The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-04-12


Lydia Languish. Miss Barsanti
SPRINGFIELD, MAY 4. 1896.
Sir A. Absolute ...............Mr. Crane
Captain Absolute. MT. Taber
Falkland. .........'..'J. hoiiahu
Bob Acres. ..Mr. JeHerson
O'Trigger. ......... Mr.. Goodwin
Fog. ..................:.E e. M. Holland
David ........... ..........M Mr.. wilson
Mrs. Malaprop. Mrs. John Drew
Lydia Languish. Mrs. Taber
There were clever artists in the cast
that created THE Rivals" but II can
hardly be said that any of them left
one of the great names of the English
stage as one or two of the 1896 cast are
pretty sure to do. we moderns think.
Indeed, the Covent garden production
was a failure, chiefly owing to Mr..
Lees bad acting, but when Mr.. Clinch
was substituted and the acting version
was cut down, the play became very
popular A month later il was being
performed in Bath before the most
fashionable audiences of the day. with
an entirely new cast in which, how
ever. we still fail to recognize any
of the great names of dramatic his
tory.
1t is curious to note that in Sheri-
dams cast the part of Acres came half
way down the list of the male actors.
The genius of Jefferson has, in the
minds of American audiences at least
placed near old Bob at the top of the
company
The actors who first produced Sheri-
dams play had to travel from point to
point by stage coach. When the rude
conveyance stuck in the mud. the men
must get out, beruffied as they were,
and walk beside IL or even help the Ia
boring wheels out of the mire. The
1896 cast will travel through Hartford,
New Haven, New York and Brooklyn,
Philadelphia. Baltimore. Washington,
Pittsburg, Louisville. Cincinnati, st.
Louis. Chicago. Milwaukee. Indianapo-
lis Grand Rapids. Toledo. Detroit, Co.
lumbus. Cleveland. Buffalo. Rochester,
Syracuse, Utica, Albany, Boston, Wor-
cester and Providence-a journey in
credible to Sheridan through towns
whose names even. he never heard-in
luxurious special train of palace cars
with every convenience for living on
board. And they will carry costumes
and scenery, devised by Mr.. jefferson,
which will make the spook of the last
century actor-manager groan with
envy.
Sheridan ought to be a favorlte in
the United States, If there's gratitude
in republics. THE Rivals" was pro-
duced just before the outbreak OF the
IcNOiullOn, Ut ABOUT IIe time Wnen ne
was composing a defense Of the Ameri-
can colonists against DR. Johnson's
ponderous Taxation no Tyranny"
The reply did no good. as 1t was never
published, but we can afford by this
time to take the will for the deed 1t
was just after Clinch's service in saw
ing THE Rivals" that Sheridan wrote,
out of gratitude to that actor. the
farce of st Patrick's Day." for which
the
as this: "Oh. barbarousi To want a
husband that may wed you to-day and
be sent the Lord knows where before
night; then I'm a twelvemonth, per-
haps, to have him come like a Colossus
with one leg at New York and the
other at Chelsea hospital"
The Liberty boys of Golden Hill had
already taught the Britons one name
in American geography.
The costuming of the forthcoming of
The Rivals" will be a pretty faithful
reproduction of that i'm 1875. Costum-
ing proper was in those days an art al
most unknown. Garrick, who played
Hamlet in a bob wig and broad tailed
coat, was contemporary of Sheridan
But as The Rivals" was practically a
play of the period. the dress worn was
that of the fine ladies and gentlemen
OF the day. perhaps a trihe exagger-
ated for comic effect. What IL was
and what IL will be in the jefferson re-
vival is indicated by questions from
Sheridan's own writing. Mrs. Mala-
props couture will be.
Then. behind. all my hair is done up in
And. so like a hornets. tucked under
my hat.
and the mems bravery as fine as when
beaux dead and gone paradec in
The Campus Martius of St. James
street
Where the beau's cavalry pace 10 and
Before they take the field in Rotten
Row.
There being nothing new under the
sun, THE Rivals is. of course more
than 121 years old. Under that name
was enacted by the Duke of Yorke's
servants" more than 200 years ago. a
comedy adopted by Sir William Dav-
enant or D'avenant or D'Avenant.
from an earlier play, THE Noble Kins-
men," Incorrectly attributed TO Shakes
peare and Fletcher. which was i'm turn
taken from Chaucer's knights Tale"
the parent stock also of Dryden's
"Palamon and Arcyte." Where Chau-
Ger got IL doesn't matter.
The 1862 production OF Davenant's
''The Rivals" was historically more in
teresting than the Covent garden play
of Sheridan. For one thing. Betterton
appeared in IL. So did Mary Davis
who played Celia or Celania. singing
several wild and mad songs-sMv
Lodging Is on the Cold. Ground ETC.
She performed that so charmingIy that
not long after IL raised her from her
bed on the cold ground 10 a bed
royal"
Mrs. Mol Davis did i'm fact become
one OF King Charles favorites in Nell
Gwynn's time. and their semi-royal
Tudor, became the Lady Mary Tudor