The morning times., 1897-02-07

Another page torn off the seasons cal
endar, and the lists become more and more
promising Before Christmas the bookings
were confeSsedly tedious, and the openings
IN September seem. fro IA this distance. quite
uncomfortable. But the new year has been
Fich in good things. With opera, Chevaiier,
Crane, Skinner. Willard and Drew, there
has been a merry feast. Nat Goodwin this
week viii sustain the record. Next week
we have Margaret Mather; Sol Smith Rus
sell VIII follow directly, aud Sothern, Hare
and Nethersole are only a little further
away
Goodwin comes with a new play by an
American woman, Madeline Lucette Ryley,
who wrote Christopher, Jr'' for John
Drew. The star OF this play rose in the
West, and The critics have said many pleas
ant things of il. One Chicago writer said
that technically ii was wrong, but ii made
him laugh ana ne couldn't deny it.
Thoroughbred" brings back DiXey. Dear
lRd Dixey must be getting along in years.
He is surely the o5her side OF thirty. But
yoa know the saying that woman is never
Interesting TO a man after she is thirty
and man is never interesting To a wo-
IilGl DtiDlE lllEIA- j isl Alle sane DlAek
has always been pet of the girls
Mr. Stoddard VIII complete his course
this week at the Columbia, and then Mar
garet Ma her VIII bring he fine company
and magnificent scenic production Of =. Gym
beline-" The Grand has one of BARLEY
CampbeIrs great plays, Siberia which
viii be given with some prctensions at
scenery and dress. Anyone who doesn't
are like can get a REALISTIC glimpse OF them
at the Academy this week and see a start
ling dive for one price. At the Bijou there
is a continuation OF the melodramatic pol
icy and The Brand of Cain on the bill
This is a strong, suggestive title, and the
play has merit in accordance.
Billy Van is one OF several speciality
artists just as good who viii be at the
Lyceum this week. but he is an old IA
Vorite of mine, and ! want to star him
Billy is condensed laughter. He dfstills
himself in chat, and the solution is roar
ing audience He hasn't his own MINISTRIES
tins year, but he has all his own fun.
The biograph is beginning 10 pack VII
lard Hall II is a marvel TO look upon.
The Knowing One sighed last wcesNas he
turned away from the delights of Rose
mary and bemoaned tie sad, sad condi-
ton Of affairs that drives the managers
10 England for dramas, noting that all the
good pieces have come from abroad and
quoting the success OF The Prisoner of
Zenda," Rosemary Under the Red
Robe, THE Roguc's Comedy, 1.-THE Hobby
Horse and Others. And utherS'' is the
subterfuge OF the man with the weak end
Of the argument. Ii put me on my guard
y once
Are We kept in glee entirely by tie
foreign aTticIe2 Well. hardly. What does
the Knowing One say to Heart of Mary
land .'Trlby,'' Secret Service THE
Bachelors Romance The Fool of For
time NY Friend from india" An
American Citizen and .-Sue?" What
English writer of comedies has such u
string Of mirthful successes to his string al
Charley Hoyt?
The main reason that there are ever so
many English successes is that the pro-
dUcing opportunities Of our foreign cousins
istwice as extensive as Our wn dram atists.
The managerial eye is ever on the English
stage, and the managerial ear is eager
for the echo Of the British dramatist's
say-so. Willie the Knowing One is figur-
ing up English successes, let him balance
his accounts with English failures. What
about the three failures at the New York
Lyceum this winter, The Chilli Widow
.'Seats OF the Mighty The Wife of
Scarle, "A Daughter OF Fraucc?'' And /
Will not say and Others though 1 be
zieye this list is incomplete of even those
which have failed in America.
Go to, Fortfy yourself with facts IF
you can; then come, OH, Knowing one,
with your long face and sad moan, to
cry down the native and crack up the
exotic article of drama While YOU are re
minding us of the letharGy that seems To
have seized Bronson Howard, Augustus
Thomas, Henry Guy Carleton. Clyde Fitch,
Franklin Fyles, ''and Others don't omit
10 record the failures or idIeness of Ar
thur Wing Pinero, Brandon Thomas, Syd-
Dey GTHndv, Robert Buchanan, and Gil
bert Parker
There Were two productions in New York