Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-12-25

--.- ak before Christmas is never very
re- of theatrical novelties. and
-.a. city theaters have done fair
.s4... considering all things, and "Dr.
r. .ciallv drew well, there is precious
H.-r IN neal affairs to talk about. In New
F.-- same general monotony was some
zEr.l mined by MI Wizards great sue
r- r new piece,
lard has added a new play to his
e and has created a new character
IS likely to make as great an i'm
as Gurus BlenkdT7l although it is OF
,ther order. The New York papers
is time as to the play and Mr.. Will
ev praise both in very high terms.
Y the metropolitan critics are COM
point of admitting that Mr.. VIII
he great actor nearly everybody
he country recognized in him at
It 1t is somewhat amusing to OBJ
th what q Colum bian air some OF
trics announce as a discovery of
n Mr.. Wizards possession OF re-
comedy gifts. Says one: "Mr.
.. disclosed an aptitude for dry, anus
DIV work that few of his American
credited him wilh." Even in the
Iodramatic OF his characterlzations
Mr. willard has incidentally shown his COM
mand over comedy, and his American ad-
Inirers who have not credited him with
capacity for this very dry and delicate kind
OF humor must be sadly afflicted in their
visual and auditory organs. The great
physician in "A Fools Paradise" consisted
Of lust the kind of comedy that seems to
have awakened the sleepy brethren in New
York to the fact that Mr. Willard Is come
dian OF the highest and best school.
i}ut the play Is the hing that will interest
nv readers, and Mr.. Wizards description of
il is fortunately at hand. The Professors
Love Story" Is that of n man OF science, an
electrician, so absorbed in his studies that
he has grown old before his time. He has
allowed ali the pleasures OF youth to pass
him by unheeded, and although when the
play opens lie Is only about % years old, he
has won the highest honors in connection
with the science of electricity. lie is, how
ever, practically an old man He is eX-
tremely absent minded, alwaN doing some
thing malapropos, unless prevented by an
elderly sister, who takes care'of hlm as II he
Nvevea cllld. Circumstances separate these
two for awhile and during the period of
their separation the Professor discharges his
secrCta ~. and coming to the conclusion that
men are no use in Juat capacity, he engages
Young girl for his amanuensis. She has
not been lon. in his employment when a
z.uat chance comes over the Professor. He
has GisiucliuRtion to work, and generally
moons about the house wrapped in thought.
HIS great treatise on electricity, to complete
which has hitherto been his sole object in
lie comes to Z standstill, and as he is eager
TO revert to his old working grooves, he calls
il his doctor To ask what is the matter. The
doctor is puzzled for some time,
bur eventually discovers the state OF
the case, and tells the Professor
ruat lie is III love. The Professor is
Mortified at the idea, he having always re-
garGed love a. merely womau's device tor
wasting time You're in love, says the doc
tor 'and at your a-e 1t Is bound to be bad
ease. You on Int to have had it years ago"
The Profess uTs horror ut the >ugGestion; his
flight home 10 his sister; mis- evident happi-
ness in the presence Of tie girl he loves; his
Ignorance of the cause of that happiness;
his unconscious betrayal of MS alteration
for ucr: has event Vi discovery of his love;
his unnapuiHess when he thinks it utterly
hopeless, and his ultimately successful
wooiu- have'aN been treated by Mr.. Barrie
III d charmIngly humorous manner.
Laughter at the Alvin.
There is one thing l can say conscien-
tiously about 'The Junior Partner" and
that is that it has lots of laughter in it. 1t is
one OF those farces from the French of
which we have had so many in the last two
CT three seasons, although believe it was
written a least with view to an American:
production. When l saw it in New York a
year or 50 ago there was no denying its
merry spirit, or the capa6ility OF the come
dlaus in the cast. SO it ought to be the sort
o. thing the Alvin Theaters patrons want
this week. The plot OF The Junior Part
ner'' l. OF the light but complicated char
acteU that defies description, and 1 won t
altempJ it. The cast of tie play as
capital one Henry Miller fills the title role.
Nr Miller was seen here last with Marie
Wainwright IN that dolefUl uIanla, Amy
Eobsart, hut lie mas played comedy before,
and his work in 'All the Comforts oil Home, -
was clever. Ee plays a tuuch-and 20 French
comedy hero in this piece, and ought to do
il well. He Will also interpret Clyde Fitch 5
+ ede icE Lew ine in tie one-act curtain
rai-er o! that name, 4 very different thing.
IEe TWO iNely young women OF the
piece are TO be played oy Miss Miss
and Miss Emily Bancler, whose good looks
and general brightness were observer here
when she supported Rosina Nokes and again
in "Nr- W llklnsun's Widows" with Mrs. Nc
kec Rankin.an actress of established reputa-
lion, whose saill viii this time De turned upon
she evolution of a new type of mother-in
law. Hu-O TOland is another actor of ability
in the cast. Together these people ought to
serve Up pretty dish OF suasonable mirJh.
Charles Hanford as Marc Antony.
Nr Charles Han :ord and good company
o. tradgedians come TO the Grand Opers
House this week with a magnifcen: produc.
tiOn Of Julius Cesar" It is called the
"BOoth-Barrert' production from the facl
that all the scenery used is the original
scenery carried by these two great TRACE
Gians When M Han ord was leading man
wi.h Booth and Barrett, playing MGrt
-Hut0nu TO the B11UuS OF Edwin Booth and
tire CusSitLS Of Lawrence Barrett, MIR. BootI
advised Nj. Haniord to take Julius Cesar
upon the road and star hdic -A1ttCRy
carrying out OF this idea at tnaU time but
when, a year or two later, MI. Barrett died,
Mr.. HanfOT4 acting upon Mr.. Booths ad
vice. purchased the entire scenic outnt o
Julius CRsur." This is Mi. Haniord':
first starring tour, but his success has
been pronounced. The scenery used
" Mr. HanfOrd is far the most ela borat(
ever used in any Shakesperean production
Il was painted by Gerome, under the per.
slual supervision OF Law renee Barrett and
cost so OU0. The especial features of the
scenery are the scene in BrUtuy' garden; the
Senate scene, where CBsrT receives his
death wounds; the Forum scene, where
Marc 4nt0llV plays upon the passions OF the
mob and the Plains OF PnllllDpl. BrG1ui
and Cussilts are taken by Mr. Z. X. Spencer
and MI. Bennett Matlack, respectively. Botl
are Young actors OF talent ana their per
tormances have received hattering crfti
cisms throughout the country. A nIatine'
OF "IgnOmar'' will be given during the week
with Miss Annie Winter as Pd'thenid. The
price Of seats will not be advanced during
this engagement
a Texas Steer at the Duquesne.
One of the best of Nj. Hoyt's larces comes
to tile Duquesne this week, namely. "a
Texas Steer" an amusing satire on Wash
ington life. Although "a Texas Steer wa;
Eere less than year ago, it will receive
more cordial greeting than on its first visit
as it has the came excellent cast. The Hon
oroJLe Maverick BTaHder is gwen to that ex
cellent tSharacter-actor, Tim Murphy. BoSss
Brandsr, the Texas girl, is still portrayed by
pretty Flora Walsh, who in private lie, i:
lie wife OF Mr.. Hoyt. The "three bad meT
from Texas form one OF the distinct feat
ures OF the sklt, and Stanley, Russell anC