St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-01-06
THE DRAMA ABROAD.
Oscar Wilde's New Play Pro-
duced on a London
Stage.
CRITICS SEVERELY ROAST.
Another Failure Chronicled
Is That Of the "SlaVeS OF
the Ring"
ROYALTY ON THE STAGE.
Living Pictures at Osborne
House for the Queens
Entertainment.

Copyright 1895 by the Associated Press
LONDON, Jan. 5. The dramatic sea-
son of 1895 was started at the Haymar-
ket theater on Thursday by the produc-
ton of Oscar Wilde's IAN Ideal Hus-
band" Mr.. Beerbohm Tree has leased
the HaYmarket theater to Lewis Waller,
an actor. during his absence on his
American tour, and MI. Waller induced
such we'll known artists as Maud Millet,
Julia Nelson, Charles Hawtree and
Fannie Brough to join him in producing
Mr.. WIlde's play. The action takes
place in London during the presen: day,
and the play received splendid staging.
AS to the plot, 1t must be classified as
one of the tawdriest character and I'M
worthy of playwright claiming origin
ality. The story is told by unreal char
acters who excite no sympathy. The
Modern Woman" of the piece uhder>
stands everything but her husband.
'An Ideal Husband" is distinctly
feebler than Lady Windemere's Fan"
or "a Woman of No Importance" and
the leading critics condemn it. On the
whole, the successors of MIR. and Mrs..
Beerbohm Tree at the Haymarket have
not had an suspicious opening. Mr..
Wilde, replying to the call for speech
after the fall of the curtain, thanked
the audience for the pleasant evening
which he had spent.
Another failure must be chronicled
at the Garrick theater, where Sydney
Grundy's "Slaves of the Ring" was pro-
duced On Dec. 81 before a notable and
expectant audience, including Henry
Irving and Ellen Terry. The play ends
without result of any kind, shows
poverty of treatment, and is altogether
feeble, as the misunderstanding in the
first is easily removed, and altogether
unneeded. But John Hare's acting as
the Earl of Ravensoroft 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 Hester
Prynne in The Scarlet Letter" in 1888,
also achieved success. 1.-The Slaves of
the Ring" is an old play, but it has only
Just been produced after having been
rewritten.
LII view of the failure of the ''Slayes
of the Ring" preparations for the pro-
duction of Pinero's new play, which is
to follow it, are being hurried forward.
Unless there is change In the pro-
gIamme, The School for Scandal
will follow Mr.. Pinero's work.
The opening Of the dramatic season
of 1885 receives increased Importance
tonight at the st. James theater, where
Henry James "Guy d'Omville" was
given. Many other PLAYS. from well
known authors are promised in the fut-
ure, and altogether the season prom
ises to be interesting. On New Years
eve and again on "Wednesday last
series of ''living pictures" was pre-
sented at Osborne house before Queen
Victoria and number of guests. In
these pictures Prince and Princess
Henry of Battenburg, the Marquis of
Lorne and Princess Louise, the Duchess
of Albany and all the royal children, as
we'll as the Ladies Meade, daughters of
Clan William, the admiral-in.chief at
Portsmouth, took part.
1t is romantic play in three acts. 1t
was produced TO a crowded house, at
tended by many Of the notables OF Lon
don. Great interest was taken in the
costumes. The play was a comedy in
the manners of 1850. The scene is laid
in an out-of-theWay place in SomerSet>
shire. The play is history of an old
Catholic family. 1t was favoraOly re-
ceived Oy most of the persons in attend
ance. At the end there was storm
Of Kisses and "booing" from the pit and
from the galleries that the applause
from the stalls could not drown. After
long and persistent calls tor the author
George Alexander appeared, leading
Henry James. This was the signal for a
tumult in the pit, which both men faced
without fiinching for a moment and
then retired in the midst of cries
for Mr.. Alexander. The cries were re-
neWed, and MI. Alexander appeared on
the stage several times, bowling to the
people, but when he stepped to the cen~
ter to speak, Kisses were SO numerous
that he could not be heard. He finally
remarked: ~ have received so many
fayors from the public hitherto that the
discordant note tonight pains me deep
ly." This was followed by renewed in
terruptions, but Mr.. Alexander contln
ued: 81 can only say that we have all
worked hard, and we hope our ne t
effort to win your favor"
The speech of Mr.. Alexander was res
garded by many as injndicious, it being
interpreted as virtual admission of the
failure of the play, whereas there is rea-
son to believe that the luminosity was
really directed against Mr.. James.
Mrs. Fannie Bloomfield SeissIer, of
Chicago, accompanied by ner husband,
sailed for New York via Southampton
OH the steamship Paris today. Her re
citalS in the most important cities of
the continent have everywhere met
with the greatest success. She had
number of engagements in England,
including one to appear at the Crystal
Palace concerts in March. but she can,
eeled them all, as she was anxious to
get home. Mrs. Bloomfield Seissler
will probably return to Europe in May.