Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-12-20


BIJoU THEATER. Maggie Mitchell
DUQCEsSE THEATER Stuart Robson
GRAND orERA House. Goodwin
ALVIN TITEATER.. .JefTerson's Company
HARRIS TEEATER.. Pete Baker
WILLIAMS ACADEMY. ........... .willisms' own Co
DAVIS USEUM-THEATER... Curiosities, etc
The above are the thea Gtlical attractions
this week.
The sickness of Mojeska caused great
disappointment to theater-goers and in her
absence the week has been rather slow,
dramatically speaking. 'Incog," at the
Grand Opera House, was the best thing in
town, and in itself an amusing performance.
have never seen people laugh more
heartily than they did on Friday night at
the ridiculous complications of the three
men in Mrs Romnaldo Pacheco's farce.
The only trouble shout 'Incog" is that its
plot is not thick enough to be drawn out
satisfactorily into three acts. Compressed
into two acts at most, with half an
hour of the talk and business
IN Act III eliminated, 'Incog" would
be very much better than it is.
When YOU have an impossibl, state of
affairs for plot you mustn't give your audi.
ence time TO think about what they are see
ing: even of farce this holds good. Mr..
Dickson tells me that he doesn't think
Jane" much of a play, but Jane is a
much better piece of dramatic work than
"Incog." Just because ii never leaves the
eyes or ears of the audience unoccupied for
a moment The confusion of persons in
'Incog" is very laughable, but it
is carried on too long, and
I'd like TO bet Mr. Dickson q
hat that when he plays the farce in New
York that this objection will be voiced in
stronger terms Why not cut the farce
down? 1t will be remembered that "Jane"
lasted very little more than an hour and
half all told, and [ heard nobody complain
of its being too short. This matter of time
Is more important than dramatists and actors
seem TO think. The wearisomeness of THE
Dancing Girl" was half due to its length.
As TO Mr.. Dickson's own work and that
Of the comedians he has gathered around
him there can be little but praise. Mr.
Dickson was all but crippled by cold all
week, but his touch in comedy was as light
and telling as ever. He has found treas
ure in Miss Ellen Burg; young woman of
buoysnt temperament and natural humor,
that, added to good looks, make her charm
ing and amusing always The other women
are good, also, and Messrs Davenport, Ede-
son and Mann are a trio of young actors
whose command of character and comedy is |
remarkable.
The little curtain raiser, ''The Salt |
Cellar, is an adaptation from the German |
5v Henry Do5lin, another name, believe, |
for NJ. Dickson. who is an author of some |
ability Is well as 4 good actor. 1t is very |
simple little bit of domestic life, as light as
a feather, and played by Miss Burg, Mr.. /
Edescn and Mr.. 0ttomever, serves the pur-
pose Of curtain raiser well enough.
. Take any six men who saw Carmencita
last week for the first time and you'll find |
an unreconcilable variation of opinion az
TO her merits IS q dancer. Z have heard
men rave over her, and men Lave told me
that they couldn't see the smallest charm
in her or her dancing-the former were in
the majority. 1t is largely matter Of
TASTE and individual temperament If
phrenologists can do what they say they
can, they could pick out with ease Carmen
clta's admirers by an examination of bumps.
Nobody need feel badly because he did or
be didn't enjoy Carmencita's dancing
1t is a pity that Carmencita had to be in
the center of a rather stupid variety per-
formaEce. The entertainment was really
about up to the standard OF Roster & Bials,
but unfortunately the chance to wash il
down with beer or wine. and 10 cloak its
lmperfections with cigar smoke that one
would have had at the New York concert
hal was wanting at the Alvin By the way,
hope that wives, sisters and sweethearts, |
10 say nothing Of mothers, have remarked
one result of Carmencita's visit / refer to |
the revelation Of the number of male Pitts
burgers young and old, church deacons and
Fhilistines, who visit Roster & Bial's
when they go to New York-on business
chiefly. Nearly every other man who has
talked to me OF Carmencita has remarked as a |
matter of course that he had seen her in
New York long agol
This week comedy in its highest and best
form will be on all sides of US The new
feature in the performance by the Jefferson
Company will. be Louis James assumption
OF FlorencYfs great roles. Hardly less in
teresting will be Stuart Robson's Tony lamp
kin in she Stoops to Conquer" and Nat
Goodwin's advent in new play is a third
of the first magnitude. Time |
Goes not eclipse the radiancy of Maggie
Mitchell either, and at the other houses
Pete Baker a good comedian. and Harry
Williams Own Company hold up the holi-
day ideal in right good shape. Plttsburg
has never had such a theatrical Christmas
box.
Among the theatrical novelties of the
season is the new play, "The Little Maver-
ick, p" which Maggie Mitchell will present
for the first time in this city at the Biiou |
on Monday evening. A new play in the
hands Of so popular and capable player as
Miss Mitchell is entitled to more than
passing notice. 1t is an American comedy
drama with some strong situations and an
in teresting story. {
From being q charity waif the little
he roine, who is known as Hay Percy, be-
comes the wife of lord, a nobleman who
crosses The broad Atlantic to seek out and win ,
the girl he loves. IE ''The Little Maverick" ,
Miss Mitchell is said to have q character {
that admirably suits her bright and charm s
ing personality. As waif in the earlier
acts Of the play, she represents the uncul- e
tured girl to the life. She is rough dia- t
nond. however, and association with people {
Of retirement polishes her, and later in the t
play when it is discovered that she is the
heiress to great estate, and the descendant
IF noble line, she dons the robes and as e
;umes the position of leader of fashion Il
BE Society. She is rs much at home in that P
position as if she had been born with the (
traditional silver spoon in her mouth. There
s a st rring fox hunt in which Nog wins
he brush and shows her transatlantic y
,ousins how they ride in Texas Much :,
,omedy is afforded by the persistent | y
,tforts OF the Col1n de ChGnlbyCy, an Ii
mpecunious nobleman, to win May and her
ortune. And there is plenty of serious in 4.
crest in the deep love that springs up be- {,