The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-12
+ ON OUR STAGE.
4 ROMANTIC DRAMA AND A COMO
OPERA, NOT AMERICAN.

OF France, mt waiincL's ana The nigh
wayman" Mt the nro. .iwnS-Thc Changes
and Continunnccs OF Theatrical Diveraion.
A romantic drama. "a Ward OF France" and
. comic opera, Tho Highwayman." arc tho
new plays to be performed in this city tomorrow
night Both nro American in authorship. De
Kbven and Smith. practiced collaborators. have
written respectively tho music and words OF
"The Highwayman." which has been in use
month or more elsewhere, and Is said to sus.
tain tho reputation which its makers earned
with Robin Hood" They have gone back n
hundred yenrs In England for the period and
place of their work. Their hero Is an audacious
robber, who waylays coaches on the York road.
and whose identity is n mystery to all
savo the heroine, who knows that he
and she have been boy and girl sweet
hearts. She obtains n pardon for him. because
he has been a brave soldier before taking to
highway robbery. The document is delayed by
o villainous rival, and tho young woman, in
order TO recover It in time to save her lovers
life, assumes the guise of tho mnrauder. 1t
happens that two other persons simultaneously
pretend to be tho bandit. 1t IL from this com.
plication that the action OF the piece arises. Tho
company which Andrew A. Mccormick has or
Nanized TO interpret the Dc Koven.Smith piece
includes Joseph o'Mnra. Hilda Clark. Jerome
Sykes, Van Rensselaer, Wheeler, Nellie Brag-
kihos hou iiohiDs DohhSi ohe W
s. Corliss. The outfit of costumes and scenery
is said to be handsome.
The new drama to be produced at wallack's.
"a Ward Of France" IL the joint work Of Fyles
and prcsbrcy. 1t Ia described as n semi.histori-
cal romance Of New Orleans at the beginning Of
the present century, when the Crescent City was
in Its early Creole days of min gled nationalities,
shifting Governments. and chaotic society. The
title is descriptive Of a young girl who. though
- -. q T,A.-I Lt-Nh --l t- h-.
acter. is deportcd TO Louisiana with n party Of
"cassattes,' or criminals. The persecution and
the defence of this maiden make the story Of
the play. In a prologue she Is shown as a pupil
at a convent school of Havre. The four acts of
the play proper illustrate her misadventures in
New Orleans. The authors are said to have taken
tho cession Of Louisiana by Spain TO France, and
thence to the United States. as the historical cpl
sode upon which to hinge their fiction, and to
have introduced several real personages us ac-
tive characters. The Spanish Governor and the
French Envoy are free-hand sketches from life,
and another a CURE to which conspicuousness is
given is Jean LATTE, whose career on the Gulf
or Mexico covered ten years Of actual and
very prosperous piracy. The real Lafitte
was a power in New Orleans. and his exploits
are described in many published volumes. In
the play he is an important factor. He is
to be enacted by Maurice Barrymore. Another
role from which q unique interest may be cN-
pected is that OF n quadroon fortune teller por-
trayed by Elita Proctor Otis. Two pairs of
lovers are played by Stephen Grattan. Una
Abel, Max Figman, and Maud Winter. The
representatives Of the Spanish. French. and
American Governments are Joseph Z. Whiting,
Henry Herman, and George Osborne. Among
the others in the cast are Maud Granger. Ste
pben Wright, and Ursula Gurnet. "A Ward
Of France" is the production Of Klaw s. Erlan-
ger. and they have given to it the lavishly
mounting which the subject matter
demanded. The representations Of New Orleans
in 1903 are declared to be true, comprehensive
and very spectacular.
The last work OF Franz Won Suppe will have
Its first performance ut the Irving Place next
Thursday night. 1t is called THE Model"
The writers of the words for Won Suppe's mu.
sic are Victor Leon and Ludwig Held. play
wrights of note in Austria. The model Is a
laundry girl, and her service in art causes
trouble in her love affairs. She Is a coquette.
but not vicious. and after her conduct has given
rise to q duel. she repents of her slight naughti-
mess and marries her forgivine wooer. This
role is to be taken here by Julie Kopacsy, and
she should be able to make much Of 1t.
Those players who are at the heads of compa-
mics now in town are fortunate in having help
full companions. The enormous popularity of
Maude Adams might triumph over many diff
culties, but IL does not need to. The cast of
1.-THE Little Minister at the Garrick is admira-
BILE. Mr.. Edeson. as the young clergyman. is
both clever and winsome, and Mr.. Thompson
makes n striking and consistent character of the
rigorous Scotch churchman.
With John Drew at the Knickerbocker in "a
Marriage of Convenience" are Miss Irving. ade-
quate and altogether lovely as the wife; Mr..
pyrop MIA vino tho avtranaOua lnvar In n human
and intelligent fashion. and Miss De Wolfe.
making much that is subtle and unique of the
lady's maid. Mr.. Drew will continue here in
this play until the LIST of January, when the
Frohman stock company will come home to pro-
duce 1.-THE Conouerors." by Paul Potter.
Tho talent and beauty of Maxine Elliott, and
the same qualities to a lesser degree In her sis
ter. Gertrude Elliott. are aids TO N. c. Goodwin
at the Knickerbocker. where his engagement
will terminate with the first week OF January.
"An American Citizen " is the only play that he
will require. either here or during the rest of
tho season elsewhere. so the production OF Clyde
Fitch's Nathan Hale" is deferred for a year.
whom the comedian will come to the Knicker-
booker again.
A bevy of uncommonly comely actresses, Sc
lected with n view to stylishness in fashionable
toilets. is with May Irwin at the Bijou in Tho
Swell Miss Fitzwell." and she makes valuable
use OF tneW, especially IN tne Baruen ocone Oh
the last act, where they not only sing the cho-
rnscs OF her songs. but in their groupings form
attractive pictures. Miss Irwin means to keep
her hold on people who know when fine clothes
are finely worn.
The characters In THE Princess and the But
terfy' are so numerous that the small stage of
the Lyceum is sometimes crowded by them, but
they mako no confused assemblage. and they
represent with fidelity the best aspects of modish
society. Miss Opp and Miss Mannering are at
the front of these exhibitions, but their COM
panions are equally slightly. The next play at
this theatre. early in January. will be THE Tree
of Knowledge" which is filling the whole season
at the st. James in London.
The company that is e~nacting Tho White
Heather at the Academy of Music is fortunate
in Miss Coghlan as its outspoken and bold
hammered Countess. because an actress of recog-
niZed authority is requisite in the part. Mr..
Carlisle. Miss May and Miss Bingham bear their