The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-28
FARCES FULL OF FOoLERY.
NEW PLITS ALL FOR FUN At THE
CABIN0 AND THE GARDEN.

with Marie Jansen ne n vaudeville siren.
A performed at the Casino last night, THE
Tclephono Girl was a vivined version of n
FARGO which had originated In Paris, and had
come to New York by the way OF London. Hugh
Morton had reworded 1t, Gustave kerker
had provided music for II, and George
w. Ledcrer had put 1t on the stage.
Those men had striven to fill 1t with
foolery, melody, and scnsuous sights. all
In the Casino manner. and to mako of 1t an en-
tertninment such as the supporters OF that
theatre prefer TO anything like dignihed drama.
The first act was at a central telephone station,
and here tho business of such n place was
trayestied ,recklessly. Tho hello girls were n
saucy lot as to airs and clothes. and one OF
them-the heroine OF the play-overheard a con-
vorsation over the wires between her lover and
an actress, tho nature of which disturbed her
very much with jealousy. Other participants
in this scene were a German inspector, q
natronly superintendent, n sentimental office
boy, q pert luncheon girl, an aged beau.
and n ballet master. A second act was at the
gorgeous home of a vaudeville actress, and here
all the characters before introduced were joined
by several others, and the two love affairs that
had been started reached an end. This scene
was q really beautiful interior. and 1t was filed
several times attractively with dancers. In
deed, unusual pains and expense had been
incurred.
But the careful preparations led only to dis
sster. Tho piece was rejected by the audi
cpce with disdain, contempt, and something
like anger. The limit of immodesty has
uiways boon far and broad at the Casino.
but this time the performance went
beyond It. The house was crowded by the kind
of finely dressed people who habitually go there
on opening nights. The first act contained moth.
WINS mot very 1iygrtlnu. IL was received
with aecorOas attention; ou and with h.,,. a
was half done a party Of eighteen men and
womon In the parquet arose from their seats.
theatre. That sct an example which others
were not slow to follow. The descr-
snSuins half hour the aSsemblage was reduced
by a third. Again before the fall Of the curtain
chorus was sung by the astonished and abashed
company. to a dispensing remnant mn OF the audienes.
unexpected and complete fiasco. The cause of
this was Its nastiness. A fouler piece OF foolery
a snS hardly tSsrS ever wei. be non p msrit sSi,, 5 = NeT 70 YORK. SGR.
done the offensiveness. The characters were
trapsfers from previous and successful plays.
actors who had been recently seen in them.
Louis Mann reproduced his German from The
and elaborate it that he became an intolerablo
bore instead of the amusing dolt that he
French siren that she had been In the piece at
tho Herald Square. but the role was carried into
unpleasant. For disgusting quality. how
oyer, nothing and nobody bod o9maIllesd ed the
S Shs99st9T Whis ss G 3a be c Disk for' h It w Sssn ts se
girl.ehasipg cid nan man. whom Hi1 " we fha hid Hfdv in ni "A
Rentler sex. while here he was a senile sup
porter of the vaudeville actress, and a drool-
telephone girls. One of the songs which no
sang. with the accompanying action of lolling
and tempting young women, is quite I'M
AS if enough of meretricious matter had not
seductive telephone belle. The German superin.
tendent who made all the female employees kiss
Who MRolS sad ' rst Gld It'll mH another Sfs w siste assSEi @sn @ %a 8
introduced along toward the end of the play: He
mas the m nsry h times In T faroes. We a ea hsd seen som SO
who had been recommended' to- him By
her. He was introduced to the French girl in.
stead, and his ardent assault upon her. begin
climax in a draught of wine from a slipper
taken from her foot. alarmed the women who
still remained in the auditorium. nauseated the
doors.
It 10 q sad but unfortunate incident Of human
affairs that while only success and prosperity
are visible to the unobservant glance, there
may be deeper feelings and even sorrows hidden
from the view of the world. 1t has often been
said that New York is a provincial town. With
its commercial prominence. its several million
inhabitants and its metropolitan air. this city has
been often, within recent years. accused of a
total inability to appreciate that which is most
genuine and characteristic in native thought
and art. Literature has come out of the West.
which left us unmoved. From the minute study
of Chicago Office buildings to some of Hamlin
Garland's more recent Investigations into
Western social lifs, we have refused utterly to
respond to the literary cry of the country out
side of New York. We have closed our eyes, and
ears as well, to such dramatic products OF New
England as Margaret Fleming" which both
Boston and William Howells praised when
James Horne first produced 1t there. Pos
Dibly Now York has been really provincial
and confined itself to praising that narrow limit
Of work which happened to entertain 1t. Such
n course was not worthy of q great city. Pun
ishment was bound to follow. II 1t came to New
York, which was arrogant enough in the old
boundaries, how much stronger did the lesson
have to be made when a great increase in the
city's limits was impending Evidently the
time was ripe for tho metropolis to DO called
down. Its sympathies had to be broadened.
Heroic measured were necessary for the crisis.
as It seemed necessary to make New York sym.
Z RAi means s', at 1 Ssnd. "Th sHS Na rSisaf 4a lnese T Tas
been highly p hy. PS5 raj ID in .t towns outside = Of New
VIA = v hho bou II hpploNhi VI luOIc llUtThl
and less prejudiced centres OF thought than this
Tilful metropolis. Moth ng better could have
been chosen as a missionary effort. II
we had to be brought into sympathy
the remedy for our peryerseness. "My Boys
at the Manhattan. had failed completely TO en-.
large our point of view. Our restricted horizon
was as limited as ever. So Tho Nancy Hanks
Gang as a final attempt to lombard our hard
sned proyinc'alism. Il was acted at the Garden
Theatre last night. The full effect of the dose
was mitigated by an allowance of Marie Jansen
who has a place in the affections Of New YORK.
theatregoers., She was a figure in the farce which
Frank rannehill, Jr., had written. Miss Janser
was not entirely dislodged, She is too we'll liked
for That. Bnt II seemed as the play came to an enc
that New York was still obdurnte. Even unde,
such g strenuous attempt il refused to DO con
verted. Maybe 1T ID prcjudiccd and narrow be
yond all hope. II was deaf to the appeal o
M Boys" Evidently it was determined no
to listen to the voice OF other regions as 1t wa
expressed by THE Nancy Hanks last night
Maybe the attempt is hopeless. To have re
sisted NJ Boys" as well as the latest OF out.ot
town triumphs, shows a stubborn disposition.
sembrieh Hoard 10 Advantage In Parts Q
s.Tha WRaHhan al Rnwttt