The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-05-08
NEW PLAYS OF LAST NIGHT.
"MUsorTps" FIRST zIMB ~ Eve
LIsH AND CHlRLBK's UNCLES


Rsvivsd ~ DixsE ~ Pniner's Thestre.
"Musotte." By Guy de- Maupaussant and
Jsaues Normsnd. was acted for the 1rst time
in English at the Star Theatre last evening in
. faithful translation By Arthur Hornblow.
Accounts Of the play had conveyed one
sufficient reason why American su-
diences would not like II. Few Of our
people have ever found satisfaction
In impure plays, and the exceptional
successes. such as that OF Camille" have boon
gained By means Of dominantly interesting and
pitlsble heroines Lacking such creature and
dividing the sympathies between one mans
loving bride and cast-off mistress. Musotts"
had no chance to win our hearts But the per-
formance at the Star developed smother and
still more surely destructive fault, in that the
play was scant In dramatic material In the
fret act bridegroom and bride were together
at bedtime. but message called him away to
the deathbed Of his i'm moral sweetheart who
had given birth to child. In the second act
the man visited the outcast and she died
In his arms. after he had promised to care
for the infant. In the third act the bride
iorRsve her husbands bad past and took the
babe to her heart Those three things were
dramatic, Il IL true. or at least thestric. but
were worth no more than about fifteen min
utes each. including all essential explanations
tbres-ouarters OF an hour apiece By m cans Of
useless talk. and q death scene so prolonged
that the audience murmured aloud against
It. The consequence was that last nights as
semblaRe was not only shocked. but intolsr-
ably bored.
The company organized for this experiment
was headed by Nelson wheatcroft as the hus-
band; IL contained Edward J. Radcliffe and
Joseph W. Shannon in parts too sketchy to
permit these capable actors to help the piece
much. and It put forward twopromising novices.
Edith Randolph and Carrie L. Keller. as the
forgiving wife and the suffering mistress. Tho
most brilliant representation conceivable
could not have saved "Musotte" from failure
In this country. It had been accepted very
favorably In France. There Is q difference
between the theatrical tastes OF New York and
aPria
Perhaps ''Charley's Uncle" which was pro-
duced last night at the Biiou Theatre. might
have attracted attention without the con-
scisnceless efforts OF it's managers to profit
from the vogue OF q play with . similar
name. "Chsrley's Uncle" may be as good .
title for the farce as The Noble Art" under
which name IL was first known. But the intent
In the change OF title was too obvious to have
failed In creating q prejudice against q pro-
duction which sailed under such apparently
false colors. It has been legally decided that
the play has not iniringed upon the rights Of
others. but public opinion 10 keen In such mat
ters. and has formed Its own idea Of why the
original title OF the play was changed.
"Charley's Uncle" deals. OF course. with en-
tirely familiar dramatic material. There 10
the pious relative in dread OF whom the
younger mem bers Of his family live lest he
shall discover the harmless wick edness OF their
ways To complicate this situation there 10
an English music hall singer who forces her
way into the household. and her visit results
in tho introduction Of o professional prize
n otism who exercises his arts on the various
Characters In the piece. Is another factor In
The play contains several amusing scenes,
each Of them entirely independent Of what has
so far 81 their effect Is concerned. There is no
general interest In the three acts and no APP
Each Incident stands by itself. and when
It comes with any preparation whatever
the scene, with no intent Of reconciiina i to
the rest Of the piece Some Of those situations
sed Mssr ca. aa' do sasst ds anseI
cover Of such e, generous theme As hyDnotism.
orally TO good purpose But the Runor which
resulted was rough and often coarse. notably
tumble a performance as the Bijou stage has
this winter. The lines Of the play
srss But s sne
formance IL good only in the disconnected |
sc SS OF oeeas sfi humos ,
deserved. Miss Bettins Girsrd was 'G q viva.
e g I soubrette; who might with adveDtaGe.
the the stage and less TO the audience than
The s s2s ar boxer bo Ts
m elodrsmatic tone Of voice and cockney 40. |
S S mna as 81 to 4hshsr h.d
suceeeded IN fairly compromising the matter.
ous as the nature Of the piece demanded,
:, This spurious member OF &c Charley's" fam !
the iamented aunt. but the play offers occs.
sional moments OF rough fun. and its periods |
BIO found In other recent farces-
"Adonis" was revived Mt Palner's Theatre
asst night, with Henry +. Dixey as its chief en-
.ertAiner. The playbill credited the burlesque
With being more or less up to date" As
sample of the attempts made to freshen the
hun. the lrst signs OF life shown by the statue |
nay be taken. What did Grogan do
% him % were the FIRST words. and as
hat song has gained popularity since Adonis''
vas first acted. II served last night for
IN up-to-date addition. Other like changes
we're apparent from time to time. SONS OF
hem bright and most OF them as good as tho
original framework they propped. or Mr.
Dixey's speciAlties there was the self
'ame list. the chief addition being to
he old imitation Of Irving. Hero 1t will
20 remembered AdoHis figured as a
nilkman and entered with milk can. which
10 filled at the pump. All this was gone
through with exactly as before. and then fol.
owed a passage from The Bells" The i'm
of the dru0 clark lha drV Uo.da |