The herald., 1897-09-12

their adequate presentation. In the large
cities of the east the people have be-
come jaded to the verge of safety with
the many and varied forms of entertain
ment offered them, and in their craving
for novelty frequently patronize mere
theaters that would not be tolerated in
a mining camp; but the condition of the
western play-goer is more healthy-his
dramatic enterta inment must be sound
and good. Pictures of human love, will
touch his heart, suffering arouse his
sympathy, self-sacrifice stir his gener-
Gus impulses and noble deeds appeal
to his keenest sensibilities. Ever may
it be so, that we may find in that glorious
section Of this great country patronage
and encouragement for the highest and
best forms Of the drama as an incentive
to the genius and imagination of our
authors to write good and worthy plays
and our actors of ability and. skill tc
present them"
A Dramatic Mirror correspondent calls
it won Motzeluee's The Stranger" and
the proof reader of the leading dramatic
paper in America let's it go at that. Alas
for poor Won Kotzebue! He is forgotten
dust and his once admired play, in which
the leaders of the legitimate school were
fond Of starring, is now filed in the
archives Of the past with other mildewed
evidences of forgotten greatness.
+ + 4
A company Of eight people has lately
been touring Mexico with great sue
cess, giving an entertainment Of ballet
pantomime, with original music and
some beautiful spectacular stage effects
The performers come from Paris, and
are said to be thoroughly up-to-date in
their line of work. Upon leaving Mex
leo they will travel direct to Los An
geles, and will appear at the Orpheum
about Oct. 18th as La Compagnie Fran
caise de Ballet" the title under which
they are everywhere billed.
+ + =
The long promised spectacle upon
which many thousands Of dollars and
months Of preparation were spent has
been produced at the Academy, New
York, under the quite insipid title of
Mature" The Courier slashes it Sec
undum artem in an article of which the
following are specimen paragraphs:
Nature" at the Academy, is too un-
natural The scenery is superb, the
cast excellent the music rotten and the
story stale. Ed Hoff was suffering
from an liberated throat the first night
last Thursday-and so did not do him
self justice. Merrie Osborne, Amelia
Bingham, Joe Cawthorne and the rest
were capital. But the spectacle must
be cut and rewritten to succeed. Take
it all in although I doubt if
you could take it 'alf and 'alf-"Na-
ture" is a silly spectacle, witless and
gross, feeble and vulgar. The only re-
deeming thing about it is that you don't
have to go and see it.
y \ =
The Dramatic Mirror announces that
the New York Independent theater is an
accomplished fact With the exception
of a few minor details, all arrangements
have been completed, and a series of
matinees will be inaugurated late in
October, with Ibsen's John Gabriel
Borkman," under the stage direction of
E. ]. Henley. Following this, the Nor
wegian dramatist's Ghosts" "Hedda
Gabler," and "A Wild Duck" will be
given. Every effort is being made to
secure new plays, if possible Of native
manufacture, and several are under con-
sideration, although but one has been
actually passed upon for production.
This is translation from the French
by young Partisan painter, writing un-
der the nom de plume of Pol Laurent,
and is to be called "Philistinism" The
action takes place in the Quartier-Latin
Of Paris, and several of the characters
are sketched from actual types-notably
the leading male role, which is modelled
on the personality Of the eccentric Paul
Verlaine. 1t will probably be done in
Paris before it is produced in New York
in December The plays will be mount
ed adequately, but without any great
attempt at elaborateness, and the best
available players will be secured for
each production. Charles B. Cochran
is the general director of the enterprise.
la Reina Papinta" is a musically
sounding title, and infinitely more eu-
phonious than LA Loie Fuller" in the
same measure as lie reina herself eclipses
her much advertised rival in the grace
and beauty of her performance.
The Grand Central Theater company
has been incorporated in this state to
erect new play house in Oakland, mod
eled upon Morosco's in San Francisco.
The directors are A. H. Blow, c. S.
McNally, Alexander Thomson, Charles
Stewart and F. w. Stechan, former man
ager of the Oakland theater.
4 +
William H. Crane, comedian. opens at
the Baldwin. in San Francisco. tomor-