The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-09-05

WAS uOl pdIt III no IINutccA ouitVu W
him and refused to enter the cast himself.
Not only this, but Mr.. Fiske asserted In
his petition to the court that the actor
had given the play into the hands Of
| most incompetent lot OF players ind had
STAGED 1t In an unworthy and Inadequate
manner.
And Mr. Fiske was right. His play is a
| good one OF its kind, but a spectator not
experienced In theatrical matters would
have some difficulty In discovering the fact
from the production now on at the star.
The programme does not show the lame
OF a single person OF reputation In melo-
l drama. This would make no difference II
the players could act. Though with tie
i average audience few popular names SO
a long way natural. forceful and cony!nc-
ing acting. even by unknown, never fails
to win due recognition. But the people
now playing THE Privateer'' do not come
| in either class. They are unknowns and
| make one think they are also amateurs.
| Their movements are clumsy, as Il they
| felt out Of place; their defamation is la
bored. At times their struggles for dia-
matte effect are really ludicrous and filters
OF amusement run through the audience,
even penetrating the barbaric precincts OF
| the upper gallery There are many OPP
portunities to display elaborate scenery,
but Mr.. Morrison threw all but one or
| two Of them away.
THE Privateer' Is as we'll constructed a
play as has been written in many a day.
| 1t Is melodrama of the old school and
abounds In thrills and heroics. The ell
makes are strong and exciting. and, even
with poor acting, work the audience up to
a great pitch of enthusiasm. The play has
the usual melodramatic characters the
hero who saves the lives of everybody in
sight and rights wrongs by the score, the
villain who plots against all with whom he
comes ir contact to his own final destruc |
ton. the wronged heroine in the inevitable |
black dress the proud and unforgiving |
father, the founding who turns out to be |
the son Of nobleman the miser and his |
bags of gold, etc-and they are wildly |
drawn in conventional form.
Presented by company that could do 1t |
Justice and set with appropriate scenic eff
fects, 1.-THE Privateer" would be Il success. |
1t is to be hoped that Mr.. Flske will Sc
cure an injunction and compel the manager
to stage the play according to his ideas
before taking 1t on the road.
every Little Faust and Much Marguer-
ite' is the peculiar title OF comic opera
now running in the Auditorium of the
Olympia. 1t is no more peculiar than per-
pleying for one can hardly determine its
significance, even after having seen the
performance. OF course the idea is a bur-
lcsque or the opera and story OF Faust"
II it were called Very Little Faust and
Very Little Marguerite" the appropriate
ness Of the title would be evident, for the
name alone is the only thing in common
between its principal characters and the
beings made immortal by Goethe and Gou-
nod. But the Much" Marguerite keeps
the audience guessing and makes it wonder
right up to the last If there is not some
hidden meaning which the fall Of the last
curtain VIII make plain.
In this latest version OF the old story |
Faust is represented in the first act as the
principal of Kindergarten. Valentine
briggs his little sister Marguerite, an ex-
ceedlngly frsky young miss ana enters
her in tie school. The aged DR.. Faust
falls in love with her at once and is given
beck his youth by Mephisto that he RAY
wed her
But Marguerite says nay, and with the
other XII iergarten girls runs away and
goes on the stage At the opening of the
second act the rejuvenated Faust finds her
"a great music hall fayorite in London. He
renews his suit. and, with Mephistos aid,
gains Marguerites consent to marriage.
But that young lady is mercenary and
tickle Learning that Faust had to sacri-
flee his large fortune to wed her, she
breaks the engagement because he is now
poor. Mephisto then takes them both to
his regions below, where Marguerite be-
comes reconciled and is married to Faust
with all Plutonic honors amid lurid glare
Of flame and smoke.
This play is called "a new version of
the French opera bouffe, lie Petit Faust"
Richard f. Carroll is responsible for the
book, while the music Is principally that of
! he original French rendition written by
Herve The success which the piece has
attained in New York--and that which 1t
enjoyed at Manhattan Beach, where 1t was !
given several weeks before coming up to
the cty-is due entirely to the composer. g
His music Is bright and catchy, but more
classic In form than that usually heard In
burlesques. Carrolls libretto is Just the |
opposite. 1t is stupid. full Of od-time gags
formance G
AS to the cast, Carroll is again the blot
on the performance. Valentine is the char
acfer no fixed up for himself, and he made
II the part of buffoon. And he acts It
Just up to that standard, too. The remain !,
aer OF me players, including Dorothy Nor
ton as Marguerite, Truly Shattuck as Me- L
pnisto, Della Stacy as Siebel Allene Crater
as one Of the school girls, and Harry Imck- g
STONE IN the roue of Faust leave little ta .
be desired, On the whole, Very Little =
FAUST and Too Much Marguerite" is sue
cess and Is likely to have a profitable stav
at the Olympia before Manager parrv
sends II on its Western tour. c
me first OF the Rich & Harris comedies
10 De seen In New York this season was
ne uood Mr.. Best which Is now holding
me, me boards at the Garrick. Like the other =
an ,a 80 iarces whlcn travel under this firms !,
Widow Jones', and
'Courted Into Court made famous NV
Jolly May Irwin. and "a Good Thing, in !,
winch Peter +. Daley toured the country. u
last year-its latest attraction is from tbe n \
pen OF John j. McNally. the successful far
ceur of Boston. Unlike these Older n,an,
however, The Good Mr.. Best contains hnt
,ttie OF the humor of situation and wit Of !,
aiMogue which kept two OF them on broad
way more than hundred nights each
mr. MeNaliy had only small amount nf r
MS !, usual originality on tap when writing
u he attempted to piece laughs togethsr
by using the hoary old twn-brotber idea
Is a thread The brothers in this instance =
We're named Tom and Tim Best. Tom WINS u
svou and Tim was bad, and both receive5
a ! from rich uncle in Cuba, Tom
.o,, ne Je'oie ,ne curtain rises. Tim did not /