The herald., 1894-05-27

On Tuesday evening, May Goth, that
always welcome comedian, Stuart Rob
son, will begin An engagement OF three
nights and Wednesday matinee. at the
Los Angeles theater. and will be seen in
three of his most celebrated characters.
His opening play will be Buckstone's
charming comedy, Leap Year, or the
Ladies' Privilege, with the following
cast:
Sir Solomon sous ....Mr John wooderson
Captain Mouser. Mr.. VIM YeEanee
Mr.. Dionysius Dimpie. 49,. Mr.. Robson
william Walker........ Mr.. W. b. Ell 'ood
D1gnees Observation-Disclosures. MI !. !. rarrsll
John Thong ................Mr. G. D. Mcln yre
Joseph. o;f;.....,...Mr joseph Tanner
Mrs Fiowerby. Miss Grace frankiyn Iyncn
Mrs. Crisp...............Mrs. Gabrielle Mexican
Miss Desperate. .......M Miss Camille Campbell
Susan. .........................M Miss Amy Stuart
Leap Year will be repeated at the
Wednesday matinee. On Wednesday
edy, The Henrietta, Will be played, aud
Thursday evening the Comedy OF Errors
will be given.
Few men have devoted as many years
to the -laudsble occupation OF making
others happy as has Stuart Robson;
and few have the keen, quick compre-
henson OF what the eVer-cnanging pub
lie taste demands in the way OF amus6-
ment that he has acquired. Now that
he has revised hakespeare's excessively
funny but seldom acted Comedy OF Err
rors. it is because his calm judgment
sees in the vista the same hearty CO.
operation on the part of the public that
has been accorded his former artistic
productions OF classic comedy.
Among the interesting things con-
nected with this play, not the least in
Importance is the endless discussion as
to the manner in which Shakespeare
came into possession of the material for
his plot; although it 10 clear that either
directly or indirectly the original source
was comedy callad The Menechmi,
written by Plautue 1000 years ago.
There are still in existence some frag-
ments of lost Greek play entitled:
Didymi, or the Twins, which may have
been the original, later made use of by
Plautus. As there is no evidence OF any
earlier English translation OF The Meme
chmi than that of 1896, while the Com
edy OF Errors was written in 1892 and as
Shakespeare knew little of Latin, it ia
surmised that he may have become
familiar with the story through an Eng
lish adap alton of the Latin play, be-
lieved to have been played before Queen
Elizabeth in 1877, while Shakespeare
was still boy at school.
Only the skeleton of The Menechmi
remains in Shakespeare'B play. the en-
tire plot having been recsst and rendered
much more ingenious and original, az
well as vastly more amusing. The
Menechmi deals with the adventures OF
q single pair Of twins, both of them
gentlemen, whereas Shakespeare has
added pair OF twin slaves, who, work.
ing in unison with the original pair, rem
der the perplexites and laughsbie stu
ations doubly varied and ridiculous.
While The Menechmi is but mildly
pleasing, the Comedy of Errors keeps
Shakes pesre's marvellous genius conspic-
uous throughout and hsstens the specta-
tor eve- forward through cyclone of
hilarity.
The performance to be given Wednes-
day at the Grand opera house Will be-
especially interesting, as being the sec
ond presentation in Los Angeles of Mrs.
+. H. Burnett's play OF Esmerslda.
Esmeralda appeals to the sensibilities
OF all who may be- influenced by plot
of strong domestic interest, worked out
on good old-fashioned plan, perhaps,
but with nothing mawkish or overdone
in the sentiment or diction of the play.
Old Man Rogers, the quaint North
Carolina farmer. living on his native
soil and feeling the strongent attachment
to his surroundings; tender and loving
in his nature, but uDcouth, uneducated,
and quite under the influence of his ter
magant wife, is a strong character
sketch. Their only daughter, Esmer-
aida, is in love with Dave Hardy, a
young farmer of the neighborhood,
when the play opens, and they are about
60 be married. much to the mothers dis
appointment. she desiring much bet
ter match for her daughter. The dis
covery of drift of iron ore on their
farm, and it's purchase by mining spec.
uiator, makes the fl mily suddenly
wealthy, and the old lazy orders trip
TO Paris, at the same time breaking off
the match between her daughter and