The herald., 1894-06-24

Theatrically inclined people here
Abouts will remember Helen MARI
borough, a tall, handsome young
woman who WAS said to be the daughter
OF college professor at Berkeley, and
was a stage struck beauty. She left
here, think, with q sort OF wild
west dramatic company, and was later
reported to have married we'll known
= lawyer OF New York.
According to q writer in a dramatic
paper she has created the most famous
OF Kilyanis living pictures at Roster
and Balls, in New York, doing Diana,
Venus Rising From the Sea and kim
bred subjects where the undraped fe-
mais form is demanded and which her
generous proportions are we'll fitted to
depict.
These living pictures have not
reached California but may soon be ex.
pectet. Why Anthony Comstock over
looks them s very peculiar unless it is
true that, as the dispatches state, he is
too busy trying to keep booksellers
from purveying Tom Jones and The
Decameron to theic patrons.
Years ago in New York, when Com
stock was in his infant class singing
Want to Be an Angel, these living pen
pictures were introduced from Paris,
where they have always been features in
certain places OF amusement, and then
they we're promptly suppressed. But
that was before the educstive influences
OF Kiralfy and the Black Crook bad been
felt.
x*x
The production OF Miksdo by the semi
amateur-profession company, under
kr. Pyke's management, at the Los An
geles theater on Friday and yesterday,
but emphasizes a point | have often as
serted. This is that the Los Angeles
people do not care for anything in the
way OF an amateur performance. So
fixed is this principle that these really
fine performances OF Mikado did not re-
ceive one-qusrter OF the patronage that
they deserved. In ebort time Mr..
PIKE will abandon the amateur side OF
production entirely and put on comic
opera on a purely professional basis,
commencing with the Queens Lace
Handkerchief.
Louise Manfred as Yum Yum was
simply charming. Her voice has fin
ished cultivation, which, however, has
not extineuished it's simpnticO quality,
and her grace and naiveness OF manner
are notable.
Minnie Hance-Owens, as Pitt Sing,
gave the most finished Characterization
she has ever attempted. Her singing
was excellent, and her stage presence,
her little Japanese dancing and by-play
were all most enjoyable.
She is lacking in only one essential
point, which is boldness of expression,
or sccentuation OF her lines and action.
This short experience as
professional will probably soon cor
rect. She is handsome woman OF
natural histrionic ability and chic, and
should not be afraid of being too iorcs-
full. The repose and quiet OF the draw
ing room have no part in life as pictured
back OF the footlights. The same exag-
Keration that necessitates the use of
makeup box, with Its greasepsint and
pencils, 10 required in stage action to a
more or less degree; even the force of
what is called depressed action comes
from an exaggeration Of repression.
x*Y
Inc young man VINO carried tn6 para
sol over the Mikado at last evenings
performance got off some very credita-
BILE by-play. He is Richard Sullivan,
and is nephew of Sir Arthur. the writer
of the opera. His work was the feature
of the scene where the Mikado appears.
50
Mrs. Washington Berry made pro.
nounced success az Katisha, being equal
to the best Of protest. SIGNALS in that role.
Judging by her rapid advancement
there is no telling what limit OF success
awaits her.
x"#
The announcement that Madame
Modjeska will soon appear as Rosalind
In this city for the benefit of charits-
bic society will be heard with interest
Why has she. who is reputed to be the
greatest of all who have attempted the
character, apparently abandoned Ca
miller 1t is detestable play, and an
outrageously falsely drawn part, but
none the less it is always painfully en-
joyable in the hands OF a genius.