Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-02-28


DUQUEsNE THEATER.. Casino Opera Company
GRAND OPERA HOUSE.. Mr.. Barnes of New York
ALVIN iHEATER. ER..--..-.----.-----.-...-.IE Soudan
WILLIAMS ACADEMY. George Dixon's Company
DAVIS MUsEUM-THEATER.... .Curiosities, etc
WORLDS MUsEUM-THEATER...... .Curiosities, etc
HARRIS THEATER.. Frank /. Frayne
The above are the theatrical attractions
for this week.
From all over the land, from actors and
managers everywhere the piteous cry
nscends: 'Give US new plays that are
goodr' The public echoes the cry despond-
emily, with a reservation that it would
rather have old and good plays than new
and bad. Margaret Mather is the latest
sufferer for want of a strong play with some
novelty. The hashed-up pieces of a great
novel which were served at the Bijou
Theater last week under the name of "The
Egyptian" did not satisfy anyone, and GER
tainly do not constitute the popular vehicle
which Miss Mather and her manager are
looking for. Miss Mather's popularity is
still SO great that even in this very
second rate play lots Of people
went to see her, and the audience
on Friday night, when she appeared
in Leah" was very large and enthusiastic,
From the successful treatment of comedy in
Nance Oldfield" it is to be believed that
Miss Mather would do well if she found a
new play which would afford her a chance
to make people laugh as well as cry. Mr..
Otis Skinner is as badly in need of better
parts as the star he supports.
How many actors and managers, repeat
are held back by the scarcity of good work
and new from domestic and foreign drama
lists. You hear the complaint everywhere
There's the Pitou stock company still
hammering away at plays which do not
have enough body N them to stir the popu-
lar heart. Robert kanteIl is another actor
TT1 CpRT Ts0n n n NJ
other pole, cannot discover a drama to suit
him and his public. Manager A NJ Palmer
found one jewel this season in Alabama"
but "The Broken Seal" his latest venture.
Is a gruesome failure. Joseph Hawortb has
weathered the season in ''St. Marcia re-
vival. but The Leavenworth Case"
did not pan out at all So you might go
through the whole list, and not half a dozen
new plays would you find that have made
money this season, and several that have
not deserved to on artistic grounds. With
the lighter pieces, farce comedy, comic
opera and burlesQue, it has been much the
same. The mortality among the farce come
dies has been simply frightful, and the pre-
diction that iarce comedy would practically
peter out this season has been fulfilled. I
did not expect to see the popular appetite
Tor farce comedy wane so quickly. Of the
comic opera companies only two have made
any money to speak of on the road, namely,
''The Tar and Tartar. " and De Wolf Hopper's
"Wane." In New York Francis Wilson has
held his own but by dint of personal ability
THE Lion Tanner"
One or the few instantaneous and real hits
Of the season appears to have been made by
"Gloriana," a farcial comedy in three acts
from the French. This is the more inter-
esting to US for the reason that Miss Hen
rietta Crosman-the New York papers insist
upon spelling her name wrongly, Crossman
lis responsible for the success or the piece
in large measure. Miss Crosman is a
daughter of Major George H. Crosman, OF
Youngstown, and is moreover connected
with several prominent families in this CITY,
The New York papers almost rave over the
humor, grace and general cleverness of Miss
Crosman's performance. She is now being
talked Of in circles theatrical as a comedi.
enne of extraordinary promise. / saw her
three weeks ago in 'fThe Junior Partner"
and in which she was very pleasing. The
part she had in that very French farce was
not calculated to show her powers as
comedienne.
The following London gossip came to TIE
DISPATCH by cable last night: Oscar Wilde
with his cynical society play, "Lady
Windermere's Fan" which was produced
Saturday night lastat the ST. James Theater.
has made himself the talk OF the busiest
theatrical week for many months. The
critics almost unanimously condemn the |
play. They say the plot lacks novelty and
that the principal scene is palpably cribbed |
however, are very clever and people in
society will rush to see the play as thew did i
on the first night, when the most brilliant |
audience that has gathered for wears in the |
st. James Theater assembled to witness the |
work.
At the end of the play on the first night a |
small section OF the audience called for |
Oscar Wilde. He Stalked before the cnrtain
smoking cigarette. Between the whiffs he /
delivered what the press generally rro-
nounced q most insolent and conceited |
speech. He complacently descanted upon /
the merits OF his play. and said he was glad /
that the audience was able to appreciate it.
Inc actors ana actresses were patronizingly
for the help they had given.
Mr.. Wilde was adorned with one of the
newly invented electric green boutonnieres
as were his followers in the stalls This new
adornment is apparently to replace the sun
flower, the emblem for so long a time of Mr.
Wilde and his aesthetic craze
MI. j. L. Toole's reappearance in Mr.. Bar
l1es' new play, walker, London" which
day night, was an undoubted success. AS |
was announced last week the name origin
ally selected Tor this play was "The House
boat"
At the Avenue Tneater Langdon Mitchell,s
American play Deborah" in which Marion |
Lea (Mr. Mitchells wife), impersonated a |
quadroon slave, attracted capital audience |
among whom were seen Miss Ellen Terry.
Lady Colin Campbell, Mr.. Henry James, the
American novelist; Mr.. Charles Wyndham.
Mr.. John Hare, Manager of the Garrick |
Theater; oscar Wilde Fanny Brough and a
numbes of other members of the dramatic
profession. The play proved to be q failure
Marion Lea was Overweighted with an un- |
suitable role.
Dorothy Dene and her three sisters gave
pleasant afternoon on Thursday last at the
Prince of Wales Theater. TIE principal at
traction was new one-act comedy entitled
cinderella" tie cast of which was four
ladies' only. The play gave the four beauti-
ful dancinS. The oxford University Dram
attic Socie Y gave an interest performance
on Wednesday OF Aristophane's Frogs" in
Greek. A feature of the production was HUI
pert farry's incidental smusic burlesQuing |
snatches of Beethoven's symphonies, Never.
peers and Nerdl's operas, the "Boulanger |
March" and other well-known compost |
ions. The audience was supplied with an
English translation of the text of the play.
"Yon Yonson is coming to town" to-mor-
row night at the Bijou Theater. This play,
lealing as it does with one Of the most
features of life in the great li
Northwest, and introducing to the stage
character, the delineation of which has
never been successfully attempted before,
las been eminently successful. In lyon
Ionson," the Swedish lumberman from
'Yimtown, Nord Dakota" !" Gus Heege, who,
~ the way, is one of the authors of the piece !
las evolved a character that has never been
cen before. Apart from the literary merit |
If the play, and in addition to an intensely |
interesting story and situations of wonder
ul force, there is enough breezy bubbling
lumor in it to set up a dozen
arce comedies in business. Neither
are nor money have been spared to
ender the scene and mechanical equip |
nents perfect IN every detail as they are
riginal IN design. Particularly is this true |
II the great log jam scene, wherein one of
he mr. q tad wit |