Arrayed in country
farm clothes and with a general 'hay- -seed''
appearance, they parade the streets in the
most EawlIy style imaginable Sometimes
the pass drummer will be seen tagging a
block behind, straying off on the sidewalk
staring in at store show windows, poundin &
his drum all the time, while the cornet player
is staring in at the windows of the street
cars as they pass, for all the world like a
genuine country lad in town for the first
time, They are all fine musicians nevertheless.
No parade will be given today, but grand
sacred concert will be given near the Grand
at noon, and a splendid musical treat is as