The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-01-30
NEW PLAYS LAST EVENING.
FUN AND afUsIC IN TWo AND soBER
INTEREST IN THE OTHER
Csraius d'ArviIis In Frines Ksw" st the
Cssino-Heienn MorieskH IN "Mrssa"
at the Firth a venus-DonssliT sud Gtr.ra
t. ha n.N,

The new plav NJ the Casino last evening was
one Of those conRomerates OF farce and music,
travesty and burlesuue. that go under the
namo OF comic opera II was entitled Prince
Kan or. Trim TO Nenus." The words we're Ivy
Charles A. Byrne and Louis Harrison. and tho
music by Gustave kerker. three EXPERTS IN that
kind ofundISnned butnot easy work. The fun
was all arrant nonsense on the old plan OF min
Cling gods and NOR ais In preposterous foolery.
We have had great many such entertain
ments since Lydia Thompson brought the
first company Of London blondes to US. and
that was a quarter OF century ago. In this
latest case Prince OF Thibet Is enabled Ivy an
electrical scientist to make a trip mouR the
planets where he hopes TO lind moro Iowa
bic woman to marry than any he has
met on earth. The adventures Of this
aerial traveller and his companions
| with Mars. Venus, and other immortals Of the
skies constitute the amusement which the
| piece affords. The characters are pretty much
| the same set that we have had In repetition
! after repetition for many a year. The Oriental
monarch Is there again. with his court officers
CARRIED and painted grotesquely and his wise
men white bearded. The old and scragRy yet
still ardent maiden renppenrs too. and the
NEUROLOGICAL celebrities vulGarized and other
| things long long familiar. IL may be that the
| first night audience was over sophistocate to
enjoy such matter. and that subsequent as
! semblages at the Casino may be more appre-
| ciatlve. but applause and laughter were scant.
| and the feeling melted most vlslbly was
| fatigue.
A piece OF outright foolcry like this one de-
| ponds for success largely upon its performers.
A brilliantly favorite prima donna, or an ire
| sistibly comic comedian may make n worse
play than =" Prince KAN" prosperous: but the
company at tho Casino Is not fortunate in
alt NJ hnaA In las At H.
organization. Camille d'Arville. Is q good
singer. o tolerable actress. and a handsome
woman. but too dignined for friskiness, al
though she is good and agreea-
bic. william Pruette and Fannie Johnston
sang well. and Miss Johnston made a
pretty Venus. Three comedians. Hallen
Mostyn. Harry MacdonouRh. and Donald
Quee. Jr.. labored nrduousl to provoke laugh
ter. but most oil the time in vain their failure
arising partly from the lack OF funny material
and partly from their inability to be Ridiculous
the production was Casinolike in brightness
and in gen orally tasteful designs.
Regaoncita. who was exhibited In a simula-
tton OF almost complete nudity as Cupid. aud
in the, Guise OF ballet. dancers The Mayor
had licensed them to appear iD poses.
s H Sanene "e sowsd aRd m6 nH, e SSs
nevertheless dancing. and. az the law post
ysy p5oeG stsEs dancsrs undsr m years ears
dren is not likely to be continued.
The play In which Nine. Modieska began
her engagement at the Fifth Avenue Theatre
last night has already been seen here
in It's original German. for It was given
at the Irving Place Theatre under the
title OF "Heimath" earlier in the eea-
son. 1t Is from the pen OF Hermann |
Ludermann. one OF the youngest apostles OF
that particular school OF realism which seems |
to have taken root In Scandinavia and among |
certain classes in Germany but which does |
not take kindly to American soil.
The story OF Magda" is that OF a young |
girl who having left her fathers house a |
dozen years before the beginning Of the play.
returns during the progress OF music festl-
val In the first act andis welcomed by her fam
lily. although 1t Is apparent that some OF them
entertain grave suspicious In regard to her
The Ma0dn who went away was ayoung girl
81 p seventeen, who did not wnnt t" marry ,hr
chosen as her husband; the HIg.h who
returns + famous nn singer who has won her
perseverance. and to whom the restrictions
and narrowness OF provincial life have become
And in truth. it is not a pleasant home to
which she comes after a career OF triumph
and success. to which she aludes from tinio
to time with the easy going egotism that is
characteristic OF renowned singers, Her father.
been accustomed to rule his household as II
II were camp OF soldiers her mother and her
would turn instnctiveiy for sympathetic tee CONF Tio
nanionship. and "a for the rarsOn well,
Who did not feel thai maa had strong proyo
cation when she ran away from him. A still
more unpleasant character. however Is I'ry
been her sed ucer and the father OF her child.
All the characters are possessed OF CONVEX
lie in point OF endurance. II Is through a
series OF c0mrrsazoni that MINOR schubert
Irayer The daughter is on tho point
- his, entreaiies TO Inc fathers when
Keller declares that the child must not be rec
a other orders him from her presence. The
Hoior threatens TO XII her for, her DISC
1edleneg by e stricken with sPnpleXy as lie
ness to his errinR daughter. despite the en-
reaties OF Dr. HeJrr and the members OF the
Magda" is an essay on the, philosophy of
morality couched in dramatic form. Its pnr-
BY means u discussions between the CON
OF narrow provincial life and the (
Nine. ModIeskas portrayal otthe sngerwasa
rue and artistic one In her skilful hands
Woman OF emotions aud sGotism. living for APP
clause and carving always In her heart ths
hid, She depleted a wide range OF moods
md emotions effectively and with much feel
Otis skinner was fairly successful in the role I
u the father. and u. peyton Carter gave are ,,
nRTkAby strong lInpersonation ut ~ very un-
pleasant character, that Of the betrayer.
Henry V. Donnelly and Edward Glrarj headed
company OF fun producers in new play
allied The Rainmak ers" at the Park Theatre
asst night. The significance Of the plays {
Iama was made clear by scene which bur
esqued the experiments made a year ago I
n the South and West to induce
ainfalL Dynamite bombs. skyrockets and
annon were employed. and though they were
ermitted to make very little noise. the effect 9
4 the mimic bombArdment Of the sky was evil
snt at once. Instead OF the expected shower
here was at first heavy fail Of snow. but this !
Ias at once Temedied by the weather
when they had enacted double Z
ay Tor their work. When the rain finally
ame II was accompanied by a deal .
Z thunder aud Lightning and by heavy wind. -
he stage setting showed portion oi ~ build- y
lg al each side and between them stood a !.
rec. In its branches the breeze first became y
manifest, and by the time II was waving I ~