Kansas City daily journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1892-1897, 1895-01-06
AT THE rarArrn..

| Mr. Robsons engagement at the Coates
came to a close last night. when the come
dian gave for the first time in this city
his new comedy. THE Interloper, or The
Feet of Venus" from the French OF Bar
busse. The play, or at least the American
right to 1t. belongs to MIR. Robson. and it
has never yet been played in France or
elsewhere In the original. 1t would go
better In Paris than in Kansas City. Not
necessarily because II is the work OF
Frenchman, In whom the national charac-
teristics are strongly marked-although
that would be good and sufficient reason
but because. Il acted in Paris. the cast
would probably be French. and that is
more important. IL is a rather dgnifed
farce on the reverse side of the mother
in-law problem. generally understood
| in the domestic economy. The central
character Is mother-in-law, who Is nat
urally so good. SO thoughtful and so wise
| that there Is no getting along without her.
| The only trouble she causes, and that Is
| only temporary. Is that the son-in-lew In
fact becomes jealous of the mother-in-
| laws attentions TO the son-in-law prospec-
| tive. and his wife becomes Jealous of her
husbands love for his mother. These
| jealouses breed such discord that the
| mother-in-law Is wounded beyond endur-
| ance and leaves the roof which she has
provided for her real and acquired chill
dren. and institutes n system of persecu-
tion that makes their life mere mockery
OF the peace of former days. 1t can be
| seen that the conceit is a clever one, but
IL must be nandled with more dellcHcy
that can be given 1t by the Robson COM
pany. 1t must be given vivacity born of
quickly sensitive teiuperaments. with the
touch of seriousness that always makes
the best offset to bright comedy. Doubt
less. with such cast the author had
| in mind when he wrote "The 1nterloper,"
it would be n very amusing comedy.
1t is not sufficient that MIR. Robson should
| appear we'll Briscard, the son-in-law,
| although the character does not give the
| but r accuse
toned to see him fill. 1t is indeed doubt
| full whether MIR. Robson, selecting actors
for his repertory. could happen on people
| who could do Justice to this play and at
| the same time fill their requirements in
| the other casts, for in order TO succeed in
| America the comedy will have to be played
| on broader and more farcical lines than
| would be in keeping with the Robson stand
| ard. In the hands of brisk and breezy
| players and given a momentum like that
| which prcpels "Chareys Aunt" 1t ought
| to be so.
| Miss Mabel Haas has written beautiful
valse de ballet for piano. which has beeh
| published for her by j. w. jenkins sons,
Mr.. Carl Busch. The movement is exceed
| ingly catchy and the melody very beautiful.
1t is very characteristic and suggests the
| movement of the dance exceptionally well:
| 1t Is Miss Haas hope to have 1t played
by string orchestra in the near future.
John L. sulivan's company has disband-
| ed over in Illinois because the pusilist has
| been too drunk to stand on the stage, So
| the dispatches say.
| London, Jan. 5.-The dramatic season OF
1895 was started at the Haymarket theater
on Thursday by the production OF oscar
wilde's IAN Ideal Husband" MIR. Beer
bohm Tree has leased this theater to MIR.
Lewis Waller, during his absence in Amer
lea, and Mr.. Waller induced such Wen
known artists as Maud Miliet, Julia Nell
| son, Charles Hawtree and Fanny Broush
to join him in producing Wilde's play Ihe
action takes place in London during the
present day and the play received splendid
| staging.
AS to the plot 1t must be classified as OF
| of the tawdriest character and unworthy
of a playwright claiming originality. Ihe
story Is told by unreal characters who eN-
cite no sympathy. The modern woman
of the piece understands everything except
her husband.
IAN Ideal Husband is distinctly fee
bier than Lady Windemere's Fan or "A
Woman of No Importance" and the lead.
ing critics condemn it. On the whole the
| successors of Mr.. and Mrs. Beerbohm
Tree at the Haymarket have not had an
auspcious opening.
Another failure must be chronicled at
| the Garrick theater where Sydney Grun-
dys slaves of the Ring" was produced
on December 81 before a notable and ex-
| pectant audience, including Henry Irving
and Ellen Terry The play ends without
| result of ny kind, shows poverty of treat
ment and is altogether feeble, as the mis-
understanding in the first act is easily re-
moved and altogether unneeded. But
John Hare's acting as the Earl of Ravens
croft is the best he ever did and Kate
Rorke was also very successful. Miss
Calhoun, "a gifted American actress,who has
not been seen here since she played Hes
ter Prynne in THE Scarlet Letter. in
1885 also achieved a success.
1.-The Slaves Of the Ring" is an old play,
but it has only just been produced after
| having been rewritten In view of the
future of THE Slaves of the Ring" prep
| arations for the production of Pinero's
| new play, which is TO follow it, are being
hurried forward. Unless there is a change
| in the programme 1.-The School for Scan-
dal" will follow Mr.. Pinero's work.
| The opening of the dramatic season of
1895 receives Importance to-day at the st.
James theater, where Henry James Guy
dOmvlle" will be given. Many other
plays from well known writers are prom
ised in the future and altogether the sea-
son promises to be interesting. on New
| Years evening and again on Wednesday
last a series of living pictures pre-
sented at Osborne house before Queen
| Victoria and a number of guests. In these
pictures Prince and Princess Henry of
| lattenberg .he Marquis of Lorne and the
Princess Louise, the Duchess of Albany
and all the royal children, daughters os
the Earl of Clan William, the admiral
commander-n-chief at Portsmouth. took
| part.
Mrs. Fannie Bloomfield Zelssler, of Chi
| cago, accompanied by her husband. sailed
| for New York from Southampton on the
| steamship Paris to-day. Her recitals in
| the most important cities of the Continent
have everywhere met with the greatest
! | success. She had a number OF engage-
ments in England, including one TO appear
at the Crystal palace concerts in March.
but she Cancelled them all, as she was
anxious to get home. Mrs. Bloomfield
Zeissler will probably return to Europe
| in May.
Grip Broken.
/ A Holmes street car yesterday morning
| slipped on the seet upon the tracks near
| MCGEE street and the grip was broken
| against the GUARD placel In front of the