Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-01-24
FOOTLIGHT SPARKS.
scINTILLATINa RAYS ABOUT PLAYS
AND PLAYERS OF NOTE.
Attractions 1T the Richmond Theatres
This week-Reminiscence Of Bern
hnrdt--Gossip Cleaned Elsewhere.

from other farce comedies. and the scenes,
situations, and incidents so unusual that
the audience will be highly entertained
from the rise TO the fall of the curtain.
The company Is said TO be talented one
and contains some splendid vocalists, and
the music is Of a high order. The brass
band and orchestra carried by the company
is a strong musical feature, being com
posed entirely of skilfui musicians. Only
one performance will be given
The singing of Kate Sprague. the special
ties of Billy Gray, the cornet solo OF I'd
ward K. Nickersonthave each been enthu-
siastically received. and the entire enter
taInment is represented as being very
pleasing and laughsble.
LITTLE LORD FAUNTLERoY.
The beautiful play OF Mrs. Burnetts,
Lord Fauntleroy," which points one OF
the loveliest characters on the stage. Will
be presented at the Theatre at special
matinee Tuesday, and also on Tuesday
night. -.
The company is the original one OF Mr.
r. Henry French, who controls the beau
tiful Garden Theatre. in New YORK, at
which Lillian Russel IA singing. Little
Lord Fauntleroy" is too well known 70
need comment. Ladies and children al
WAYS turn ont en- mdsse. An agreeable fea-
ture will be the "Orange Tea" to be given
on the stage after the matinee, TO which
all the ladies' and children present are IN
vited They will meet the charming
Mabel Walsh and Lillian Masterson, who
alternate in the role of the Little Lord"
Few PLAYS have produced so lasting an iD-
preston or effected so much beneht IN
wears, and Tuesdays performances Will
attract largo audiences. The company Is
most excellent one.
CHARMING JARBEAU.
Thursday. Friday, and Saturday the fas-
cinating Jarbeau and her large and excel
lent company will tread the boards At the
Theatre. Jarbeau has a new piece, enti-
tied starlight" 1t is a farce-comedy,
with the usual plot of little depth. but OF
sufficient strength to allow ample oppor-
tunitIes for the capable company TO dis
play their strong individualities. The skit
IL spangled with music. Starlight IS
nondescript and versatile-a fashionable
maiden, q soubrette. an operate singer.
then fairy IN tights. well-dressed busy
body. Spanish dancer.
The virtue. If any, Of the tissue OF I'M
connected incident which, peppered with
melody, is called q musical farce-comedy.
lies in the unexpected. A dropped hand
kerchef leaps back to its owners hand.
An irish policeman has method of his
own in jumping through counters; face
tious tough" carries O shutter around
lust for a blind" There are many non
sensical things that will produce much
laughter.
Jarbeau stands in the first rank as
soubrette. There is o peculiar indivldu-
ality in her acting that is refreshing and
her costumes are magnificent. The COM
pany is remarkably strong one and con-
tains Bud Ross, one of the cleverest young
Irish comedians on the stage. Rou Snow
il also very funny.
Mr.. AND MRS. kendall AT THE ACADEMY.
A widespread interest is felt in the first
appearance in Richmond OF MIR. and Mrs.
Kendall. They will be at the Academy OF
Music the latter part of the week, begin
ming Thursday evening.
For over ten years the Kendals have been
associated with the st. James Theatre,
London. but long before that Mrs. Kendall,
then Madge Robertson delighted theatre
goers by the charm of her acting. Mrs.
Kendall fills the place on the English stage
for which il would be difficult TO find q
parallel. She is essentially child OF the
stage. Her father. her grandfather, and
her great grandfather were actors. Early
in life Madge Robertson started IN the race
for fame in the Bristol Theatre and subse-
quently she gained that experience IN the
English provinces, which served her SO
well in atter-life before the more critical
audiences of the great metropolis.
There. III the lighter roles at the Hay
market and the Gayety theatres, her abll-
ity was recognized. and the promise of her
earlier years fulfilled. In such works as
"As You Like It," in which she played
Rosalind and in The Palace OF Truth "
she made reputation. When W. :. GIL
bert produced his Pygmalion and Gala
tea" Mrs Kendall was the central figure as
Galatea. Her success Ill this role. which
has been made familiar to American
theatre-goers by Mary Anderson's adj
mirable portrayal was complete. and tor
months il continued to charm the Lon
don public.
Mr.. Kendall is an equally conspicuous
figure amoug the PLAYERS of England. AT
the age Of eighteen he joined the company
at the Soho Theatre, in London, which
then includeaH.llen Terry, David James,
and Charles ,syndham among its men,
hers. That Md in 1861. The following
wear he went ifto the provinces. the trall-
ing school of some of the best English
actors. The course was severe, but he
had the advantage of acting with such
eminent artists as Mr.. and Mrs Charles
Kean. Helen Faucit, and Dion Boucicault.
Towards the end of 1866 he made his ap-
pearance at the Haymarket, and created
favorable impression. His impersonatlons
of Orlando. Pygmalion. and other charge
tiers gave him a firm footing III London.
During the last ten years both he and Mrs.
Kendall have made the st. James Theatre
the home of English comedy. During
their engagement in this city they will DO
seen in the most popular plays In their
repertory-" The Ironmaster," Still
Waters Run Deep" and "A Scrap OF
Paper"
"REMINISCENCES OF BERNHARDT.
h. MT
gone and the Richmond theatre-goers
have been afforded an opportunity to listen
TO her beautiful French and realize her
matchless powers as an artist. 1t need not
be added that this treat was enjoyed by all
who felt able TO go deep down into their
rockets and produce the requisite amount
of cash to purchase seats. Her engage
ment here was an epoch In the theatrical
history of Richmond, and her magic
charms had thes effect here as IN other
places where the divine Sarah " has APP
reared, tor glimpse of both her audi
ences revealed the fact that pretty nearly
the same people attended each perform
ance.
Mime. Bernhard IA wonderful woman
and ia as 1.-THE and nimble as cat yet as
gentle and graceful as O fawn when not
interpreting the more violent passages OF
her plays. just after the curtain went
down upon tD6 lDuIbu ACT VI La lOSCa
Monday night DISPATCH man was taken
behind the scenes for an interview with
the charming artist. Within little more
than an instant the handsome apartment
IN Maria's villa appeared as though
cyclone had struck it. Tables were being
whirled around, pieces OF scenery were
being shifted, and there was q conglomo-
ration OF the French and English Ian
puaees with now end then few syllables
of Italian, aud occasionally an utterance
from the genuine Virginia dsrkey. Nine.
Bernhardt skipped across the stage as
though she were but sixteen.
Madame, like most people possessing
rare genius. has her hobbies. She carries
with her very large mastif. which lies at
her feet at all times when she Is sitting
down. and when the charming actress
reaches forward and lays her hand upon
the dogs head his great eyes open gladly
in recognition of his mistress. As Is Gus
tomary in France. Madame Bernhardt
taxes iour meals day. When she gets up
in the morning coffee and rolls are served;
between IA aud / o'clock she breakfasts;
about 6 O'clock she dimes, and she takes
supper. her heaviest meal, after the per-
formance.
NOTES OF THE STAGE.