The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-30
AFFAIRS OF THE THEATRE.
A STAGE REPR ESENTATIoN OF TEE
CASE OF MRS. MAYBRICK.

InnknW-N0W0 OF the Managers ana the
~PInywriGhts - accidents OF the Read.
At the Harlem Music Hall yesterday after.
noon thore was the first performance on any
stage of q dramatic sketch entitled Gagged"
II was described as IAN episode Of the living
death of Florence Maybrick." 1t had boon
written by Kenneth Lee. q successful author Of
short plays, for use In vaudeville programmes,
and was played by Gertrude Norman and Mrs.
Ashford Griffith. Tho latter was seen rs a Wis
itor TO the Jail that hold Mrs. Mdybrick, who
was represented by tho other actress. The visit
or. was disclosed in charge of q matron of the
institution, and alluded t~carfully to tho gloom
OF her prison surroundings, which were repre-.
sentod by q pink and white interior setting.
Those Of the listeners who found anything fun.
ny in this incongruity were the only ones who
saw anything amusing in tho whole affair,
for in q moment Mrs. Mdvbrick appeared.
and the floods Of woo wero turned on full.
II was thereafter almost o monologuo
Of gloom, her companion doing nothing but
weep and feed" At ono point tho visitor
handed to the prisoner photographs Of the lat.
tors children. and the comely and comfortable
prison attendant stepped forward to examine
them before they were permitted to pass to tho
prisoner. That was the affairs climax of ac-
ton, and the height Of sombreness was difficult
10 place, since everything was funereal. 1t was,
In effect, the recital Of a condemned woman's
wrongs to q sympathetic listener. but perhaps
tho darkest moment was when the pictures
vere passed back because Of the nhuman regu-
iations of English prisons, though much of the
prisoners relation of her experiences was
aimed straight at tear ducts. Previous to the
performance there was s~peechmaking. MIR.
Clark Bell spoke Of the Maybrick case. and was
followed BY DR.. George W. Grover. Both wero
earnest supporters OF the convicted woman's
.,.t,, e. tupocapoa and rho pneettuO xvna anoHap
of % an attempt to create q diversion for an
American woman. IN an English prison." Be.
tween the trend of the speeches and the work of
the trained playwright there was such o diver.
eance that when all was tower It was difficult
TO understand the meetings real significance.
M sh1a'!Ma ay ySrSiep was 70 Be- helped in i ,shis case
only through the employment In vaudeville TO
sorts Of Gertrude Norman.
The vogue Of the skirted man must have been
great outside Of New York. "Charley's Aunt
anished the popularity Of that stage figure In
ths city. Subsequent attempts 70 revive IL
failed. 'The Strange Adventures Of Miss
Brown" met with no Endorsement. This year
miss Francis of Yale aroused derision only.
For metropolitan use the fun Of It Ii exhausted
But there ia occasional evidence that It survives
vigorously on tho circuits. 'srhe Nancy Hanks"
In the latest. In the second act OF that FARGO Q
young Frenchman decides for no particular
reason to put on o woman's dress. He shaves
of his beard to do the Job completely. Tho
shaving process II the same that Ignacio Mar
tinettipractices in '"The swell Miss Fitzswel."
Moro expertly. though:even then 1t ia not very
amusing. But ct the Garden the whiskers
finally com OF. and although tho spectators
may not desire so much entertainment, tho hair
does como of, and that IL all that 10 really neces
sary. Then tho skirt IL slipped over the mans
head. A wig hangs conveniently ct hand.
That, with the pink Mother Hubbard robe,
transforms him into ono Of those travesties that
result when o man on the stage tries to dress
and act like . woman He even goes to the ex-
tent of singing In dialect Q song from "The Girl
from Paris" or sounds 30. When that Il fin
ished the callous spectators know that the time
can be- heard In anticipation. tie words. why.
he SsDs .sass IN me sr for s Z wS~ HANK. That Th ,as sd %aH
enters and there ensues one Of those scenes OF
we ws0ia ats. wn!sa;t 4 sn;o sEs E n es sssss s "a ssDqS5s asI
New York does not and win not laugh as
s so@ c e aaing: vo Ias an M0 enduring faet truth tias 81 hu.
man conduct when she explained apologeticaly
w1 Thsr nsr a e~n q t nS@b @ss Of theatrical characters
heroine e an actress; and 90 e The chief somlSS
long lon n done %si Service VIC H ON bill boards. Marie Jan.
sspre is nhs her nsFGil IN he sp s9es Sn1 si Ii t Witch dSse s8s Wors
es many years ago as the time IN which Francis
not last season; Tho others are prints Of va.
Eious gerio.comio actresses who have done:duty
SHOWN e ~nid tor q de ms%0e Of e ewo ,an sut the xsf aafy.
mospSero" IL supplied BY other means as
well. over a screen hangs some feminine I'M an
VIEW Vie" It I'll Is q q Tradition that plays Of stage lie
otSsr actors Has sn'g Surely such vieSss Of tSe stage
fsss ns TO S E l fsis. extent than Its own aif'''
one eh Srls sSSssF mihRRte s0'H TRs Si o aaS seS9 %his sss w ass
represents the superannuated beau, suddenly
s Sas 8, into t,nn sSDanitss a an6 Fl, I liz Ssfs Of slF FSe
conventional. Spanish dancer Is amusing and
. credit to his own lightness Of foot; II is in"
sen's ballads. 4 have q song for every dress.
abe says, and changes her gown two or three
T T%e' ste %sas!!' i r0f tho seS e0Rn afip1es 81 houses ousss S Would
scarcely dare ar to be SO Hn6lTsh ~ g.. But the
i sHtf how q Se gets t SSiaaSyi into nsf the farce r. a0' 30 care
Edward 8. Willard has been playing David
Garrick" In Philadelphia, and the critics say
that he was excellent, though not brilliant Sol
Smith Russell was not liked by Chicago in "The
Tanning of tho Shrew" but was accepted in "The
Rivals" Robert s. Hilliard expects to bring
out a comedy of his own, "a New Yorker" with
Marie Burroughs as the heroine. Minnie Selig-
man-Cutting contemplates a return to the stage
In o play of society which Clyde Fitch wrote for
the late Carrie Turner. James J. Corbett Is to
appear in Q drama by Henry Guy Carleton.
As a part of O charity affair in Denver. Nellie
McHenry rode through the streets in an open
carriage driven by Buffalo Bill. tho trip ending
at a public square, where she sang ballads. and
he passed his hat, which the crowd filled with
money.
Two comedians important In "a Boy Want
cd became Ill suddenly in Cincinnati. 1t hap
pened that q minor company was on a tour of
Indiana In the same farce. By means OF a tele-
phone and q special train the requisite actors
were drafted, and a 81 200 Christmas audience
was saved at the cost of a $500 one.
Lawrence j. Hanley Is well, known to DO an
actor Of irregular habits. and SO. when he was
700 III with a fever to play in st. Louis, the
management announced to tle audience that no
ApAa