Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1894-02-24


to permit his name to appear. "A Lady Of
Venice" had not gone very far In her ad-
ventures, however, before / realized that
the ooncocter, whoever he or she may be, Ia
sufficient Of a critic TO recognize the hope
less impotency and unqualified inanity Of
the work. Mode.ty evidently cus . very
small figure in the withholding Of the name.
II would rack the brain Of the ohess sx
pert Steinitz 10 dan gerous degree 70 Az
tempt to detail the supposed intricacies Of
the hplot" Of "A Lady OF Venice" Besides
IL isn't infnitssimslly interesting, 20 the
game is scarcely worth the candle Suffice
Il to say that IL is stupid, illogical and faulty
Of construction to an inconprshensible
extent do not see how play could be
worse.
But II "A Lady Of Venice" Is unworthy
OF criticism, what shall be said OF the act
Ing OF Miss Kathrins Clemmons. who Sc
lected II as the vehicle for the exploitation
Of her stellar ambitioni This young lady
IL quite pretty. That Is desirable II not In
dspensable TO a female star. But her
beauty is the only point in her favor. She
acts "a poorly and crudely as q graduate OF
school Of acting" Her methods are
those of the verdant and self satisfied ANA
teur She butchers the reading OF the very
bad lines assigned TO her, misplaoes the
accent, plays hob generally with the dramat-
10 proprieties and then takes q curtain
call with all Of the sang froid Of the sue
cessful veteran.
With her good looks TO aid her and
willingness TO work long and hard, IL Is
possible that Miss Clemmons, by starting
at the bottom OK the ladder, might in the
distant future become an actress. She GER
tainly II not low, and 10 IL worthy OF note
that she Is perhaps the least competent per-
son In the large cast employed In the pro
duction OF "A Lady Of Venice" Such at
tsmpts as this Of Miss Clemmons work ir-
reparable injury to the theatrical profes-
zion, for IL is an insult To the intelligence
OF the people whose dollars support the
playhouses and through them the actors.
The failure Of "The Ogalallas," which
was produced here by the Bostonians, is
still the topic of discussion on the Rislto.
The libretto, which Is by Young (. Allison,
Is about the worst thing Of It's kind ever in
ficted upon the New York public 1t is
purposelsss and ruins what might have
been made a very interesting story OF the
American Indian before be was corrupted
by fort and reservation Influences. There
Is scarcely bright thing In the book, and
to II is fairly attributable nine-tenths OF
the responsibility for the failure Of The
Ogalallas."
The music was composed by Henry Wal
ler, an adopted son Of Mrs. Scott-Siddons.
Waller was, believe, for some years IN
''infant prodigy" piano player, and 1t must
be confessed that he has verified the predic-
tions based upon his musical precocity.
"Tbe Ogslallas" contains several. numbers
which are superior to anything ever written
in a comic opera by an American. There is
IN spots a tendency 10 somberness, but that
was doubtless induced by the librstto. Some
OF the music, too, is more involved than the
average theater goer would like perhaps
The Instrumentation is artistic, and while
not particularly original IL not tricky" In
any-sfnse-