The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1892-05-21
music AND TIE DRAMA.
Good Plays and Bad in the Great
Metropolis.
s'My CoIleen:' a Success and s'Friends''
Failure Richard MansfieId's
Observation-Disclosures and Patti
on Good Terms-General Stage
News.

News.
A. P. Dunlop, writing from New York
under date of May 14th, says:
'''Friends,' a play by Edwin Milton
Royle, was tried at the Standard on Mon
day and made respectable failure. The
story is an old one, its language a mix
ture OF sentimental poetry and artificial
bosh and everyone of the characters are
familiar to the emotional drama of the
past hundred years. The story concerns
the strong friendship existing between
young poet and young musician, who
are struggling with poverty and sharing
one suit of clothes when the play opens.
The pianist is in love with the prima
donna of the Metropolitan Opera-house,
and she loves him; so that the plot might
happily end here, if all other things were
equal, for she has discovered his poverty,
and loves him still. But from this point
there is confused, intricate and unslllll-
ful development OF villainy, in which the
chief conspirator is director of the Met
ropolitan, who loves the prima donna
and forces her drunken and opium
smoking father to aid him in his scheme
to win her away from the pianist. He is
temporarily successful, but the shrewd-
ness and bravery of the young poet I'M
ravels the plot, and there IS an orthodox
righting OF wrongs at the end. Although
Mr.. Royle was not successful this time,
his work shows a promise OF better things
in the future.
AT the Peoples James a. Herne's new
Irish drama, My Colleen had its initial
representation on Monday, and scored a
decided success. 1t is well-constructed
and bright play, sparkling with clean
Irish wit, with every scene tingling with
genuine pathoS. 1t will be good money
producer for him next season.
The NaDODS,' a something between a
farce comedy and an extravaganza, was
also on Monday tried at the Windsor for
the first time in New York. 1T IS made
up of gags, horse play and music, none
OF which is new, and as it has no plot
nothing more need be said, except that
the audience seemed to like it and that
the performance went off with snap.
Henry Arthur Jones' play, The Or
ganist,' has been used during the week
as a U1Oette for the Gray Mare at the Ly-
ceum. 1t gives sharp Temperance les
son, and, as usual, Mr.. Jones enforceS his
moral with considerable fire, but also, as
usual, with considerable reiteration and
redundancy"
MANSFIELD'S CHARACTERISTICS.
Mr.. Mansfield possesses the physical
advantages which are the essential requi-
sites for the complete changes of person
atty in the portraIture of diverse char
acterS. Then his intellectually, the
keenest of perceptive faculties, natural
artistic taste, d retentiye memory, an OBJ
stinacy OF purpose, a dominating will
poWer-conStltute com bination of
forces which, in any profession, would
have ensured him prominence if not
fame.
You meet Mr.. Mansfield away from the
theater, in his par1or or at the club, at
social gathering and under any circum-
stances outside of the surroundings of his
professional tasks, and you will wonder
II this really Is the artist who, with such
marvellous skill, merged his personality,
yea, his very self, into the tinsel life Of
Beau Brummell, as you beheld him in
the mimic scene fading from his hight in
the favor of George ". into the darkness
of death in his squalid lodgings in Caen.
You wonder, too, that this quiet, self
poised, neatly but iaShionably clad, gem
tleman, with air and bearing of a student
rather than one on whose daily work is
but the obedient servitor of a masterful,
busy brain, is the one whom you beheld
last night as that ghostly monStrous thing
of evil, Mr.. Hyde.
Or that as if touched by some arch
enchanters wand he could in a moment
resume the hearty, kindly presence of Dr.
Jekyll-and arouse within moment in
the great audience alike pity, terror, an
ger and all the passions of the soul at
will.
Yet this quiet, reserved gentlemen, this
is the artist who painted that delightful
little genre study in oil which you see
upon the wall of his reception-room: he
is the one whom you know as a drama
fist, loyal student of all there is that is
best in literature; he it is who has given
such perfect and memorable portraitures
OF character TO the stage as Prince Karl,
Baron Cbevrial, Beau Brummeil, Rich
ard III, Don Juan.
a singular man, an anomaly, Ell? oh
nSN4 Ii frNrT I,Ds~
presses you with the feeling that you are
in the presence of an intellectually con-
science OF its own power and OF what
should be its deserts.
All that he has done upon the stage in
the Interpretation of character and in
that minute artistic elaboration Of every
detail IN gesture, accent and expression
to make perfect the picture does not
equal what he has the ability, the cour-
age and the desire yet to accomplish
His mind is always alert; it is work
shop that has no hours of rest. He has
already earned fame and the means TO
extend the area of his artistic life labor
and, with one of his ambition, his mental
resources, study and persistence, there
can be no limit to his achievements save
that which ends life.
SALyINI AND PATTI
The first presentation of the acting YER
sion of "Cavalliera Rusticana," by 4 lex
ander Salvini, will take place at the Bos-
ton Theater, May 23d. Madame Patti
has announced her intention to be pres
ent, and Will go from New York in her
special car with party OF friends TO wit
ness Salvinis production of the play.
which she is also TO present ut her theater
in Wales on her return home. Salvini
and Manager w. NJ. Wilkison, who will
be in London in June, expect to be pres
ent at the Patti performance at Craip-Y-
NlE sfl TS NOT or Ill l.D-
that SalVini will on that occasion play
Tirridu to the Santuzza OF the great song
stress.
STAGE NOTES.
Isabelle Coe will star next season in
'Niobe"
Roland Reed is next season to produce
q play by Milton Mobiles.
Georgia Cayvan has gone to Japan. her
first vacation in ten years.
Pretty Courtney Thorpe of the Vokes
Company sails for London, May oath.
Brander Matthews has been appointed
professor OF literature at Columbia Col
lege.
Nina Gale has closed her not very sue
cessful season and will shortly sail for
Europe.
The Actors Fund Fair has added siS5.-
$50 TO the treasury of that excellent
charity.
Mart Hanley's new play Irish Inspir-
atom is to be produced at the Peoples
Theater, May 23d.
James O'Neill drops Monte Cristo,,
next season and has accepted a play
called "A Royal Trust"
Miss Helyett" has been withdrawn
from the Boutfes- Parisiennes after run
ming since November Z, 1890.
Charles Gayler, the veteran American
St - IL
have monster benefit in New York.
Z