The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-12-06

of an 0rlandoy to flop him, to the
ground. Perhaps, If Shakespeare had
not ordered 1t otherwise. he would have
fired Rosalind's signing. swain into the
orchestra pitt
1t is impossible to escape the convic-
ton that the melodrama and musical
farce are the great factors in this sea-
sons amusement scheme. Comedy
save as it has been expressed by the
Frohman players, among travelling or
ganizations, and by the Girard com
pany among our local theaters-iS a
little less than nothing. The study of
character and of manners has ceased
to be popular. That is the statement
of the controlling manager. If you
assert that there are no longer comedy
players, outside of the Frohman cor
raj, the manager shrugs his shoulders
and says: Plenty if you want them"
One of them, discussing the question,
said recently: IF you wish Shake
spearean comedy, wait until Ada Re
han comes around and Modjeska re-
covers-or, better still, when Crane
gets one of his periodic high art at
tacks, and gives you Falstaff; and il
you wish English or American comedy
what's the matter with Joe Jefferson?
You don't want to see any Bob Acres
after you've seen him. or any Mrs
Malaprop after you've seen Mrs.
Drew. That's enough for the public;
1t needs all the rest of the time for
melodrama and farce"
"The Last Stroke" broke all previous
records for big business at the Column
bus Theater, New York, Thanksgiving
night. The wild enthusiasm of the
large number of Cubans who were
present nearly created riot The cur
tain was rung down in the middle of
an act and kept down until the police
had restored order 1t is said that no
such scene of excitement has been wit
messed in a New York theater since
the war.
The longest journey ever made by a
theaterical company to play single
performance is the one made by Mr..
der the direction of VIM. A. Brady.
They jumped from Auckland, New
Zealand, to Honolulu. The receipts
for the one performance were $1,000. 1t
took fifteen days to make the trip.
Coquelin's theory that an actor
should have complete mastery over
himself and not feel the part he is play
ing is disputed by Sir Henry Irving.
These two great players have battled
over this question for years, and now
James j. Corbett comes to Sir Henry S
aid. and it is two to one against the
clever Frenchman. After the second
act of "A Naval Cadet" on Monday
night, Mr.. Corbett was called before
the curtain, and to a packed house
made a short speech. He explained
that, while he did not like to leave the
character Of the Naval Cadet, he
would be unappreciative not to thank
his friends for their appreciation. In
this one phrase Mr.. Corbett proved
that he belongs to the natural school,
and is. for the time being, the person
whose role he assumes.
Nym Crinkle holds Manager Brady
largely responsible for the success Of
Roaring Dick & Co." Barrymore's
new play. In his criticism in the Even
ing Journal he says:
"Mr. w. A. Brady put his young
shoulder to the production and climbed
greeted, I am sorry to say, by some of
the chroniclers as If he had no bust
ness to be on Broadway. But there
is no ordinance against it, and when,
on the first night of the play the
Broadway audience called for him.
he stepped out of the ranks Of super
numeraries. where he had been doing
mute part with all his might, and
made modest and manly little speech
in a smock
After this. I said to myself, this
young man will assert his right to be
on Broadway or anywhere else he
chooses. There was something so char
acteristically masculine, loyal and in
dependent in the incident, it was so ir-
regularly American and unlike any
manager that l ever heard Of that
set 1T down as the most original thing
in the play. Here was a proprietor of
half dozen enterprises, some of them
making great deal of money and
requiring the machinery of a bureau
who. whether he believed in Mr. Bar
rymore's play or not, believed in doing
all he could for it. and so took his
coat off and lent a hand with all his
might and main, and when he was
wanted was found among the humble
workers at Barrymore's side.
Stay on Broadway? Well, if I know
anything of human nature, this is the
kind Of man who, whatever else he
may do. stays
Is is estimated that the gross re-
ce1pts Of "Trilby'' since it's production
in Boston sixteen months ago Is over
$1,000,000 "Trilby'' is the greatest
financial success in the history Of the
theatrical world. and interest in this
piece continues unabated
The announcement Of the early ap-
pearance at the Metropolitan opera
house Of the famous English "coster-
singer" Albert Chevalier, has occasion
ed great deal of interest amongst the
theater goers of this city. Chevalier
was the greatest sensation of the sea-
son in the East last year and his ap-
pearance here with his laurels fresh
upon him, and before any of the horde
Of imitators have been seen in this
city will be a treat which will certain
ly be appreciated by the patrons of
the Metropolitan. Chevalier will be
SIInportQd nv cOnponu Of E11rOpao N