Birmingham state herald., 1896-03-01

The theater goers of Birmingham are greatly indebted to MT. Thiess for the large number of good attractions that have been seen at OBriens this season MT. Thiess, as theatrical manager, always gives his patrons the best that can be secured. glance at the dramatic col umns of the leading dailies in the south goes to prove that older and larger cities ahan Birmingham do not make any bet ter showing in the list of theatrical at fractions.
 It is true that MT. Irving and Miss Terry passed us by and we sat on the proverbial fence. But aside from this fact Birmingham has had a splendid season, and there are a number of lead ing attractions booked for March and April.
 That Birmingham appreciates all that is best has been unmistakably shown on more than one occasion. Take, for in- stance, the recent production of Faust" by Mr. Lewis Morrison. The capacity of OBriens was taxed to the utmost. The receipts of the box office were consdera- bly over 5000 for one nights perform ance. Not only was this the case with MT. Morrison, but packed houses greeted MT. DeWolf Hopper MT. SalVini, MT. Roland Reed and others that l could mention.
 And apropos of one night performances, we all know that dramatic people have mot a particular fondness for one night stands 1t frequently means for them a weary day of travel late arrival, an Immediate rush for the theater, followed jn few hours by another rush for an early morning train To be Sure this rushing business is left to a great extent with the stage people, and when MT. Charles Jefferson told his papa about the route that had been decided upon for tho Of stars in ''FI'ba Rivals '' he was asked what would be left of his papa by the time the trip was over? "The Rivals is to be presented in thirty cities between the first and last week in May. The distinguished artists will have a magnificent private car, with every luxury in the way of boudoirs, smoking rooms and library, and there will be no Hitting in and out of hotels.
 Helen Ten Broeck in her delightful theatrical gossip tells you so much about the celebrities of the stage that l repro duce some of her comments. It was at the dog show at Madison Square garden that she saw these interesting person ages, who l did not think had time to go to dog shows any more than Miss Della Fox has time for embroidery:
 Henry Miller was there, and if you'll believe me, he was flrting-actually openly t1irting-with Sarah Bernhardt but as this particular Sarah was only a tdMIy, dHlDeI-tytd Stllef, MfS. MllleT and the little Millers didn't seem particu- larly disturbed The Holland boys were there, and how l did envy them their happy hard-of-hearing- amid that canine pandemonium of barkS and yape and howls. Jessie Bartlett was there looking like June rose, and Elsie De- Wolf, who always reminds me of high. bred graceful greyhound, loitering in fascinating admiration before the most awful of all the bull pups in the garden. Chmmle Fadden Hopper was there, and h.s deposed rival in Irish drama, Chaun- cey Olcott, as beautiful as of yore. Anne ONeil, looking very tlancee and happy. Governor--or should l say eX-senator?- Crane and his staff. Cyril Scott, Edwin "A. Mayo, who knows more about dogs of high degree than any one in the profes- sion, bar Maurice Barrymore; Barry" himself, who was explaining the points of the prize winners to his pretty wife; Virginia Earle, Verona Jarbeau and Fay rempleton. followed by a train of ador- ing dudelets; Mrs. A. M. Palmer-and isn't 1t Q joke to think of Mrs. Palmer who looks the youngest of matrons. ac- tually calling herself the mother-in-law of good looking 'Otie' Fske? Herbert Kelcey strolled through the garden once or twice, pretending to look at the bow VOWS. but see nothing, apparently, but beautiful Fife Shannon, Viola Allen, May Robson and the rest of the Empire galaxy of good looks, who came down to Ste r dNGISHd1u $ like keHIel. ARneS Booth from the Academy and Maud Har- rison from Palmer's, both looking even younger than when they stole our hearts in the days of Palmer's stock, and Fife Gennon. who takes you back to the an cient history of Wallacks palmy days and Maxine Elliott and Edgar Daven- port who carry you irresistibly into a future bright with stellar honors for those handsome young people,
 They say that Mrs. Langtry is actually looking younger than ever. She has re- gently produced in London a play entitled Gossip" The scenes are laid at fash ionable watering places in France, where two young married couples, who are Americans, are spending the season. The two women i'll the play are entirely different types; one has by her first mar riage had a jolly awakening, which re- suited in divorce and the other has married a man she does not love because her real lover was too poor to ask her to be his wife. Mrs Langtry appears as Mrs. Barry, who figured in the divorce She is gay and giddy, and has no pa tence with this other woman, who is broken-hearted. It is then that Count Marcey, the lover, returns and tries to persuade her to leave her husband. In the meantime the husband is called to New York, and insists upon taking his wife She refuses to go, and in a stormy scene he accuses her of remaining to see her old loVer, but says that he will take her to New York by force. This causes her to write to the count that she will gd with him. Mrs. Barry, despite her friv- o!otsness, determines to save her friend, and goes to the count herself, and in a scene. in which she is strong and persua- si,e gets her friends letter before it is read and the Wife's honor is saved.
 
 When the committee of dramatists and managers from New York went to Wash irgton the otber day to push along the Cl. innings bill to prevent play piracy, tlgy sound that the representatives were