The record-union., 1892-05-14
music And THE DRAMA.
ADJUSTMENTS Before the People of
the Great Metropolis
Plays That Are Good and Others That
Are Wretched-Richard Mansfield,s
Wonderful Delineations Pitou,s
Great Play-Stage Notes.

a. Z. Dunlop, writing from New York
under date of May 7th, saws:
Rosina Vokes comes with the crocus.
and her metropolitan advent usually
marks The summer season. She followed
ner usual custom on Monday when she
look possession of DR.. Augustin Days
playhouse and produced two new one-act
pays. The first of these was The Rose
MRS. Minnie Maddern Fiske's second
play: 1t tells a pathetic story of an old
foue.s sacrifice for the sake of his wIfe's
happiness and honor, and Mrs. F1ske's
work is well done. The second novelty
IS That lawyers Fee adapted by d.
Beerbohm Tree from the French or
Chez PAyocat,' acted originally by
Coquelin and Bernhard. 1t contains the
amusing complications of young couple
simultaneously seeking divorce for in
compatibility of temper, and each hit by
chance upon the same lawyer. b. Z.
Stephenson's "A Double Lesson was also
on the bill
Plump, sprightly and pretty Vernona
Jarbeau, after an absence OF nearly i've
years, appeared at Mr.. Dunlevy's Park
Theater in Frederick Maeder and Robert
FraZer's musical comedy, Starlight
which is new to the city, also on Mon
day. She was once popular metropoli-
tan tavorite and was given very warm
reception.
'At Palmer's the light opera season be-
gan on Monday with Digby Valentine
Bell in Harry Smiths fantastic Jupiter
music by Julian Edwards. The opera was
well received, and there is merriment
enough IN 1t to assure prosperous sum
lner season. A visit of Jupiterto earth
is the excuse for the burlesque. His
wishing-cap is stolen from him and he is
taken TO Roman prison, while cobbler
Is temporarily elevated to the throne of
Olympus, and wooed by Juno. The cob
bier is finally followed from earth via a
balloon by the cook, who adores him.
The topical songs are neatly rhymed and
very clever, and the music, although not
strikingly original, very catchy.
''At the Garden Husband and Wife
was on Monday preceded by curtain
raiser entitled Drift Apart ian in
fringement of title on a play by James
a. Hernel, the prize play Hearts having
utterly tailed. 'Dritted Apart is a model
little piece done the other afternoon by
the Sargent pupils at the Lyceum, and
was well received.
Sims and Pettitt's Blue Eyed Su-
SAN was presented for the first time in
America on Monday at the Academy of
Music by the Columbus Dramatic Club
all well-known amateurs. They were
hopelessly outweighted from the start,
ana any one could see at glance that the
poetic atmosphere, the deep feeling. the
crisp and dainty dialogue, the delicate
shading of character which makes this
little burlesque such real gem of action
and construction, naturally lift it above
the powers OF amateurdom, even admit
ting that individual members of this or
ganization are unusually gifted young
men.
AT the Grand Opera-house Nellie Nc
Henry has been playing to very large au-
diences, and A Night at the Circus
proved itself as popular on the West
a = / m A
melodrama called Dangers of a Great
City at the Peoples; Janauschek at the
Windsor: Miss Mather in The Egyptian
in Harlem, and Grimes Cellar Door at
the Third Avenue, are among the good
things brought to New York for the
week. None of them can be called civil
1zers, but then no one can properly claim
Tor the stage that it is, or ought to be, a
didactic, ciyiliZing agency. No one could
say, of course, that it does not OCCASION
ally and incidentally instruct. To take
an obvious example, Shakespeare re-
Vlval is admittedly liberal education. 1t
supplies good literature, illustrated by
skllltul acting and by all that the painter,
the musician, and the costumer can do
In the way of furnishing appropriate
sound and color. incidentally and occa-
slonally play may enforce a useful and
salutary moral; but quite as often the
moral may be bad, and still more fire.
II
Why should there be? All that is asked
of the theater is that it shall not be &C
lively immoral. 1t is not asked to be ac-
lively the reverse. All that the great
public requires of it is entertainment,
The public goes to the churches for its
sermons and to the Institutes for it's lect-
ures. AT the theater it expects to be di-
Verted-not necessarily to be made to
laugh. but to be agreeably titillated
whether 1t be comedy or by romance. 1t
comes, not to be wearied or disturbed, but
to be pleasantly stimulated, to be recre-
ated ana refreshed for the more serious
purposes of life"
PIToU'S GREAT PLAY.
Mr.. Pitou, in "The Power of the Press"
has undertaken to furnish local drama
in fourteen scenes, which employ thirty
people in the cast. The pictorial range of
the play will be apparent when it is said
that it brings into view with artistic We
racity the Warden's Office in the Sing
Sing State Prison; the Manhattaa Ath-
letic Club; the corridor of the new Impe-
rial Hotel; full working shipyard at As
toria, with vessel on the stocks; wharf
on the East River; vivid picture of
South street; view of the Battery and
Bay and full rugged and equipped bark,
upon whose deck the final struggle takes
place. The picturesque mechanism is
therefore unusually elaborate and varied
Into this series of local scenes Mr.. Pirou
has worked the story of two men who are
led astray by drink and evil companions.
and who are sent to Sing-Sing. Both OF
them have heroic. self sacrificing wives,
and one of them is the victim of ruth
less villain and is uniustly convicted OF
granddaughter. This man is, properly,
the hero of the drama. He is a ship-car-
penter, and when he is released from
prison he wears the social brand of the
convict and cannot obtain work. His
suffering wife stands by him through all
his misfortune and disgrace. both shield
ing and stimulating him with a woman's
love. The indus of the play, suggested
by the title and shown in the fourth scene
of the third act, is brought into view when
every means had been exhausted by the
hero TO reinstate himself in society and
prove his innocence. Mrs seymour, the
wife Of the other convict, hits him out OF
the depths of despair by announcing that
there is a power that can right him. 1t is
the power of the press.
MIR. Pitou claims TO have based this in
cIdent of the play upon an exploit OF a
New York paper which is doubtless fresh
IN the minds of the public. For the pur-
pose OF the story it is sufficient to say
that an influential newspaper takes hold
OF the hero's case, brings to light new
facts, and succeeds not only in proving
the mans innocence but in obtaining an
official recognition of it from the Gov
ernor. Dramatically, this element Is one
of unseen power and justice. The fidelity,
bravery and affection of the wives are the
visible redeeming qualities of the drama.
RICHARD MANSFIELD.
Whatever of an anomaly Mr.. Richard
Mansfield may be to critics it is certain
that he is thoroughly understood by his
audiences.
He is to-day one of the most prominent
figures in his profession; no one COM
,,na1nds so LARGE q rlianfaln Of Cd mi ro,S