New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-03-21
OF REAL BURLESQUE
ruE LAMBS LAST GAMBoL AND THEIR
CAR1CATURE OF RECENT PLAYS
,,o,, ~, or1xnT WAS SURPASSED on BIS OWN
oRorSpLTEB GREAT THEATRICAL sfND-
GATE AS VIEWED BY ITS VICTIMS.

GATE AS VIEWED BY ITS VICTIMS
The complaint has been made sometimes oy thoss
who remember older theatrical days. that reaI Dur
iascua "a never seen any mora. II Is generally 40
roitted. Of course that the compositions OF lime
lights and tights that are commonly caAeo our
lescues are no more burleequee than they arc oiA-
log1ies Of Plato The genuine burlesauing OF seFi
Gus play Is the acting Of caricature OF II N
solemn manner. which produces ludicrous erect
hrou9b ia likeness and It's unlkeness TO the orig1
nal ana the gravity with which ridiculous things
done
shadow Of this sort OF buriesaue Is found IN
tho reviews Of the theatrical season wnlch nave
become popular IN the last two or three years Dur
there Is more OF It in the gambols Of the Lambs
Tn. Lambs as every body knows. form ciuo COM
posed chiefly OF actors The gambols are the en-
tertainments which the club gives. chiefly for the
amusement OF its members. but now ana 'heh
FOR others as well Tho regular gampols occur
monthly at the clubhouse. and are ATTENDED only
by member. and a limited number OF guests 81.
IT has now become the custom 10 give an annual
public gambol at some theatre which can be en-
loved nv a large number of the friends OF the mem
bers Including women. who. OF course never at
tend the gambols in the clubhouse
The Characteristic feature o, all III. gambols is
burlesques OF current plays. and II would seem as
II some OF the Lambs must spend a pretty large
part OF their time In contriving these. The fame
and wide and has excited great curiosity among
those who have not the privilege OF attending them
Those who have them like TO convey the I'M
preston TO those who have not that they are vastly
more funny than the diluted specimens given 10 the
larger audience once a year. But all such intma-
lions as this should he received with caution IL
IL altogether likely that the Lambs put their best
foot foremost at the annual gambol. just as the
schoolboy does or examination day. There may be
omissions % some things which the Lambs them
selves think vastly funny. but which others would
scarcely appreciate
Even the annual entertainments are open 10 com
paratively few Tickets for them are not sold al !
invitations are 10 be had only through members OF
the club Thus the audiences consist largely OF
actors and their intimate friends. and salIes ~
wit are frequent and popular which would not be
understood by an ordinary gathering In theatre
The gambol which given AZ the Broadway
Theatre on Friday was OF the most successful
IN The history OF the club. There were amusing
brlesoues Of two OF the plays OF the season one or
the most popular and best-known OF all OF them
and a sketch OF the theatrical syndicate. which has
occas,oned & good deal Of newspaper discussion OF
late
THE SECRET OF G1LLETrEs SERVICE"
The first and perhaps, the whole. the best OF
the burlesques was called on the programme The
Secret OF Gillette's Service. a low-down buresque
on a way-up play. by Lamb Clay NJ. Greene" The
cartcatLre
tended successfully carried out. chiefly through
the excellent imitation OF William Gillettes act
ing given by Joseph Holland. Probably nobody
else except Gillette himself could have acted so
much Ike Gillette. and yet It better than Gill
lette could have done H. because It a little bit
caricatured. II should be. There never any
body. on the stage OF. cool Holland was.
The villain OF the burlesque referred 10 his method
not unhappiy az the iccle school Of acting One
reason for Mr. Hollands success. no doubt was
that whatever the name OF the school TO which
Mr. Gillette belongs Mr.. Holland really belongs 10
the
At every climax OF interest no stops everything
else and lights a cigar. Lighting a cigar has long
been the favorte stage symbol for perfect coolness
but IL has usually been done by the villain. Mr.
Gillette transfers the action TO the hero. Mr.. Hol-
lands GOODNESS almost froze the mercury when the
villain began 10 shoot at him. In the telegraph Of
fee scene In the original play one shot is fred In
the burlesaue there were about eight At the first
one MI Holland stopped telegraphing put a dab
Of r a paint on his hand wrapped II In n handker-
chief and went on with his work AT the second
shot which came from hidden enemy tho
other side Of the stage he tore on BIT OF paper.
stuck II on his face and went on teegraphing. This
uas repeated TWO or three times In about as many
seconds IN two shots were fired at when he
reached inside hfs coat took out two bullets. threw
them on the floor and then 1T a cigar.
at the end Of the play a.! The other characters