The record-union., 1896-09-08
ADJUSTMENTS.

At the Metropolitan Theater last
night Chauncey Olcott, the Irish come
dian, had a good house. The play was
"Mavourneen." The company is a good
and well-balanced one for the work it
is called upon to do. In the matter Of
appropriate scenery and fine costum-
cry the troupe is excellently fitted out.
The play went smoothly and to the
entire satisfaction Of the audience. Mr..
OlcOtt is the sweetest, heartiest singer
of Irish melodies we have ever had
here. His voice is a clear, silvery tenor,
resonant and melOdious. AS an actor,
too. he is superior. His Irishman is of
finer grain than the conventional.
He gives his Irish character a finish
that is very refreshing. There is moth
ing coarse about any Of his personation;
on the contrary, 1t is gentee! and all but
polished. With his singing the audience
did not tire, and so repeatedly encored
the beautiful songs that Mr.. Olcott had
to beg off. All in all, the entertain
ment the company gives is very satis-
flying and wins sincere commendation
The children in the troupe are especial
ly good, precociouS and trained admir-
ably. In Mr.. Olcott's method in the
scenes with the children there is ten
der sentiment expressed and acted, and
a warm heartedness and gentleness de-
veloped that wins the audience to him
sincerely. Tonight he will present the
play, THE Irish Artist" which is said to
be less a one-part play than "Mavour-
neen," and to give the support far better
opportunity to prove its mettle. re-
cent writing by a critic says Of this
play and the leader:
The Irish Artist is vastly different
from the conventional Irish play and
that in a pleasant degree. There is no
coarseness or vulgarity in it; there is a
vim about every detail, and the wit and
humor is bright, clean and wholesome
There is no wild, sensational climax. yet
the curtain goes down at the end of each
act disclosing a fitting picture for the
finale. The scenery throughout the
play is succession of surprises Deans
Grange is the acme of the scenic paint
er's art while the smugglers' cave is
both realistic and beautiful Mr.. OIL
colt has no peer on the stage to-day in
the delineation of Irish character parts.
and in the The Irish Artist he is at his
in better trim than at present. and his
singing OF the Irish melodies is, as ever
one of the most delightful features of
the performance"
The Clunie Opera-house, after being
long closed, was reOpened last night for
the fall and winter season in a blaze of
light. The old style Of lighting has been
abandoned Double lines of incandes-
cent electric lamps line the entrance and
lobby. Within similar lines encircle
the walls of the lower section, glow in
the boxes and run up, over and down the
proscenium arch and line the cornices.
The stage is electrically lighted in bor-
ders, wings flies and footlights In all.
over 800 incandeScent lamps are used.
all operated from an elaborate and
first-class switch board. The house has
been thoroughly cleaned and the old
drop curtain has been taken down. In
its place there is the repainted drop for
merly used in the Metropolitan Theater.
representing a scene from 'Othello," and
the act drop is a handsome advertising
curtain with a central landscape view
on the headWaterS of the Sacramento
River. There are further improvements
in contemplation by Manager Todd.
Those thus far effected are said to have
cost nearly $1,000. There was a large
and well pleased audience last night.
! The play was the melodrama Wages
of Sim" 1t has been given here before.
but never better The company is made
ur. of familiar faces save in one instance.
| The composition of the troupe has al
ready been described in these columns.
! 1t must suffice now to say that Miss
| Dalglish, as the prosecuted wife, the
victim of the intemperance of her hus-
| band, left nothing to be wanted. Mr..
| Gibney had the heavy role-a little out
| of his line, but he carried it we'll Miss
Harrington, Miss Gleason, Miss Yanits
and Miss Rankin were faultless Indeed
| the ladies are deserving of more than
common recognition for their work in
| this melodrama- Mr. Lonergan was not
called upon for great effort. But what
ever he does on the stage is marked by
good taste and sincerity. Mr.. Gleason
was acceptable and the new man, Mr..
Stewart, proved to be a clever second
comedian and character actor. The
same play will be given again this even
ing 1t is handsomely mounted and
abounds in thrilling tableaux and sem
sational scenes.
The new drop, the retouching of the
old drop and the Frightening up of the
scenery of the Clunie Opera a-house. is all
the work Of Scenic Artist Thomas Wal
thew. He is accomplished in his line
and the work shown last night is greatly
to his credit.