, 1892-03-09
NYM CRINKLE'S LETTER.
New York People Amuse Them
selves in Public Places.
DANCES AND DOGS VS.. DIyAs.

AnsAIlbueu.
NEW YORK, March "A remarkable
demonstration took place at the Casino the
other night, where they nave been play.
ing a foolish vaudeville, "Uncle Celestin. >
This jingling farce had been padded out
by such speciality features as could b.
snapped up at the moment, and among
them was Loie Fuller, a young woman
who began her career with opera and nov
rounds it up with skirt dance. She wa.
engaged to come in somewhere at the tag
of the vaudeville and CITRATE in a new form
of posturing called a serpentine dance.
The management thought "Uncle Ce
lestin" had cat 1ht the popular fancy, for
the about town contingent was out in
force. But one night Loie Fuller rushed
in to the management and announced that
her lead was swelling. She was sure OF
it, and could not possibly go on unless
they raised her salary from so a week
to $50. The Casino managers requested
time to hunt up n new partner with
fresh capital, but Miss Fuller would not
compromise, and did not appear that
night. Then occurred the scene. When
the audience found out that there was to
be no skirt dance it demanded its money
back. 1t hooted, yelled and swore, and
gave the upper Broadway cheer: "Whoop,
siss, ~bang-Fullerl L-OI-E."
So it turns out that the skirt dance kept
Uncle. Celestin" alive, and the upper
Broadway public may be said to ave
served notice that If Fuller is not replaced
it will not tolerate the rest of the fun or
appreciate the music.
Our swell friend, Mr.. Richard Mansfield,
who never travels without n reporter and
u new play in his reportory, has come to
town with a version of Warren's Ten
Thousand n Year, F." in which he plays the
part OF Titmouse. Why he should nave
done this only those voluminous common
;ators who are deep in his internal con-
seriousness can tell. The play is not n good
one in any possible aspect, and Mr.. Mans
field had to make an apology for 1t on the
first night.
Miss Emma Sheridan, who IS said to
have prepared this ragout of the novel, is
a member of Mr.. Mnnsfield's company, and
has shown a literary facility in newspaper
work. Her father is the well known Cen
eral George Sheridan, orator and lecturer,
and n year or two ago christened DE
fender OF the Faith" for his able reply to
Colonel Bob Ingcrsoll. But. Miss Sheri-
dams success in literature was n little too
sudden to last. These girls who go up like
a rocket are not apt. to come down like
Mercury, hewitt upon a heaven kissing
hill. At all events in this play she was
hampered by Mr.. Mansfeld's tape line. /
! don't think she was trying to write "A
good play so much as n good vehicle. The
problem, as usual, was how to manipulate
literature So ms to get Mr.. Mansfield on all
the time. In solving the problem, how
ever, both literature and Mansfield have
suffered, for whenever Mansfield is on the
literature Is of, and when the literature Is
on Mr.. Mansfield is off-way of.
say this with n well preserved respect
for Mr.. Mansfield's abilities-which OF
lato have needed exercise. The public go
TO his first nights expectantly, and some
times do not 20 again. because Mr.. Mans
fields material was not worthy of him
This is especially tile case in "Ten Thou
sand n Year" Titmouse is sufficiently
indicated by the name, and for this kind
of grotesque frivolity MIR. Mansfield has
not the airy and ~pervasive humor Mr..
John Sleeper Clarke would have lifted It
with inimitable righteousness to n Hogan
THAN type. Mr.. Crane would have wal
lowed in it joyously, and everybody would
nave been drunken with his low comedy
spirits. Mr.. Mansfield builds it strenu-
ously like n lay figure and you are in some
doubt when he gets through whether he
or his dresser deserves the most credit.
] am sorry to see an actor Of sterling
worth depend upon makeup plays, and l
am amused to observe that the voluminous
commentator Of Mr.. Mansfield call this a
play of character.
bnOulu Ike 70 near llLIIlOLSe y ClllTHC-
ter scheduled. The fact is TitnIouse is n
characterless person, and it was as a nega.
tion that he was put forward in the book.
Does Mr.. Mansfield suppose that particu-
iarity in dress mannerisms and
n facile trickery OF department constitute
characterf
Undoubtedly not, but some of his over
Jealous critics do.
simultaneously with this play there was
---l--zl - ~ Dill, a. - g.
called "Incog." which is from the pen of
Il woman, and which exhibited the very
merits which Ten Thousand a Year,
lacked. Mrs. Pacheco constructed n gen.
uine intrigue, tied everything up in n knot
and then like a magician Strengthened it
all out. | should advise Miss Sheridan TO
study Nine. Pacbeco's method.
"Incog" is one Of the most hilarious alb
surdities / ever saw. but it is the absurdity
of situation. Before the play was over no.
body could tell who was who, until the
authoress Gained the laughter and
amoothed out matters. This was frank
advertisement, and not Juggling with
clothes to simulate character.
Mr.. Mansfield is an actor who needs a
worthy play. The trouble with him is hat
he goes to the wrong sources, and then
handicaps his constructive agent with fool
ish Mansfield conditions. This is Harry
Lazy LShlf NhiI dlNhN5 "hSh 81
new actor is announced, Il wonder where
he got his horsesi"
The dog show at the Madison Square
garden was this year of unusual proper
tons and interest. No one who did not
see the string of private vehicles at the
entrances and the crowds of richly dressed
visitors can form an idea of the popular
character of this exhibition. Even the
horse show, which is always as swell an
affair us the Patriarchs' ball, has never ap-
pealed to the fashionable class as did this
canine convention.
The attendance was largely made up of
wonderland not horsey women, either.
They never tired of going around the cir
Gle of kennels and distributing their adj
miration indiscriminately. What may be
called the dog sentiment has grown to
enormous proportions under the fostering
care of the Westminster Kennel club. |
suppose at least 100000 people visited this
show before the week was over, and there
was no other appeal made than that CT
dog, pure and simple.
Beside this transitory popularity the
npathy at the Metropolitan opera house L.