The sun., 1897-09-27
SUBJECTS OF THE STAGE.
SHALL BARRooMS BE PERMITTED
IN DRAMATIC THEATRFSq


"The Fair in HiidEettown" by tho Liiipu-
tinna and OF "a Coat OF Many Colors" By
Mr. kelcey, Niss shannon. ana Company.
vexing question for the Mayor under the
present statutes and equally so for the makers
of future laws Is whether drinks shall bo sold In
theatres Conflicting interests enter into it. Some
OF the managers of dramatic theatre houses de-
sire to open bars so that men who 60 out OF the
auditorium to drink between acts need not
quit tho premises for that purpose. Such a
convenience would bo liked by many polite and
reputable frequenters of theatres, and the
amount Of personal liberty involved in ac
commodating them should be no offence to
anybody. But where manager would mako
his bar an obscure adjunct Of his establish
ment, another would have grog shop opening
wide upon the lobby Quite aside from any
controversy as to temperance or total absti-
nenco, that would be a.mstake Of both profess
sional and business policy. The prejudice
against theatrical entertainments has nearly
disappeared, and the remnant OF 1t is discrim-
inate. Our religious people now go to thea
tres, our moral people do, supporting clean
plays and avoiding dirty ones. To join tho
barroom and the stage would be blow at the
progress OF the drama, and there Is small dan
ger that It will bo struck. 1t Is no argument
to say that bars are in plain sight at all the
London theatres. Our public is not accus-
toned to such thing, and to introduce 1t
would surely tend to degrade our dramatic art
But there Is the music hall complication stand
ing in the way Of any easy settlement OF tao
question. These resorts are licensed to sell In
toxicating beverages and also to give concerts,
but they have no legal right to present any
thing like dramatic entertainment This re-
striction, however, has not been enforced with
in recent years. and from concerts these drink
ing resorts went into vaudeville, from that into
drama, and now they are In the practical en-
Of all the '4ss tim
. liquor business which is forbidden to them.
The police are disposed to this
they Il y could neither draw nor satisfy audiences
to a AlSany fSf to % be fought over. and It win be
hard fight, with hardly the possibility Of q set
Element that will not be condemned by thou-
sands Of our people.
The little actors at the Star must have a new
play every year. and Carl Rosenfeld. who.
under the name of Robert Breitenbach. writes
the pieces for them, Is very likely to indicate Q
knowledge of points that have already proved
popular. So these stunted actors usually go
through scenes which their larger colleagues
have acted before them. This year in THE
Fair In Midgettown" there Is o disrobing
episode Of the kind which was year ago novel
In the music halls. Two Of the little women.
selma Goerner and another, retire to their
room 1Or the nlRnC. Inc uOubo ls bttonBos auo
they are frightened, but they become calm
enough to undress. They wear ball gowns
which close and open down tho siues in an un-
usual manner. So the task of peeling them on
is not difficult. Then tho two stand revealed
in white pettiooats. They arc little women, but
broad, and the profile view is the moro becom.
ing when they arc in this costume. In o mo-
ment the petticoats drop. and there Is vision
of two pairs of divided skirts. One Of tho wo-
men is in pale blue this time. and the other in
pink. The skirts arc Of remarkable fulness.
and their lack Of length does not prevent these
two mites from looking extremely robust or
from showing unexpected possessions.
As Little Franz Ebert was amusing IN
his bath scene last winter, he Is again put
into the same situation-not In the flesh, but by
means Of the cinematograph. After the two
miniature women have gotten their clothes
OF and crawled into bed. two Of the men ap'
pear under the influence Of unaeGIstomed ,;4 oInsd
have been conceived BY any but German stage
manager.
In it are only bathtub and sponge 70 indi
SS uh shs e. 5s ensassSsrsps s5n
heard. The views represent Ebert j., and ID, HI:
s arems1 ssAsats aasnf in se sad
the mannerisms Of the comedians to add inter
est the effect Of the episode is even better tina,
Traph continues to increase its usefulness OF
the stage. The uncertainty q It's feSPonse en5 y
hs shers o' have aHs been times when the LiDutani
were not visible even after the machine vas II II
P Ihs ESefs Is
which our stage has seen something like mum
ber Of times within year yeSid or ssssS swS in bo,
is suddenly refractory. When the Lihputian
begin to dance the infant becomes uncontrolla
child blessed in a white baby cap and linel
skirt still cries out. and tries to get out Final
" 1t breaks away, and when once in the centr
Of the stage is seen to be the little Ebert, witt
takes Of his wig to bow TO the applaudtng spec
% The best episode in '"rhe Fair at Midget
town" comes at the close of the third act. whel
Napoleon l., the Emperor OF Austria, the Ca
the Kaiser friedrich, AS well as Won Moltke
Gen. Grant, Queen Victoria. and some othe
Their resemblance to the familiar pictures
remarkably good. but most striking is the the abso
ple who are representing these great ones
Even the originals could not salute ana NOV
with any greater distinction than the midget
Their brief talks with one another. thei q
manners, and their assumption on OF % %diFniity "a a.
Ing i one forget the bailets with, the eye glasse
decoration. In the newspaper ballet the color
were entirely Of white. black, and gray and
lugubrous effect thus created.
1t really looks in the first act Of "a Coat c
Many Colors" as though Herbert Kelcey woul
eject Ehio Shannon from his room with VII
lence. Every word seems preliminary to
physical act She is a woman lawyer instea
Of the ordinary man lawyer whom he expected
and his hatred of women makes him treat nc
with rudeness. That may be reprehensibl
enough, but any man might shy at first eI
counter with woman lawyer few minute
before his dinner He might be short or eve
brusque. But would he act as though he WEI
about To throw her out the Window Woul
ks speak to her as though he were about
fling "a plate at her head, and could scarcel
restrain himself from punching her In the jaw
That is the impression which Mr.. Kelcey give
In the first act of Mrs. Ryleys play. He wa
never 30 brutal in the past. and manly genti
ness with women used TO be about the mo-