The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-01-02
THEATRICALS IN CONTRAST.
FRENCH DRAMATIC ART AND NMERI-
CAN FARCIC4B kUN

~. coou.liu.HadinE Company q. "Ther-i-
49, as wrItten by Snrdou, and - Pro.
r,,,,.s In Paris" Monts Carlo" Vaude-
en-. Fro,ie Put In the Fors OF a riay.
Nav Years was day Of large audiences at
a.. tbeatres and tho entertainments were
..,v dIversely attractive. but only two OF them
-.re now These novelties were In strong
,ontrsst. They consisted Of a serious drama
,,om the Theatre Fraicais. which had not
hssn previously performed here except in an
rrelish tran station, and a variety farce OF the
i,oii,some kind Tho French piece was Vic
,o,ien sardou's "Thermldor." which had
Insted Parlsian audience to riot
..J ,hereupon had been interdicted
nv the Government. Cur readers may
,.member the play as a condomnatory
..nresentation Of the horrors OF lobespierre's
laughter of arlstocrats. The dramatlst dealt
18th his theme through the medium Of a love
,,orV young army officer returns to Paris
9TH bravelv captured flags TO present to the
evolutionary conYcrtlon. lie takes the oppor-
,upity 10 seek out his sweetheart. n Girl who is
hiding from Robes pierre .executioners and
ma ia aided In his Intellectual efforts to save
her from the nuilotine by an old friend, who is
serving as a clerk in Robespierre's bureau Of
death Last evenings performance Of this
pIscs was by the Coquclin .llading company.
At the beginning OF its season at Abbey's
Theatre
Benoit Constant Coquelln played the part
vhlch had been his in the two representations
AZ "Thermidor" ut the Theatre Francois
that OF the young couples devoted and secret
,,Isnd Almost the whole OF one act consists
ala long dialogue between that character and
,bs lover 1t takes place In the ONCE OF tho
committee Of Safety. where the daily docket OF
victims for the gull otine Is made out. where
tho two men discuss measures to protect the
lmpsrllled girl. and whore. MS n desperate do
vice the documents are so shifted that some
body else shall be beh eaded in her place. NJ. Co.
ouelin sustained him self throughout this long
conversation with q vivacity and a variety OF
,pe,ch that we're at the height Of elocutionary
Art Neither hero nor anywhere else in the
tlsy was the actor too forward for the charac-
ter he was depicting. He kept himself we'll
within the proper bounds OF the role. and yet.
beinga great artist, was easily able to make his
abilities SO manifest that. without his fame.
they would have been recognized fully.
The role in Thermldor for Jane Hading
|, that Of the doomed girl n. first shown in the
disguise Of u laundress, and later In the moro
romantic aspect o. fugitive nun importnned
marrying him. Tier principle scene Is that in
which her conscience holds out against her
heart until love triumphs. and she yields to
the mans vehement arguments and en-:
treaties. only to DO plunged into the frisht OF
and terror are rapid chanEeful. and intense
in this scene. and Nine; Hading gave full ex-
preston TO them Her r.. 9tt era gesture,
ings. 1t was the performance OF iacile and
powerful actress.
The actor who played the lover was NJ
volny and weighed in the bal ance with his
two celebrated companions. he was found
wanting He barely met the reduiTemsnts Of
French, responsive to the merits OF the per-
formers, and enthusiastic in its commenda-
ton OF NJ CoQuelin and Nine. Hadipg.
Harlem had new play last night in Monte
Carlo" at the Columbus Theatre. 1t proved
to be nonsensicnl hodge-podGe Of songs and
Dances and had u first act OF horse play
farce. a second given up for the most
part to minstrelsy. and third again
Of farce with variety acts interspersed.
Ed Marble. an old-time middle man OF negro
minstrel shows. was down on the bills as the
author. but his work was OF tho easiest.
Though performer OF many years experience
himself. m ost OF the Jokes and squibs certainly
antedated him. and other than the most time
the Introduction OF the songs and spe-
s In Most VARIETY and fSs eR
oiths Introduction Is ludicrous. But Monte
Carlo this was all done away with and In a
simple manner. After the short session OF
minstrel sy, in which the features were an
nounced by the interlocutor. as usual, the
bAme metnOu VI MhhluR huOMu
feature was used. Thus. when 1t was time for
Asong no one said: " Mamie. you remember
that song you used to sing by the horse
trough when we were little children. Won't
you sing 1t for me?" but the announcer
walked upon, the stage from behind the
scenery strobe to the spot directly before
the Orchestras leader. told what was coming,
Always beginning with a formal Ladies' and
gentlemen" and the deed was done. This in
novation would have made no uniavorable i'm
preston IL the specialties SO started had been
good and plentiful. but they were not There
was fifteen minutes OF ente raining mono
logus and comic singing by George Wilson.
and fully as much more time taken up by
the same performer. which was not anus
ing. when i seemed. indeed. as II he
we're not trying especially to please. On the
part Of the three German brothers there was
some excellent dancing some OF 1t quite novel.
and they further made themselves apparent
IN Efforts OF the knock about sort seen in the al
terpieces OF variety shows. While the curtain
was down on the secOnd act Delaur and Deb
Iimont. .duettists. filled fifteen minutes with
selections from grand opera there WAS ballad
singing by others. some skirt dancing. with
nAstiness OF display. and n constant patter OF
EoIn,out bits Of un. There really was so iit.
Tie substance In the Iumbled mixture that 1t
needed to be all good but as II was "a very thin
entertainment resulted.