The morning call., 1892-09-25


company produced it last week are some
what restricted just now and so we must
trust to another pair of eyes We quote the
salient points from the ATgOnaut, promising
that The writer is not alone a man of expert
ence and keen observation, with fine an
alytical aud critical powers, but candid and
truthful IN conveying the results OF his OBJ
serYatiODS.
THE PLAY
i enc Of GibeIt's queeFest coneelts. The man
aEer OF troupe Of mountebanks discovers 4
drug which converts an actor into the real peT-
sonage be has undertaken TO personate. He al.
ministers The drug 10 two members of tie troupe
who represent clOckwork figures OF Hamlet and
ophella, and they become pieces of cloekwOrk
Nlth slots IN their bosoms, In which the spectator
IS invited 10 drop penny. Only IL is necessary
% wind them UP AT the usual intervals: were
that neglected. they would die. II is easy 10
realize The fun which this would enable Gilbert
to lut into tie parts OF the two performers who
stated out TO b. aGtomata ana really fnd them
selves converted into living eIOckwork figures
Mixed with Hamlet and Opheia are buf1oOn,
bouy Of monks, chorus OF village girls and
whole beyy OF funny PEOPLE, who peTpetTate dull
Jokes anG sing songs from tie beginning of the
play 10 lie end. There IL no melOdrama In Gi-
berts "MOuntebanks." They are very common
place rascals, indeed whose business Is highway
robbery, YET whose motto Is "HerOSm without
risk! They disguise themselves as monks in
order TO rob duke aud duchess, and, under the
spell Of The magic DRUG become monks in reality
for lie time. 1t is dol easy TO see what Is their
object ~ life, or n the piece, or IN what way The
action would suffer If they were eliminated.
They sing some fair cbofuses and kick their
feet about IL they were learning clog dancing;
boz their chief purpose seems 10 be TO iii Up tie
age.
a PCRPosELEss AFFAIR.
The whole play Is puIpOseless affair." The
transformation under The effect Of the drug leads
the IeclatOT 10 expect some good fooiing, after
iue manner Of The ''AIidsummeT Nights Dream !:
lUt tie eNpectstiOD is disappointed. Win the
exception OF Louis Harrison and Laura Clement,
Eho are transformed by tie drug into clOckwork
figures, The personsges act after they undergo
lie medication much as they ala before Har-
Ilsou was drol as The clown, and Miss Clement
was really good as lie daneing-glTl whose vitals
have been replaced by works. But these are The
only TWO members If the cast who elected 4
laugh from The audience. The others were Tire
some throughout
MISS RUssELL's PLACE IN IT.
II IS impossible to say anything pleasant OF
Miss Lillian Russell. Considering the flourish Of
tIumpets win which she was heraded, she has
ben disappointment 10 both the paris she has
played. It is due 10 truth to say that she is a
faded beauty, whose once shapely figure has run
10 stOu ness. and whose voice, which never was
particularly tunefu, is now worn aud has not a
trace OF mel OdY left. She sang great deal, IN
I'll tile spectator was fam to exclalm with Are
mus Ward, This is too much"' II was Kind Of
her TO favor The audience with so many songs.
But even CellleT's music sweet as u IS, eXacts
from Tie singer more than Miss Russell can give.
That size Gid not SHINE as an actress is partly
Gilberts fault Nobody could make hit with
So stupid role as Teresa S. III. as We learn from
Tie programme. The Mountebanks" ran for
nine months al the Lyric Tneater, London, Tie
Iond0ners must be easy 10 please, both In re-.
specI 3t acting and OF singing.
As A WHOLE.
Tie scenery was fine, and among the fgurantes
and chorus singers there was more than The
ususl average Of feminine beauty. The cho-
ruses were well drilled aud their work ref cts
credit on the Stage manager and musical d.
rector. But, taEiug tie performance as a whole.
81 must certainly take rank below the Ordinary
performances which have been given TO San
Francisco audiences by the BOstOnians. Mr..
Carleton himself, IA his day. brought out better
things. To charge two dollars Tor a seat, when
these tTOupes were quite content with a dollar
and half, IS TO say the least, piece Of impu-
deHce.
Mr. FRENCH's CLAQUE.
An innovation Of which MI. T. Henry French
can probably claim tie authorship was the pres
cBce OF al offensive ciaque In the gallery. These
persons inteffered with the enjoyment OF the
pleee by aDDlauding everything indiscIiminateiy,
aud Insisted on eBcOTes which tie regular spec
IatoTs did not want. They carried the thing TO
such an extent that in The second act when they
began their clappng, the audience began to
laugh. We are not used 10 elaques 10 san Fran
cisco They are usual IN European cities, and
people accept them as disagTeeable necessity.
Here The fashion IS hardly likely TO take root;
indeed II peTseVered ID, II Is almost sure to de-
velCp that which has rarely been heard Ia our
thea ers-a burst OF Kisses from genuine MEM
DeTs or The audience. We are afraid that The
Mountebanks" will not be a success.