The record-union., 1891-10-31
MUSIC AND THE DRAMA.
Dreary< Theatrical Season in New
York City.
The Only Novelties of the Week Were
Sfckening FaiIures-Dr. RiII's Mis-
chievous Friends-FIashcs from the
Footughts of Many Theaters.


chievous Friends-FIashes from the
Footlights of Many Theaters.
4. ?. Dunlop, writing from New York
city under date OF October 9th, says:
The novelties this week are the Ken
dals in 'tHome," and a production of
| "Quack, NJ. D.n "Home" has been seen
often III America and gained considerable
fame at Wallack's Theatcr years ago, al
though it never ranked with other of
Tom Rcbertson's plays, such as Caste"
Still it was new to the greater part of the
audience at the Star on Monday, who
| never saw the plays Robertson hooked"
from the French and the German with
out even thank you" to the authors,
and who probably wouldn't caIe even if
told that Home" was made over from
Anglers "LAuventuriere.' Mrs. Madge
RoDertSon-Kendali is one of the early he
roines in her brothers. plays, and OF
course was regarded with manifest adu-
lation by her fashionable admirers, but it
is rather study to observe, ii not to
wonder at, the manner of plays which
used to satisfy New Workers, and the
way they are now produced. If'Home"
| had been presented for the first time on
Monday 1t would have been very coldly
received by a cultured audience, and even
with the help Of its former prestige it did
not now command respectful attention.
II acted and staged as it is, the Robert
sonlan plagiarismS would have been fail
ureS. 1t IS said that this is the Kendals'
last American tour, and that it does not
matter much how the plays are produced,
as the willing public are sure to contrib
ute the SlO0,eU0 which they hope to take
home with them to London; but this is
rather hard on the gifted pair, whose sole
stock in trade is their love Of true art and
their virtue. And yet they are this time
supported by what looks like a very
cheap London company, and surrounded
| by the Shabblest OF scenery. What makes
the deficiencies more glaring is that they
have drawn enormous audiences, and, as
one OF the great morning dailies puts it,
five per cent. Of the Kendals' receipts
this week, If disbursed in salaries, would
raise the entertainment from positive
badness to respectable mediocrity.''
"Quack, NJ. D." was produced on Tues
day at the Harlem Columbus Theater, the
audience having been dismissed on Mon
day evening because the ''heaVy man"
had suddenly taken i'll. 1t was the last
play written by the late Fred MarSden
originally on an order from Roland Reed
but never produced by him. If Fred.
Marsden could have risen from the grave
to see his play, it is safe TO say he would
not have recognized it until the last act,
and then, probably, he would have raised
a greater rumpus than he ever did when
alive. 1t is true that "Quack' was writ
ten during the time, previous to his death,
when powerful drugs had partly de-
stroyed his brilliant mind. but the orig
inal MSS. sparkled with witty and bril-
liant dialogue, and his charming and cor
rect English was not pock-marked by
slang and vulgariSms. Whoever has
monkeyed with his play has, by attempt
ing to change real comedy into farce.
ruined it. The star, the gentleman who
IS supposed also to have backed the en-
terprlse, is, without doubt, the WiclIedest
comedian on the stage to-day. In pri-
vate life he is an amiable gentleman, who
has passed the greater part of his short
life as 4 dentist in Philadelphia, and a
good one, it is said, able to extract teeth
without pain. AS an actor, he, however
brings that tired feeling Hoods Sarsapa-
riIla advertisements speak of. and his
audiences are IN continual pain. If it had
not been Tor that sterling Old actor, John
w. Jennings, who really plays the CEN
tral part in the play, and in1iIses into it a
fair share OF fun. the play would not even
be worth the mention. 1t would be un-
just not to say word about Loie Fuller,
who made her first appearance after a
tWo-year sojOurn in London. She comes
back greatly improved, not alone in her
art, but in appearance; but although she
has long and trying part, she was una
bic TO lift it. 'Quack'' will no doubt be
pushed to the wall by the end of the
week, and the reputation of the late clever
dramatist seriously injured to the young
er theater-goerS who have not witnessed
Fred. Marsden's many great successes.
Beautiful STAR" which was up at
Niblo's for a run. has fallen into Manager
GilmOre's cellar among other similar rub
bish OF which the manager is the proud
possessor, and the house has been closed.
\ generation ago old Niblo was blamed
for going out of town" TO build his gar
den; to-day it is too far down town, and
altogether out of the way of theater-goers.
Could anything more strikingly show the
growth OF New York?
DIR. Bills FRIENDS.
The story Of DR.. BilI's mischievous
friends, as told in the comedy of "Dr
BILL is full of fun. They dance dances
in his drawing-roOm, inveigle him away
from home into mischief and pull his
pOcketbook for suppers at which he does
not join. a some time back burlesque
actress, who has married jealous in
spector Of police-a former friend Of both
the doctor and his wife-wishing to amuse
the little bride by proving that her hus-
band Is no better than the rest of them,
usurps the scene. She goes home; she
calls the doctor; he declines to 90. a
MASKING friend of his. one of the gallants
OF to-day, who does not know the ex-
burlesQUer personally, but who has fallen
in love with her while she was selling
flowers at q charity fair, offers to take the
doctors message to her. He introduces
himself as DR.. Bill. prescribes q horrible
mixture of nitrate of silver and arsenic
for the complaint, which is simply ennui,
and puts the real doctor in bad scrape
as the druggist at the corner where Mrs
Horton sends the prescription 10 be made
up is an aVowed enemy of the doctor, by
reason that before he gave up his prac-
tice he always gave drugs to the poor
gratis. DR.. Biz, after he has sent the
message by the gallant OF the period,
changes his mind and crosses the street
to see Mrs. Horton himself, thinking.
perhaps, IL might be dangerous case
and wherein he could lend assistance; in
stead he finds in Mrs. Horton an old
flame, and sits down with her to discuss
old times. She suddenly remembers that
she has locked up his wife and the young
doctor, who called first, in a closet to-
gether, fearing the ring at the bell, which
announced DR.. Bill, might be her hus-
band. She taints, and, to bring her to,
the key to the closet door in question is
put down her back, so that when she wants
to let them out she cannot. This really
funny episode is repeated three minutes
afGerWard on the opposite side of the
room, when Dr. Bill and his mother-in-
law are locked III the bathroom, the kew
to which is put down the back of his
father-in-law, who has tainted at the
sound of the voice of the Inspector of
Police, who is calling in his jealous rage
for the blood of the man who has entered
his home. The hight of the complications
being reached here, they are unwound in
the last act, Mrs. Horton and DR.. Bill
holding all the threads. 1t is upon this ex-
cellent plot that Mr.. Aide has worked out
one of the comedy successes of the season.