The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-20
VIEWS OF STAGE AFFAIRS.
OWE FAVoRITE ENGLISH ACTOR
WHO ADMIRED AMERICA.

'aS fNE So was ~SNaANAs NV
prone to disfavor us privately, when they get
back home. no matter how many of our dollars
may bo blinking in their purses. 1t is a contrary
fact that William Terriss, whose assassination
has brought him into consideration far and
wide. was n sincere ndmirer OF America. This
feeling was not due to gratitude for anything
that our audiences had done for him. 1t is true
that he was liked and praised when no was
hero ms tho leading actor in Henry Irving's com.
pany. but before that he had failed In o pro.
fessional tour, and his intention to try
again was not found feasible. His social
and theatrical popularity in London was Inn
mense. He was one of the Prince of Wales's
cronies and n well.bebaved one. He was an idol
of all sorts OF audiences. from tho fashionable to
the multitudlnous. He readily commanded a
salary Of 5000 q week. which is the equivalent
Of 81. 900 in Now York. Tho obituary articles
have mentioned his thrift. He was very rich in
consequence Of fortunate risks and shrewd in
veatments. An instance OF his sound Judgment
was associated with the first really profitable
use OF n serious American drama in England.
Mr.. Terriss was here with Irving when The
Girl I Left Behind Me" was in its first season.
He said that, in spite Of its Indians and other
native elements 1t would be accepted in London,
and that he wished to enact Its hero there. It
was mainly through his influence that Charles
Frohman decided to send the play abroad. Mr..
Terriss's prediction proved true. He acted in the
piece eight months at tho Adelphi. and 1t has
American drama now at Wallack's. "a Ward
OF France" was acted one afternoon ut a Lon
s rGs who had i been aV N i neaotistion with Kiiiw &
Erlangcr. witnessed the perfunctory represen.
the X1eiphi. The subsequent success OF the
piece In Philadelphia decided the matter. and
% Snly en ass q SSA ia G IF the sS s'secr Hs S seTVic e,%p pr re
vented his London appearance in a third Ameri.
can melodrama.
One of the typical May Irwin scenes in 1.-THE
Swell Miss Fitzwell" is when the actress
speaks through the telephone to a friend. She
illustrates amusingly the difficulties OF getting
into communication, and her talk when she 10
once in the full swing of gossip is even moro
10. 1t is plain from the expression of her faco
just what is being said from the other end, and
her EXPLANATIONS have the effect OF verifying
what haa been already detected. Another cpl
aode which shows Miss Irwin ut her best
Is the discovery that her husband Is
not In reality devoted to another wo
man. As this knowledge gradually breaks
over her, the expression Of her visage changes
from establishment to pathetic distress. She
looks then like q baby preparing itself for an
outbreak Of tears, but it subsidies into the pre-
liminary stages of q good cry. 1t represents
truthfully that stage of emotion which is for
tn6 opCCIhlOIb u oCliInto nv Vi bhk Siu
tears. Miss Irwin ends by making 1t humorous.
and its conclusion Is one OF the broadly amusing
moments in the play. In the last act, when she
tries to persuade o woman not to worry over q
husbands conduct because worry brings crows
feet which all the cold cream In New York
cannot take away" Miss Irwin completes the
third of the funny scenes she has during the play.
Her efforts to persuade her friend to Join her in
0 whiskey and soda in the summer house show
that she has not lost that spontaneous humor
Sibit ali m Of her Qualities MtHe" in so Ways that might
never be repeated. She no longer jokes about
her rotnndity or the size Of her mouth. She does
some lively dancing. which shows that she
q %, IT,. '''l. with IMMUNITY MAKE J.. her = lat "a . matter
out of touch with the scene. but Miss Irwin
could not fail to give it some effectiveness.
feature aaf I est to the as' ext paa' that S"t'"''TiShs The Swell MISS
Fftzwell depends on negro songs. With all
i; ;ee esr p e Clear sr' ssa tr shs viii : Rr In the pi fGta msF res
Quire for the display of her talents something
elittie more expert than this farce. It's form
Miss Twins New York popularity. but in tho
future. she may be damaged when she alone
personality to bear tho burden Of a whole even
ing's entertainment. Many of the things that
n Miss Ifw pIny aq Sa, a sR. WoSIS be sF seem sTn to %ue II b ssr
ter advantage were 1t not so obvio sthat she does
p play aa with 10 more l1ors cor cons sister eS' and l eaau evident
effort to keep 1t moving would produce better
results with less hard work by the actress. She
IL now capable-and. for that matter, long has
been-of playing in pieces far above the level Of
this one. Her own humor. her rag.timo songs,
and her intimate association with the audience
would not be out OF place in such aplay as the
best of the dramatists might make for her, and
the question OF !" lifting her with q part. Given
q good farce. with a part that has an, posi-
self. It looks as though most OF her comic scenes
in THE Swell Miss Fitzwell' were entirely the
creations OF her own ingenuity and humor. She
mil nHHn M T1I.rh m nnV nIA
The lack OF support that led the opera com.
pany at the Garden Theatre to close its engage
ment on Saturday night illustrates in a measure
the present feeling toward cheap opera. and offer
an example to the company which is about to
undertake n long season at the American.
Tho performances at the Garden were given at
full Broadway theatre prices. and the character
Of the production WAS perhaps up to the stand.
ard OF many previous ventures in English opera
at lower rates that have met with success; but
English opera, to meet with public support now,
must be very, very cheap, and in that feature
of tho enterprise about to commence al
tho American tho best chance Of pros
perity seems to lie. Tho quality OF the
performance will doubtless be quite as good al
that which the company at the Garden offered
at prices twice as high. The top limit at the
American is to be rs cents. and ct the Wednesday
mntinGes the entire house will be available al
p5 cents a seat. Certainly. operas OF tho kind
which the Castle Square Company is said to Civ.
were never OF cred at such moderate figures. The
fee would in most cases admit a person only tc
the top gallery OF one of the cheaper theatres
and the luxury of sitting in an orchestra seal
for that cost should be enough In itself to create
. taste for operagoing in the public. No theatre
is better suited Tor experiments of a popular
nature than the American. and anything the
would keep that beautiful playhouse in regular
use will have the advantage of the friendlies,
prcdisposition.
In nearly all attempts at English opera there
have been in the company two or three personi
who spoke with such a strong foreign accen'
that what they sung was quite as unintclliRiblt
as II they had sung in their OWE tongues. Tn,
Castle Square Company makes a preliminary
promise 10 have It's singers speak ana sing will
accents that are very. very slight or quit'
nonresident. Even Mrs. Tnurbcr's ambitious
attempt TO give opera in English on II very grand
scale was not without the disad vantages thu
come from the irropresslble accents of thu
AinKers. In England. where tho Chr