The morning times., 1896-04-21
PLAY OF ANCESTRY Us. CASH
"The Two Eseutcheons' Well Re-
: eaived at the National
Excelsior Jr." at the Lafayette
Fully Up 10 Rice's Stnndar ard-Good
Bills at the Other Houses.

sydney Rosenfeld brought another ol
Ils dramatic projections 10 Washington
last night. He poses not as the exclusive
author, though he is absolute owner, but
lie Is responsible for the translation and
"coloquiai embellishments" He has An
glicized the comedy, not in the sense that
one Is supposed to in transposiBg indecent
French into utterabie English, but in
Changing heavy Teutonic into the breezy
yernacular.
Though late in reaching the capital. 1.-THE
Two Escutcheons; or, Chicago in Berlin .
was the precursor OF the ROsenreld re-
naissance in this year of grace. Daily first
produced 1T and everybody conceded its
cleverness but Rehan. She did in her mind
and heart, but she concealed the fact be-
cause size was too mature for the role or a
real, real young woman. Edy the Chapman
Is now the interpreter OF Rehans part.
MIR. Rosenfeld produced The House OF
Cards. We have seen that and found
great deal in it to enjoy and commend.
sydney merely touched up this clever farce.
but much credit is due BIN for IL is always
the last stroke that counts in work OF art
The end Is .Ot yet, for "A Divorce Colony
and "A Fashionable Physician are said
10 be waiting auspiciOus tine for zeal life.
The Rosenfeld arm Is stretched out for
fame and lucre. He has measure Of both
and Is deserving or larger share.
AS for The Two EscuIcneOns," IL proved
diyerting entertainment or light char
acter. Mr.. Roscnfeld studiOusiy avoids
offending any sense OF proprieties, aud he
and the original German authors have not
found is necessary to stoop TO even casual
double entendre or obnoxious women with
indIscreeJIy flirtatious dispositions to raise
many genuinely hearty laughs. The story
is simplicity itself. 1t may be told in
dozen lines, but the suggestion Cf the
structurai scheme is lnlinILe ann mas never
been iugeniously realized upon.
IL seems that young Chicago widow,
Mrs. Stevenson, is chaperOning diss Mary
FOstor, daughter or Thomas Foster, meat
packer, or her native city, III Berlin. The
girl and Rudolph, sou OF Baron Won Wetten-
gen, mdu OF oNCrw wneiiIIing auGUStrE, Idit
desperately in love aud marry. The Chr
cago father appears 1t is Berun es-
cutcheon, ,eInblazoned with ancestry "a galnst
Chicago escutcheon, emblaZoned " ith nOg
and casn. The enlargement, situation and
sequel are as amusing as the simple uaTTa-
tive suggests.
The writing is better than the acting.
Many or the scenes display a -ine sense or
hutnor ana stamp the piece as ii comedy
OF finished structure aud positive though
delicate humor.
There were several good bits of acting by
the generally even cast. The best WORK
was divided between Miss Chapman as
Mrs. Stevenson, Vincent Serrano as young
Rudolph; and Mr. George Backus as Capt.
Won NIDck, penniless but willing TO retrieve
Mr.. BaCkuS has nice sense or nuInOr and
aged to carry fresh life into each OF
the scenes in which he entered. Miss
Louise Muldener, who played the Baroness
Won Wettingen, and Miss Rose harrington
as Mary Foster were suffering from severe
hoarseness and didn't do themselves JUS
tice.
Mr.. Charles Craig appeared for the first
time as Foster OF Chicago. He Is fine
actor OF character parts and he VIII pres
emily recognize that he is making his
~ Eft m ~ a.
American, of Chicago or else where, attaiBs
10 the wealth or celebrity OF this Foster
without rubbing off a veneer OF the refine
ment which his natural associations would
bring him. He was, however. in d broad
rough way very amusing and foil Tor the
Baron Won WetJingen OF Robert F Cotton
The audience enjoyed themselves and
laughed appreciatlyely at the many good
points. Miss Chapman was the recipient
Of a superb basket OF American Beauty
roses. The fans were IN operation ana
kept tie temperature down 70 comfort
able degree.
E. E. Rice the apostle OF fair femininity
and the man who believes In giving the
people what they want regardless or
principles in the abstract and cash IN the
concrete, gave Washington his latest bur,
ltsaue salad last night under the title
Excelsior Jr-" There was full mea sure.
for the people didn't turn their steps
away from the white portals of the
Lafayette Square Opera House until half
past eleven.
Excelsior Jr'' is as good as the best OF
its predecessors, no better. for Rice seems
to have realized the limit of the pos
sibilities OF this style of entertainment
He combines fun, music. song, color. form,
variety, motion. ballet and vaudeville IN
a Kaleidoscope Belange that consumes the
interest and drives away weariness like a
shadow before calcium Three pages
or the Lafayette Square program were not
enough to euumerate the many prominent
PrNr hn Nnl
specialt les. and the scenic changes
The Old legend of the brave and per-
sistent boy who planted his standard on
the mountain top has Teen seized upon TO
title aud u vague pretext Tor the ruthless
eccenj rcitieS OF the burlesque hbTettlSt-
Excelsior, Jr., is Gecadent. His grand
father made the famous personally CON
Quoted tramp up the mountain, not ht.
He is young man about town. There was
such a he ewilderment of features that 1t
is hard TO SECURE "A footing from which
to wade oUt aud explain the perfOT9Dal-r
Fay TcmplciOu'S return was EOmhlsafeI
upon. She comes rejuyenaied and Il Per
feet fashion plate in the various up-tO-Iate
swell hero. Little Arthur Dunn, no walks
like a CoIkscrew and talks N chunks, made
the largest share of the fun. Dunn talked
a little sung little, and played the piano
a la PaGerc Hski, with a door mat fCT a
Wig. in a fashion that captivated tie
audience Matt OFT and Thomas kierns as
sisted in the merriment respectively as
Ben Bolt, who was driven from home by
the hand organs and the mountain guide
Seymour Hess made Il hit as an tmlIdtOF
of Chcvalicr, and ID. l. Don as Evalne held
the center OF the stage Il considerable time
Miss Irene Perry and Miss Marie Cahlll
did all sorts OF things besides looking
pretty To command them TO the approval
of the audience.
The leaders, however. OF the petticoat
brigade, if the ladies will pardon so fiippant
an alluSion, were Yvette ViOIette and Deyo-
Vi0iette diStinguis he'd herself by a marvel
rNP
manner and songs OF Yvette GuiIbert. IL
was all very clever, but the most admirable
and perfect part of the imitation was
when, at the end OF the songs, she gathered
fold in her skirt and tiIu nOI WIN ur
run but floated, fawI ~ike, off the stage
The marvellous GuiIbert skip was
reproduced to an absolute perfection.
DeyO danced couple OF solos and proved
herself a graceful and viyacious premiere
The music OF Excelsior, Jr." is not
at any time tedious and very often the
composers have struck an air that forces
itself into the ear as dainty mOrseI that
will hum and whistle easily. The baIletS
were we'll danced and the scenery was
very elaborate and beautiful. John Braham
directed the orchestra.
Mrs Gen. Tom Thumb with her COMPANY
of American LiliputianS and high-f-;as~
vaudevilies, opened their season at Aliens
Opera Eouse wi,n q PiGsIai.. - '....,,.
as 10 display TO advantage the talents
OF the gifted little PEOPLE in the cast.
The Two Rivals" a breezy sketch in
one act, served as u background for the
musical and terpsiChorean specialties of
Mrs. Thumb in blue brocade Louis OuinZe
costume. assisted by Count and Baron
Magrf in faultiess evening array. Harry
Helms, towering Guiliver-like over these
Liliputians, followed with a display of
magic and Jugglery that seemingly defied
the laws OF reason and graFitation. He
in turn. was Out-marveied by tiny Jennie
Quigicy. who, under a 3udicious spell OF
mcsmcrism administered by Nine. Trazour.
stood suspended in mid-air with the rigid
placidity of a doll.
There We're many children in the au-
dience and they evidenced their appro-
BATON IN hilarious applause and laughter
when Nine. Carlini bounded with her
dogs on the stage- As the 1.-THE, record