The record-union., 1897-08-22

-
( other mon, there was a pertinacious
misconception that he was not an orig
inal author It was not until he struck
| out boldly alone and made his record
good with The Heart of Maryland,
! that people generally, learned what
| those acquainted with Mr.. BelaSco
knew before, that he was a creative
| genius as well as an expert handler of
| other folks matter Now he stands at
| the fore among American playwrights.
/ 1t is likely that another producer OF
! other mems plays and instructor in
stage arts Eugene w. Presbrey, will
come to the front next season as
dramatic author on his own account.
Besides collaborating in a forthcoming
romantic piece, "A Ward of France"
, he is the sole writer of "A Virginia
! Courtship,' made to order for William
| H Crane, and containing character
meant to fit that comedian. Mr.. Pres
brey, like Mr.. Belaco. is a member of
the faculty of the American Academy
of the Dramatic Arts, and has pointed
many novices the way to stage dis
| tinction He is a painter, a musician,
and a lecturer He began to direct re-
hearsals with A. NJ. Palmer's stock
company, and has been responsible for
many of the more artistic productions
up to the present.
Palermo has just built itself an ope
ra house that cost $4,000, 900. Paler-
mos theater was opened recently with
Verdis "Falstaff' When it was de-
cided to build the opera house in 1864
Palermo was enjoying a period of
prosperity, and it was at that time be-
| lieVed that the city would increase
| greatly in wealth and population. 1t
was not proposed even at that time to
pay more than 81, 100000 for the opera
house, but it cost almost three times
as much before it was completed sew
eral months ago. Then the slump
came, and the affairs of Palermo never
! improved. So it finds itself to-day in
the possession of the finest opera
house in Italy, an enormous munich
pal debt, and the difficulty of deter
mining where in the world the people
will come from to fill the theater.
Smyth and Rice have just concluded
the purchase of a new comedy by Lieu
they will produce next season with a
play is yet undetermined.
Miss Mary Shaw has been engaged as
| leading woman in the supporting COM
pany of Mrs. Fiske for next season.
She will play the strong part of Mari
an in Tess of the D'UrbervilIes.
The report that the Italian tragedian
Signor Zacconi was about to appear in
London was premature. 1t was intend
ed that he should appear at Her
Majesty's, but that theater will be oc-
| cupied otherwise, and the arrange
ments have fallen through
At a recent meeting of the Profess
| ional Woman's League, New York
City, Mrs. Alice Butler presiding, read
a paper on "Garrick's Shakespeare
Jubilee" Mrs. Butler said that, in
view of the approaching jubilee of the
| league, this was an appropriate sub
ject, and might give them some hints
for their own celebration.
''Garricks jubilee said Mrs. Butler,
was given in Stratford in 1869. 9th
ers have taken place since, but his was
the first and greatest, notwithstand-
ing the many difficulties that were
placed in his way. The gentry of the
neighborhood aided him in every way
possible, one proprietor going so far as
to cut down one hundred trees to open
the view; but the peasantry were dis
trustful and suspicious, and when, on
the second day, the rain fell in torrents
and the Avon invaded the place of the
prospective festivities, they considered
| ind 1f
provision was made for the guests,
who came in great numbers from every
quarter of the Kingdom, and the suffer
ing they endured and the extortion of
the residents were long remembered as
the real features of the jubilee. 1t
was said that one gentleman who at
tended the jubilee paid nine guineas for
six hours sleep, and was charged two
shfllings extra because he asked the
time
There was to have been a grand
exhibition of fireworks and Il masquer-
ade on the evening of the second day:
but, though the rain had ceased by
that time, the pyrotechnics were SO
damp that they would not go off Tie
masquerade took place and was unri-
vailed in brilliancy, though the horses
that drew the carriages of the gayly
| appareled women had to wade knee
deep in water to reach the great rotun-
da that had been built especially for the
occasion.
The next day there was a horse
race, though the track was covered
with a foot of water The winner was
a groom who had never heard o.
Shakespeare.
1t was said at the time that there
had never before been such a flood of
the Avon within the memory of the
Oldest man living
'The jubilee was reproduced after
ward at the Drury Lane Theater and
ran for ninety-two nights"
In the autumn Mabel Terry Lewis.
daughter of the famous actress Kate
Terry, viii appear as the heroine of a
romantic play, by DR.. Dabbs, called
The Blind Singer
A sister of Mrs. Patrick Campbell re-
Gently made her appearance on the Lon
don stage in 9 small part. and is said to
have made very favorable impression.
Richard Mansfield has signed con-
tract with Edwin Knowles to play an
eight-weeks' engagement at the Fifth
Avenue Theater, beginning October
25th.
! Gemma Beliincioni has announced
that she will retire from the stage. as
she says she is unwilling to appear
again without Alberto Stagno. with