The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1892-12-24
music AND THE DRAMA.
Plays That Are Now Entertaining
the New York People.

Boards-''Popular Price, Amuse-
ments at the CIunie-General Stage
News.
A. P. Dunlop, writing from New York
under date of December 18th, says:
''Of the new things this week, Emile
! LoIa's 'Therese Raquin' at the Union
Square Iheater drew most attention. II
IS the same story used in Zola's horrify-
ing book and tells Of a man and woman,
vicious and brutal in their instincts as in
/ their passions, and these are depicted on
the stage with unblushing fidelity. The
I woman murders her husband and mar
/ rles her lover and accomplice. Fear and
| renOrse aSSail them before the nuptial
1 night, and the ghost OF the dead man is
/ ever between them. The remainder OF
the drama depicts their mental terrors,
then their cowardly flight upon learning
! that their victims mother knows OF the
crime, their respite through this old
Woman's paralysis, the change of their
love to hatred and loathing, their stimuli
/ Janeous resolve to kill each other, and
/ finally their suicide. There would he nc
denying the potency of this horrible eX-
ample of crime ii it We're not tor the
prurlency Of the bridal-chamber show.
! This being eliminated, the play would
remain tragedy OF modern life, teach
/ ing lesson with tremendous force.
/ There Is nothing r3Sq0e in the play,
and both Mrs. Potter and Mr.. Drew
failed TO shock any one. To those who
/ like plays of this kind, 'Therese' must
/ be sweet delight. 10 those who do not,
1t appears like the painting by a great
master OF fostering, angry ulcer, in
/ which the greatest care has been taken to
give the precise shading and coloring to
the pus and gangrene, while the artistic
atmosphere hangs heavy with the putre-
! 1acUlVe smell of seriousness. To the first,
men and women who advocate this kind
OF amusement are apostles; TO the latter,
merely scavengerS. But, be it said in
/ praise OF Mrs. Potter, Messrs. Kyrle Bel
/ lew, John StetsOn and Ariel Barney. that
the play has been considerably toned
down, both from the original and even
from the first production in Boston.
at the Star Theater Z. S. Willard
drought forward on Monday Sydney
The Mouse Trap seen at Wal
lacks i've years ago under the name OF
"A Fool's Paradise That, too, tells oil
the evil passions Of a woman who tried to
poison her husband, so that she might
marry a former lover, but it took no
strong hold Of the audience because of
the paucity Of the dramatic element. 1t
( is, however, a very good comedy, written
in Mr.. Grundy's best style, and gives Mr..
| Willard the role OF one OF those ever cap
tivating men on the stage, which have be-
/ come very familiar, and although Mr..
! Willard did nothing new with the con-
ventiOnal part he acted it with his accus-
/ toned care, correctness and dignity.
The only absolutely new play this
week is Tine Prodigal Father at the
/ Broadway Theater, by Glen McDOnOugh
/ a son of Clever Laura Don, a brilliant ac-
/ tress and authOress, who died hall
dozen years since. 1t is Mr.. Mconough' :
/ first effort, and it is fortunately a rare oc-
( currence that so inadequate a play is
4 seen on Broadway. It was also very
badly acted and really does not merit
the space given to the plots Of all new
| plays, but as matter of record the silli-
4 ness may be described briefly, thus: An
/ old gentlemen, the most distinguished
citizen of a small town, pretending tC
/ have been on an exploring expedition tc
/ Africa, but really having been chasing g
/ variety actress about the country. re-
turns home to ind himselfin a maze oil
complications. The actress comes to see
/ him, bringinga terrible child with her and
/ il turns out that She has married the old
mans son, who is a student in Yale Col
/ lege, and also that she IS the wife Of still
another person. EyerybodS meets every
/ body, and there is considerable bolster
/ business during three not very exciting
or very amusing acts"
POPULAR PRICE" ADJUSTMENTS"
The advent of cheap-priced family
/ theater in our midst is undoubtedly an
! important moyement-one that is worthy
of unsunted support, providing the mem
| bers OF the organization are ladies and
gentlemen and the entertainments are
neritorious and refined. Sacramento,
| like all other cities, contains thousands OF
| families whose income will not Justify
| them in expanding several dollars each
| week for entertainments OF any charac-
ter, and. as Il consequence, visit the
| theater occasionally, and often expeud
more than the attraction warrants, and
the profits OF such an exhibition 90 to
enlarge the purse Of New York amuse-
| ment spectators, whose only interest in
each respective city is to secure all they
can from it by an annual visit.
The best feature of a permanent stock
! stock organization, however, is its moral
| advancement of the younger element, and
| Its tendency to educate against vice in
any form. The theme of all successful
stage representations is based on the out
whiting of vIllainy and the advancement
Of manhood and Womanhood. A few in
decent dramatic productions, such as
Thou Shalt NOp' and "Clemenceau
Case" have managed to exist for short
time by pandering to the vicious tastes Of
]
Swallowed from their inception, and came
none too soon to satisfy the intelligent
public.
1t is safe to say that there are at least
five hundred young men in this city
growing to manhood, and fully seven
eighths OF that number are thrown into
temptation or amidst evil companionship
! just for the lack of proper entertainment
| being supplied, and ten times the amount
expended to satisfy his mind that is
necessary. Where the public, be they
/ young or old, are furnished with diver
sion from to 1920 p. NJ, they retire to
their homes satisfied, and if such an en-
tertainment was elevating the attendant
is mentally improved.
Portland, Seattle, Tacoma and Stock
ton wisely support similar organizations
and the members in each case are part
and parcel of their respective communi-
ties, participating and assisting in all
suggestions for the advancement of their
respective communities. Let Sacramento
have such an organization, by all means:
| let US encourage all enterprises that will
make and circulate their money in the
city and become part and parcel of the
capital.
Manager Daley is making every prep
aration for the opening next Monday
| evening, and to-day received a letter from
| Stage Manager WaIdron. in which he
stated that the company are perfect in the
piece, Inside Track, j" and could give a
taultless performance even now. In or
der that there may be no misunderstand-
ing regarding the seating, the house has
been divided as follows: The first four
rows III the orchestra, 20 cents; the bal