Los Angeles herald., 1891-03-23
THE BUSKINED STAGE
Holding the Mirror Up to
Nature These Days.
Points on Plays and Players
from Near and Far.
This a Very Dark Week at Both the
Local Playhouses.
1Ganagers' Views of Plays-The Skirt
Dancers and Their Imitators-Where
Some of the Los Angeles
Favorites Are.

The local theaters will be clark" this
week with the single exception Of
Wednesday night, when Divide Musin
and his company will reappear at the
New Los Angeles. For breadth, depth
and strength of tone, and for mingled
technique and sympathy, Musin stands
at the very head OF violinists the world
over. 1t is to be remembered that
Musin plays for musical people prima-
rilv, and that therefore his selections
are rather severely classical. Yet he
delights those who are not technical at
all by the sympathy of his treatment OF
the themes in hand. He is certain to
receive warm welcome on his return
here Wednesday night.
There is clever spectacular diorama
now being exhibited at the Musee. IL
shows a life-like representation OF the
stirring events OF the war, and is
marvel of mechanical art, which pre-
sents all the horrors of war in striklngly
vivid manner; the evolutions OF cavalry,
infantry and artillery are seen in the
famous bombardment OF Atlanta; and
the burning of that city is as thrilling
spectacle as was ever seen on any stage.
The kissing and bursting Of shells, the
booming OF cannon, and rattle OF mus
kerry are heard, and the final pictures
of the ruins of Atlanta are as perfect as
mechanical ingenuity and art can well
devise. This feature will prove an ex-
cellent object lesson which all the chill
dren of Los Angeles should see. Cen
eral Sherman's march to the sea IS the
final feature, in which the old hero is
shown mounted on his charger, leading
his army in their famous march through
Georgia from Atlanta to the sea.
The rest of the performances are up
to the usual standard OF excellence;
especially notable is the daring and
graceful trapeze act OF Master Johnny
Platt.
w. S. Cleveland's Consolidated Min
strels is the next attraction at the Grand
opera house. This is undoubtedly the
largest and best minstrel organization
that has ever been seen in this country.
The list of artists comprises such celeb
rites as Billy Emerson, Hughes, Dough
erty. Barney Pagan, Luke Schoolcratt
and the marvellous Craggs, six in num-
ber. Mr.. Barney Pagan has introduced
several novel marches and drills the
present season, the most notable OF
which is the phantom courasciours,
which is said to be decided novelty.
Mr.. Martin Lehman, of the Grand
opera house, secured a number OF noted
attractions while in San Francisco,
among some of which may be men
toned Bernhardt, Crystal Slipper, Sar-
dou's Thermidor, Joseph Jefferson,
Frohman's Solicitor, William Gillette.s
newest comedy, Mr.. Wilkinson's Wild
ows: Stuart Robson, The County Fair,
Roland Reed, James j. Powers. The
Soudan, Hoyt's Texas Steer, Richard
Mansfield. Dan'l Frohman's stock COM
pany from The Lyceum theater, New
York; Nat G. Goodwin, DIR. Bell, Lewis
Morrison, Limited Mail, Gilmore's spec
tacle, The Twelve Temptations; Sol
Smith Russell, The Hustler, George
Marion in Mr.. Macarrun, Fanny Daven-
port in Cleopatra; original New York
production of Mr.. Potter OF Texas. Fred
erick Warde, Hanlon's Superba, iBoston-
ians' All The Comforts of Home, Henry
r.. Dixey, in his new production, Apollo;
Thos. w. Keene, Nine. Modjeska, Froh-
mans comedy Jane. Mr.. AL Hayman
being convinced by the splendid busi-
ness done by attractions at the Grand
opera house this season, that there IS
more money here for attractions OF
merit, will in the future play all his at
fractions at the Grand opera house.
A New York paper has been inter-
viewing some of the great managers as
to the style of play most patronized by
the general public. Here is what some
of them say:
M. Palmer speaks first: people
TODAY wish to be amused by the play.
They do not wish to be taught lesson.
If lesson is to be taught, it must be
taught indirectly.
"The principal thing is to have good
plot we'll in mind, and to know how to
develop it.
"Some plays are pure works Of imag-
ination, while others are mere speci-
mems of carpentry and mechanics. Both
kinds may be successful and both may
be failures. A trained playwright may
make better play out OF hackneyed
materials than novice may make out
of original and excellent material. 1t is
a question of massing."
Says Charles Frohman: What | de-
sire most in comedy is a clean story,
with simplicity OF plot. The complica-
tion of incidents should not be too ex-
travagant,o or make the story excessively
intricate. The story should be healthy
in tone, pure in sentiment. Coarseness
and vulgarity should be assiduously
avoided, and there should be an utter
absence of suggestiveness in action and
incident.
"rnere should be rapidity of action
and a crispness of dialogue. Humorous
and witty lines should never be con-
founded with punning. Puns are too
frequently misconstrued by. writer's as
wit, but as a rule they are lar from it.
The number of good puns thatone hears
in play is exceedingly meager,. and as
a general thing efforts in this direction
tire an audience.
s'The audiences that are usually at
tracted to this kind OF play are made up
very largely of women and very young
people, and the elements l refer to are
almost indispensable to any comedy or
for which any degree
of dramatic success is expected to be
realized.
'sIn regard to strong drama, should
make the same observation as regards
tone and sentiment. 1t should have
striking climaxes and dramatic situa-