Daily Kennebec journal., 1894-10-19

theatrical world would be treated to an
other alilebodied scandal before long. "
course it never developed for the very ex-
ceIlcnt reason that there was nothing
whatever In the story. Nicolini may have
his peculiarities-indeed he is generally
conceded to be somewhat odd-but he Is
the most devoted of husbands. As for
| Patti, she loves her ioge lord with all the
ardor of her emotional nature and makes
10 effort to conceal the fact.
| One of the latest romances about Patti
| /, that she is unconscionably stiEgy. She
| Is said to treat her guests in the most mig
| gardly manner. Ii is even alleged that
| her guests are served with inferior wines
at meals, while she and Nicolini piggishly
drink only the most celebrated brands.
Aside from the manifest absurdity of this
| statement, there are persons in New York
| city who have been the diva's guests at
| Craig-y-Nos castle and who not only deny
| these imputations against her generosity,
| but assert that she is a particularly un-
| selfish hostess, who mover hesitates to in
| convenience herself in order to make the
| stay OF her friends as pleasant as possible.
| 1t sho1ld be clear to any ono that if Patti
| did not care for visitors she would not
| have them AS she is q well bred woman,
| she certainly would not invite people to
| her castle simply for the purpose of humil-
| iating them. Besides, as no one but an
ex- guest could have circulated such stories
with authority, they are manifestly un-
worthy of credence.
Never was the force of Shakespeare's S
dlctuin, 1.-THE plays the thing" more
viyidly exemplified than by the experiences
| of Tim Murphy, George Richards apd Eu-
gene Garfield These three men have for
years been members of Farce Constructor
Hoyt's companies. Murphy gave an i'm
personation of Maverick Brander in "A
| Texas Steer which was as clear cut as a
cameo, and, although the character is not
cast upon high plane, artistic in the
| extreme.
Richards and Garfield did excellent
work in several of Hoyt's skits, the former
being exceptionally droll, particularly iu
"A Temperance Town" All three of
these men were violently attacked by the
starring fever, and they determined to
mako for themselves the fortunes which
| they had been pouring into Hoyt's Golfers.
| Their abilities would then have the oppor-
| tIlnity to shine with uncontrolled efful-
gencc, and their bank accounts would
speedily wax plethoric.
Richards and Garfield had "bubble"
entitled "a Circus Clown" specially
written for them, while Murphy got Hen
ry Guy Carleton's impossible pastoral,
Lem Kettle" The Clown has closed
its season. and it's stars have Joined Muir
ply. Nearly all the steam has run out OF
the "Kettle,' and the three ex-Hoytites
are announced to produce a new play
within IA short time. They are ali proba
bly, convinced by this time that Shake
speare was in the prophet class when he
expressed the opinion that the play-and
| by inference not the actor-is the thing.
An actor connected with prominent
organization, who has done some fairly
good and some very bad work during his
stage career, and whose handsome face
and fine figure are responsible for his pres
cnt status to a much greater extent thar
| his histrionic ability, informed mo the
other day that he did not care a rap foi
what the dramatic critics say of him. As
ho has experienced the pleasure of what
he denominates roasting" perhaps his
opinion is not as valuable as it might 9th
crwise be, but he is not alone. Most actors
of his class believe with him. Maintained
| by pleasing personal appearance in posi-
tions to which they are not justly entitled
they feel that they are as good as those II
whose company they find themselves. The
critics do not see it in that light and
they of course earn the enmity of thest
dcsultory mcdiocritios. The particular in
tividual to whom l refer said that he
| bf
a better Judge of stage work than dra
matte critic. He doubtless loses sight oi
the fact that we'll trained theatrical
writer is prepared for his calling by years
of study and experience, and that his
mind necessarily acquires a judicial turn
| Besides he attends more performances in
| one season than the average actor does in
| zen Why, then, should he not be more
| competent 80 Judge? Most critics are con
| ecicntious, and a great many are capable.
1t is therefore manifest1y unjust to blame
the entire guild for the shortcomings OF
the fcw. Another thing, a good critics
| opinion is not that of one man. In nine
eases out of ten it is Endorsed by theater
goers and justified by subsequent events.
| There are just about enough exceptions to
prove the general rule.
The theatrical novelty of tho week is the
appearance in A. W. Gattio's drama, 1.-The
Transgressor, of Miss Olga Nethersole,
| who has been ex-
| 60 tensively heralded
as the English
Bernhardt." Her
| ..D~ >%E IN American debut
| &.'.Za~--ykNS - sfSfJ was made at
3 sasnC~l Palmer's theater.
hN,.AYF Mr.. Gattie's play
/%T Is a plea for per-
| IL ~ mtting the re-
r. = marriage of per-
| h ;" A son who is united
| /gGs in wcdlock to one
| " W [4%sa N who has been de-
S ~! !r..sxsyss.Iz5g7s clared hopelessly
H. HEnWse and incurably in
| ~ VI zStoesS-l- sapo Eric Lang