The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-04-22
NEW YORK THESPIANS
Gossip in Passing from the Lambs
Club and the Twelfth Night.
Fanny Davenport's New Play 'The Cot
ton King'-A Play Stopped by
the German Emperor.
...,,1 % the indianapolis Journal.

H.
New York without the production of a sin
Gle new play is a condition that does not
often prevail. This week however. it does
exist. and with a vengeance. There is a
deadly calm, and there is a chance that
more than one important New York thea
.er will presently close it's season, unable
70 secure suitable attractions. This posi-
ton OF affairs has been brought about, be-
vond any question. by the poorness OF the
waning theatrical season through the coun-
Try The great majority OF managers have
had such a hard road TO travel that they
do not feel sufficiently confident TO under
take the dangers of a late spring season
IN the metropolis. which is rightly regard
"a as about the hardest community in the
country in which TO do a paying business.
Indeed some attractions which have been
regular summer features in New York will
not tackle us this season. DeWolf Hopper,
a part OF whose system it has been TO play
IN Gotham throughout the heated term,
early in the past winter made up his mind
10 abandon his custom this time and stay
away from here until the early autumn.
Fanny Davenport has purchased the
rights 10 play in America the new English
rnelodrama, called The Cotton King"
which was recently produced at the Adel-
Phi Theater. in London, and which appears
% have made big success over there 1t
Is not Miss DavenpOrts purpose TO make
personal use Of this melOdrama, but TO send
30 ont on the road with her husband, Mel
Miss Davenport herself Will go starring in
q new play by SardOu. Mr.. MacDOwell, as
-rybOdy knows. is a fOrceful and accom-
pliShed actor, and from all / can gather
from private letters from London he will
have an excellent opportunity to show him
self at his best in THE Cotton King" The
Trafsn
I'm London by Mr.. Charles Warner. who is
regarded as the best romantic actor in
England. THE Cotton King is built on
the same general dramatic scheme as that
which underiay the formation OF The Sill
Yer King" It's hero is the subject Of a seri-
Gus accusation. and is not altogether sure
Of his own Innocence until the denouement
There are some big dramatic and mechan-
teal scenes in the play, which will have an
before starting upon its travels through
the other cities. / understand that Miss
Davenport was actuated in her purchase OF
this play for Mr.. MacDOYel by the fact
that there was no part in her new SardOu
drama of sufficient Importance to warrant
her in asking him to remain at the head
OF her supporting cast.
LAMBS CLUB AFFAIRS
The Lambs Club. an organization of act
ors. dramatists. brokers and fast men,
about-town. has managed TO get itself dis
liked by rejecting the application of A. NJ.
Palmer for membership. This rejection
Occasioned by the feeling OF some of the
gentlemen that they did not want any more
theatrical manaS gers in their organization,
Of which Charles FTohman and two or three
other men in that line of work are already
members. The club appears to be grow
Ing rather fastidiOuS IN the matter of eX-
Guiding the members of certain professions.
IL has always been an unwrtten but i'm
perative law of the Lambs that newspaper
men should not belong on the ground that
n ne
betrayal of club secrets. What makes the
idea conspicuOusly humorous in that par
ticular instance is that no scandal Of i'm
pOrtance has ever occurred in the Lambs
Club without finding It's way into news
paper offices almost Immediately. 1t is
Well-knOWn fact among the newspaper men
who securing New York for informa-
ton that no set Of men are such confirmed
gossiDs as actors. and the shindies which
have gone on in the Lambs Club have
been "A specially fruitful source of material
Tor the reporters, who never had any diff
Guilty whatever In pumping the members.
That is what makes II seem curious that
the Lambs should have taken the ground
what is the occasion Of their present hos
tility 10 managers IL would be interesting to
know.
Among the professional clubs in town
there is probably none that has awakened
SO much interest in a quiet way as the or
ganization known as the Twelfth Night
Club. This is the association which, when
II formed, received a lot of guying
from the fact that it gave out its initials
these initials stood for Perfectly Pure
Young Girls OF the Stage" The Twelfth
Nighters have certainly been rather Osten-
tQtiOus IN their mOdesty, If one NAV coin a
phrase OF that kind OF the president il is
said that she declined to become a member
or the Professional WOnlans League on
the ground that there would surely be a
scandal there some day. When the rum
pus arose between the league and Miss
Twelfth Night Club triumphantly exclaimed
II told you So Recently the Twelfth
Nighters had an anniversary celebrate in
ton a bowl Of Sunch was provided Now
as every one is aware. punch is a bever-
age extremely innocent In It's external bear
Ing, but IL sometimes carries with il n kick
like unto the rear-end propulsion OF "A gov
eminent mule. Two of the Young ladies' Of
the club. unsuspicious of the hidden fend-
tshness of the anniversary punch. quaffed
deeply and unwisely, with the result that
berS an unseemly demonstration on their
part. This dreadful condition OF affairs has
IsI 10 IequeSl LOT the resignation or the
Offenders In order that an example may be
made Funny world.
CHARLES COGHLAN'S CONDUCT.
Mr.. BeerbOhm Tree. who is said in the
cable dispatches to have been engaged by
Mr.. Abbey for this country for next season
IS at present, as he has been for a long time.
the manager and star actor of the Hay
market Tneater, London. He has recently
made a great sensation by producing an En-
the performances Of which in Berlin were
stopped by the order of the German EN-
peror, on the ground that the play was in
tended a satiT1cal reflection upon him
self. Mr.. Tree has accumulated this i'm
preston in London by making himself up in
close resemblance of the eccentric monarch
OF Germany. But aside from this sensa-
tiOnal feature. he seems also TO have made
a great success on account OF his peculiarly
fOTcible and striking performance. Mr.
Tree IS about the most versatile Of the
London actors. He can play Hamlet so
as 10 awaken a wide range OF scholarly
comment and the next night he can play
comedy old man or sprightly young
one with an almost marvellous facility.
Mr.. Charles COghlan'S eccentric conduct
IN the matrimonial line would seem 10 have
ended rather dismally. Mr.. COghlan is at
present living in Twentieth street, in
this city. Mrs. Coghlan No. l IS residing
silently and patiently. in Twenty-second
street Mrs Coghlan No. has gone 10
Illinois her fathers home. All this is
tacitly understood 10 be but preliminary TO
legal measures to untangle the badly mixed
skein Of COghlan's life Meanwhile. the
versatile Charles is once more reunited 10
his sister Rose. and the pair of them are
q play an engagement at the Madison
square Theater shortly in one OF the actor
plays. called The Checque Book Mean
while. there are reports OF disturbances in
Miss CoghlauS company, only one member
OF Which-Aubrey BOucicault-has been en-
gagged for tie summer season
LEANDER RICHARDSON,
Editor Dramatic News.
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