The sun., 1897-09-23
DOINGS IN THE THEATRES.
WHAT THE AOTORS ARE DoIN0 TO
AMUSE OUR AUDIENCES.

nr Presbrey's new Comedy. ga virginia
Courtship," In y Vein or Old Comedy
Points to Consider In 'Tho Cat and the
Cherub" aud Also In "Mnir n kInE."
Ono OF the weeks changes OF bills at the thea.
tres brings Tho Girl Left Behind Me" back to
New York once more. aud 1t Is being played by
julius Kahn's company at the Columbus, in
Harlem. The other play current at the north
end OF the town 10 "The Old Homestead" at the
Harlem Opera House. with Denman Thompson
in his impersonation Of the quantity humorous
old farmer. The big playhouse of tho west side,
tho Grand Opera House, has a rousing naval
HaelodramN in The Man O. Wars Man," in
which Thomas E. Shea is tho mimic hero OF a
sea battle. Tho east side has The Waits of
New York" at tho Peoples, and Northern
Lights" at the Third Avenue.
This Is th- last week OF several good dramatic
things. Secret Service" will close at tho EN-
pro on Saturday night, simultaneously with u
production OF tho piece with French cast In
Paris and Maude Adams Is ready to take
Charles Frohmsn's home stage with Tho
Little Minister" new company is perform
ing The Girl from Paris at the Herald
Square. and doing 1t with quite much skill
and spirit as the preceding party ovinccd. Tho
French Maid " is ready to follow at this theatre
OF musical farce. That popular example OF
English modern drama, shall Wo Forgive
DerI VIII SNc place AItCr SATURDAY ht the
Fourteenth Street to u reproduction of Tho
Sign OF the Cross" and that in turn to Cum
berand. '6l"a month hence. leah the For
sakcn is running through q second and final
week at the Murray HILL with Nance O'Ncill in
the principal part.
The lis. OF current plays includes In Town"
NJ the Knickcrbocker, with the Gnicty giris
er AGS Wong WySGHh WTsh TG at III F RSa SS5a
With Mi ESe4 MS k%F at The Broad
at The Fifth Avenue with Mr.. DIeiriSTstStn;
"A "A BaehSilpr,s Bachelor. RSmance" at the Garden, With
E E MsrtGSSF E'T SG'S ot %S MqaS as
Colors" at Wnllack's, with Mr.. Kelley and Miss
With thu in a" aS
II Jones at the M}nhattan; "A BSShSlors 5
e@y 81 %as at and crens a ShG ps
The Ice Palace is newly devoted to light opera.
and Fra piayolo is being performed there in
manner to give n fun moneys worth at the
low prices charged. The American Institutes
annual fair ism progress. Tho "Trilby paint
The most attractive items in current vaude-
willie are for the continuous show ~ Keith the
rich, and the, Russell brothers; For Pastors,
the iarcical sketch. in which Edward Harrigap
Ter X R.ais Music Hail last weeks programme
pearance OF Cleo de Merode.. The Chinese pley.
oi ,pecisties p,i At Weber ( Fields'ss Marie Io;,
!'lhC Glad Hand" begins. Fra Davolo." sung
by Payne Clarke and capable assistants, is the
bill at the Ice Palace.
Among the recent productions Of plays in
other cities is which for novelty demands
attention. 1t is a new comedy in vein OF old
comedy, and 1t seems to have gained instant
recognition in san Francisco bold stroke in
an unexpected direction. 1t is entitled "A Vir-
sinia Courtship," and its author is Eugene w.
Presbrey, who wrote it for William H. Crane.
who ia a famously hard comedian to ht out with
a oongenal role Many experts have tried to,
and only two three have done it well. Per
haps Mr.. Presbrey took from Mr.. Cranes
Performsnce OF Sir Anthong 4dsoiute. in the the
year. for the accounts say that in +" \
Virginia Courtship" the character portrayed
by him is in manner and spirit Sir :inthony
over again. though with no imitation OF matter.
The parsonage is an English gentleman settled
in virgi la at the end OF the war of 1872. He
Is wrong headed. but riEht-hearled, irascible
and obstinate but kindly. and at length con.
yeryible; the influence to that end being neigh
LGdS Coy spqnker. 1t tSppears. theretoTs, that
customed and necessarily circumscribe bed modern
environment and set him back almost a CEN
Washington's period and Commonwealth in a
brand new old style play. This was risky eN-
that L is remarkably successful. both in
artistic sense and as theatrical venture
Germany than she did before. She was
filling an engagement in Alsace, and request
was sent to appear at Strasourg. which is
under German control. and in every respect as
German though it were Berlin; but Nine.
Bernhard consented in view OF the fact that
she still considered Alsace to be part Of
France. Performances in French are forbidden
In the province. however. and she was told that
she could act in strasburg only on condition
that she appear beforehand in some other Ger
man city. She refused to do that.
The revival OF Barriere and Murger's Vie
dc Boherne," which Clyde Fitch translated for
che Empire has proved to the audiences OF the
Francais how stale the piece had become. But
the Paris theatres well supplied with new
plays now that some OF them ought to prove
adaptable to our stage. Sardou's new comedy
will be called Pamela; or, La Narchande de
Fivotes," and this will introduc Rejane and
ssrdou g Gynnase audiences for the 1rst time
are nervous over the ordeal. which will not take
place until January. the same theatre has plays
Besson, the farce writer. and Emile Moreau.
part writer OF Nine. sans.Gene." Tho joke
IN ff The 20 pisy ia Dramas by Manel Provost Al
Phonse Dspdet. and others are also iqrthcom- for
,,'sspho i'm order that Rejano and Calv6. who
IN hs 3n s
DIRE bumass The Youth q Louis KY" in
Sied br bsre d by she SuSus,in pays Company as
Royal Youth" Rejane win also be seen
Play nsde from Gustav FlapSerts i hertz Mms.
10 the manager OF the Vaudeville and the Gym
nase theatres and Jane Hading shares with his
wife the leading roles in the plays. Mime. SECOND
Weber is 10 remain at the head OF the com
pany at the odGon. There are said to be more
promising plays now i1 sight than "a. any yis Paris
La Mascottc" has Just been sung at the Cal
ety Theatre in Paris for the l,700th time, Next
20 the most popular works Of Orenbach and
THE Chimes OF Normandy" La MAscotte :"
has been sung more often than any other French
operetta.
The Cat and the Cherub" Is as good a stage
example OF the difference between play and
story one could well find. With all It's
curious atmosphere. its novel interests and Its
unusual language, 1t contains only ono incident
OF theatrical value. There could be no better
object lesson in the art OF writing for the stage
than thia nIila niecA nffnrda Tha anectaln