The morning times., 1895-12-22

| unostentatious1y upon the bill Doards anc
10 the columns OF the newspapers has beer
the magnet that has drawn great crowd
to the Lafayette Square Theater every
evening. 1t Is a word that for week has
| claimed public attention from war ruDor'
| and the doings OF statesmen. 1t Is wore
that has hypnotized theater-going w ashing
ton as no word or set OF words has ever
1 done before. .-,.....-t b. .-..e
No one asks, Have you been to see
4 'Trjlby2.'' 500. p. t,,,-.,.. -,i,.. 30. ..-s-
4 They say, How did you like it," and
| everybody knows to what you refer.
| When "Triiby," the novel, was IN the
height of its popularity and "Triiby," the
l play, WAS about to be produced in New
| York, the critics arose In their might and
sharpened their pencils and said that this
thing could not be. They were sure that
the play would be n failure. because 1t was
\ dramatized from book, novel in which
the characters were drawn by a master
| hand, as clear cut and plain as If painted
| by a brush instead of q pen. a novel which
possessed the additional advantage OF be-
ing illustrated by it's author. who had
4 given us sketch pictures OF his own con-
| ceptions.
| MR.. PoTTERS ART.
| And so the first night came, people crowd
| ed to the theater, the curtain went up atu
| the pictnres stepped out OF the book ard
became living, breathing human beings IL
| was great triumph for art, and Mr.. Potter
deserves all the credit and praise that has
| been sbowered upon him.
| Nevertheless. the'ouinion may be yentured
| that had it not been for the makeup boxes
| and the clever people who made use OF them,
| ..Trilby" would have been an alnostaisnial
failure and the prediction come true
As there are wheels within wheels, so
| there are words within words, and the word
4 rTriit ity' io GyensrnH Snniennp
| once said, "If we cannot realize the ideal we
| must ideaItze the real, but 1t is not neces-
| sary in this case, for Mr.. Lackaye has GER
| tainly realized THE ideal of Svengali, and in
| i,Is impersonation or this character. which
| can be classed among the greatest or stage
| Villains he has borne out most faithfully
! the mind picture which must necessarily I'M
press itself on everyone who has read the
| book. "
! 1t is not alone MS make.ap, however, that
has given the part prominence 1t did not
| obtain in the bound version. It's. OF course,
| the first requisite of an actor that he must
| ''look the part, but il is the deep thought
I and study that Mr.. Laekaye ha given Sven
| gall that makes The chara cter real.
| There is nothing or the conventional stage
villain about the creature. He does not
| cringe. From his eTtranc ce to his dea tn on the
| table he isconscious of his superiority over
| those around him and he impresses his audi
| ence with the ,sanie feeling.
| When he SAYS. II am Svengali-the great
| svengali," he is llhe says, and you uncon-
| sciously acknowledge 1t TO be so, although
| the while you hakeiiie man and dthedeeE-oorn
desire in every human breast to have every
thing end ,happiiyi makes you wish that
| Trilby could rdxisu his power and marry
Little Ritlee. tgnoAs. ah4 i.-.# go. .... 81 49,
| .LACKAYE'S WONDERFUL WORK.
| Mr. Lackay ye has given the death OF Sven
gall an artistic finish and virile strength,
placing IL nione the best death scenes in all
dra ma tic literature. There is no superfluous
| action. no groveiing about upon the carpet,
| no hunting for pins or morbid soliloquy
One wild. nianiacal laugh tells OF triumph
| even in death Itsreverbefatiohs revfew the
whole story OF the play in one syllable OF
| sound "es Hs1
The man who has given the world this
| character. who has built up living,
breathing. tangible reality from the creature
| Of another mans imagination, WHO is he.
what is he, and where did he come from?
| Mr.. Lackaye had Just finished his scene
at the end or the third act and the curtain
had been rung down, leaving the picture of
/ a white dra wn. bearded face hanging over
| a table, with three kind-hearted men shield
\ ing the horrible sight from the woman he had
wronged, when Times man pushed by
| the st.rn-iooking doorkeeper and entered
stageiand. Scene shifiers were already sour
| rying about, pushing tables and divans
out OF the way. One side of the foyer of
the Cirque des BashibazouoSls" had already
Disappeared, the carpet was being rolled
away, q new set was coming on, and I'm the
midst OF this confusion stood Svengali and
Gecko, struggling and pushing, grabbing
| each other and uttering suppressed excla-
nations of hatred and anger. II was only
an iinpromptu rehearsal OF a short scene
/ ava
in a moment
| yes" said Mr.. Lackaye In answer to
a question, as he stood before the mirror
in his dressing room a little later. 81 was
born in Washington and I've always called
this city my home. 1t seems very pleasant
| TO be back again after travelling about the
| country SO long / was very much sur
prised and very glad TO learn that ouI
engagement was for two weeks. I have
been playing constantly now for quite a
long time and have not had an oppor
tunity to come home even for shor,
visit for some time. This will be the frs,
| Christmas dinner that I've had with my
family in several years.
I. ~ .------- HE WILL STAR.
While he was talking Mr.. Lackaye hat
been divesting himself of some of his
Svengalisrns." The first thing to dis
appear was the beard, which came off ir
| sections. ''-'7'
"Yes, intend to star next season." he
continued, "and have already selected O
| number of plays In addition to these there
areseveral gentlemen now at work on others
that are not yet finished. Charles Klein
the author of 1.-The District Attorney
is writing a play for me which viii be
called ..Dr. Belgraff." The plot deals
with hypnotism land intend to make it a
feature of my reperoire II it proves to he as
successful at it books on paper.
"Thcn, W. Horace Brown, the Chicago
| PLAYWRIGHT Is at work on Benedict Ar
nold,' the plot q which is founded on the
historical incident with which Arnold
name is connected, ,iand have a one-aci
comedy of Washington life, whose plot deals
| with a famous lnavaal incident. Then, be
side these, have purchased the American
rights to another one1act play from George
Alexander, of the st. James Theatef, Lon
don. So you see, am pretty we'll stocked
with plays.
"Of course, have made no arrangements
about my company yet, and don't ever
know whom 1 shalf engage to manage my
tour, but have been negotiating with 9
gentleman, and we hope to come toterms yer.
soOn." QI
"Are you believer in hypnotism, Mr.
Iacka yep
"Most assuredIy am. OF course,
don't pretend that use or attempt to US,
any hypnotic power in my performance
But in pla yng such q part in dlfferen
sections Of the country. have naturall,
drawn the attention of those interested ii
this subject, and have had many expe
riences, until am perfectly convinced il
my own mind that there Is such power"
Mr.. Lackaye, 1t may be said, Is one O
those not without honor in his own coantry y
The friends OF his ynuth are loudest in prais
of h Ia ri md all WA shin fyfon will ls. nrnut