The Washington times., 1894-05-27

Fully minutei" roared Robson, why.
cried an hour after I'd signed II. t."-Chicago
Record.
Jack-That company has some beautiful
calves.
Henry-Are you alluding to its legs or the
young men VINO stand at the stage door?
In another column have used the Asso-
ciated Press London dramatic letter. 1t
chronicles among other things the production
Of play by Lawrence Irving, son of the
great tragedian. in which he and his brother
took parts. quote from the New York Sun
this interesting story about another member
of Mr.. Irving's family:
Mrs Henry Irving has suddenly become celeb
rity in England Very few people knew that
the wife OF the great actor living, until an
American agent, who was publishing a series of
articles upon the obscure wives of famous men,
got upon Mrs lrving's track and brought her
forth into the light. He got a number OF her
photographs and began to turn out a bewildering
series OF articles upon the wife OF the most fam
Gus actor in the English tongue. he started in
by calling her a recluse. Both of her sons denied
this in different papers, the agent answered
them, and there was altogether very extraordi-
nary amount of publicity over the subject
The fact seems TO be that Mrs Irving is not
recluse, but for many years she has felt an aver
sion for the stage. She lived quietly in little
house in the west end of London with her Two
sons, both Of whom bear a close resemb blan nee 10
their father. Mr. Irving does not live there, his
time being devoted almost entirely TO his thea
ters. he gives his wife allowance OF el 900 a
year. She is tell, exceedingly thin, was a Miss
OCallahan before her marriage and is said 10
have a good share of Irish wit She affects an
aesthetic style OF dress, and seldom goes out into
society.
The pessimist may snarl. and he does, but
it is the province of the lover OF Shakespeare
and the student of dramatic art to point with
pride. Therefore he finds rosy auguries in
the fact that not alone the people heretofore
numbered among the players. but host OF
others, are bringing their forces to the eleva-
ton of the stage. and that the rude stage
paraphernalia of Shakespeares time is giving
way to mutitudinous realistic nineteenth
century engines / wish TO call the attention
OF all such. who with me watch the CLEAN of
the taper in these days, to Mr. James J. Cor
bett. He is undoubtedly the greatest fighter
of his time. He is a man Of magnificent pro-
portions. He can hit another man an awful
blow in the face which will kill il lit reaches
the right place. He is the idol Of two conti-
nents. This gentleman hes thrown his forces
on our side. With him are John L. Sulli-
van. who can bit a heavier blow than Mr..
Corbett, Mr.. Peter Jackson, a colored man.
who is believed by some 10 be the equal OF
Mr.. Corbett. and others with like abilities. l
notice in this weeks Dramatic News, edited
by one of our foremost dramatic critics, that
a column OF stage gossip is headed by two
items about this Mr.. Corbett's rousing recep-
ton in England.
The Dramatic Mirrors largest theatrical ad-
vertisement is given to this same Mr. Corbett.
In papers throughout the country Mr. Cor
bett is written about as member OF the play
In hoo 10 b.1-
been received with open, sturdy arms and
taken to the sturdy British heart. At one of
the theaters a few nights ago his play alter
mated with grand opera. He is feted by the
aristocracy.
In this connection one must honestly rec
ord, however. that the sky is not as radiant
in other directions. The New York Herald
published yesterday an interview with the
departing French tragedian, Mounet-Sully,
which must fill US with sadness. This man
came to this country with France and Russia
and other European nations almost ringing
with his praise. He Is recognized as the
greatest actor Oh the French stage. His tour
in Europe was wonderfully successful He
hoped to be received here in the same way.
As his great genius is unquestioned, as it IS
SO great that even he himself has a right to
and a believer In his work, there was, one
would have thought, every reason for this
hope of his being realized.
1t was not realized. Everywhere that he
played he was greeted with heart-sickeningly
small houses. In Washington he was the
failure of the season. Almost no one saw
him. In the other cities embraced in his
necessarily short tour it was the same way.
He goes back to his own country feeling his
reception terribly. He cannot understand it.
One might try to explain it to him as re-
suit of our terrible financial condition but
for one thing. During or perhaps a week
before his stay in Washington there were two
of our modern realistic dreams fully equipped
with wonderful nineteenth century machinery
and comic opera star of transcendent
brightness and great athletic abilities. These
three attractions turned muIttudes away.
and dear tears of Joy from the other multi
tudes that they held. In one playhouse this
Frenchman gave his terrible rendition of the
marveiously tragic Oedepe Rof, in another
terrible circular saw almost cut a man in two
with its tragic teeth, il another the tram
scendent star sang terrible song and did
some tragic gymnastics. The Frenchman
failed; the circular saw and the comic opera
star succeeded g.oriously.
This iaiiur, OF Mounet-Sully Is an aspect
OF art in America that is sorrowful. but we
still have Corsett ard the other fighters, and
we ars promised that some mechanical
effects arranged for next season will transcend
anything get attempted. II. c. B.