Evening journal., 1897-07-01
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
BAREFACED PROSTITUTION ON
THE STAGE.

THE STAGE.
To tho Editor Of The Evening Journal
Sir. There huttered quite re-
centlv before tine footlights OF al
PHILADELPHIA theatre an attenuated and
frail-we say "frail'r advisedly-speci-
men OF femininity. in the person OF the
Baroness Blanc--a woman whose mat
rimonial escapades and, naisons consu-
tute the only excuse she possesses Tor
forcingherself upon publ Acnotice ana IN
hicting an audience WITH her mretrl-
ciotis abilities. The title OF Baron" or
baroness Blance" Is fore ignto thepages
of both Burke's and Debretts Peerage,
hence we presume It 'bllongs-h, in
deed there be such a titlelextant-to the
land OF schweitzer and lager beer. At
any rate. II the title be gen uine or hall
marked. its escutcheon, 50 far az the
Baroness Blanc is concertled, Is de-
cidedly not sans reproche, neither VIII
any country become jealo6s OF IT'S di-
miniahed lustre.
N our memory be correct. then the
baroness-we may as well intiulge her
with tltle--was, some yalrs ago
thrust upon an indulgent public by the
chaperon-nke influence of certain
monied admirers-men who imls1oos
that indulgent public for 2 fool and
iohary Colonel Sellers: There's, millions
In III" But the aforesaid public was
not a fool, neither did the millions ma
terialize. After a brief sojournN In th'
realms OF comic opera the star-We re
fer 10 the Baroness Blanc-fell.' We
would have said that this planet Eel
with a great thud we're NJ not that mans
persons might be inclined to believe
that this particular star had neve
risen to an altitude sufficiently grea
for the sound of its descent to become
palpable to the ear.
The repertoire OF the Baroness Blanc
is limited and suggestive. She pirou
elites about the stage very much afte
THE iiiannfr OF one afflicted with museu
lar fheiimatiam, and the gouty gyfa
tions indulged in by her remind us Q
the amateurish efforts of the villag
schoolgirl. The baroness then sing'
or, rather, mutters In low and indis
tinct soprano, something about .
widow who Is shy, but not too shy" F
ually after further awkward and un
kainig lefbsiohorean attempts, tn
Baroness Blanc takes the spectator int
her confidence and sings or ra.he
tells him, with innumerable sh
winks, how someone or other had SAT-
when at gay ''Paree that ''she couldn
do it'-but, of course, 'she did" III
refrain OF this classic ditty Is "but
did and ~ is iterated with such Pc
sistthcy that the spectator finds no di
ficulty Ia arriving at the conclusic
That the baroness really did It," III
gilded and "dontcher know" brand
youth laughs and the bald-headed ms
in the front row grows ecstatically al
ekttishly idiotic. Well, all this
strange, passing strange, for whilst d
enlanations of a Shakespeare are pla
ed TO empty benches the painted al
bleached nymph du pave, the bedizen
and bejeweled specimen OF a latter
and torn feminine morality fiaunts he
self with brass-like impudence-to 4
intense satisfaction, If not edificatic
OF the callow. vacuous youth and D
rnantwhose head is bankrupt and des
tuteof any hirsute adornment.
We have not heard that IL is
laudable intention OF the Baron'
Blanc 10 endeavor to elevate the stage
e-xen the variety stage We have d
suspicion that her mission on earth is
ahnormally depress It. Be that as
may, the baroness is. viewed from
artistic standpoint, stupendous a
monumental failure-and that, too,
spite Of her fetching gown, her Gail
borough hat and her irreproacha
UkulS. In the dIllhl WOilu the DATUM
Blanc wastes her sweetness upon
desert air." But there is a wo
wherein the painted face, the bloI
hair and the ultra" -"decolleteness"
the baroness would find favor q
shine resplendent. II is the wo
where Revelry is King and Obscen
its Paramours where laughter is m
ness; where the prurient jest pas
muster for Sheridan-like wit, and VIII
night is made hideous by the cai
Nauling and hysteric shrieks OF
abandoned Il is to such a world.
striImpet world. that the Baron
Bianc-a Lily Langtry in miniatur
should be relegated, for she is Ito
manner born"
We would not wish that La Gra'
Madame, the Baroness Blanc, sho
play in our Backyard. for she come.
us in such questionable shape that
like Macbeth. can do naught but
ciainis-"Hence horrible shadow"
ERNEST ISIT1
Philadelphia, July 1, 1897.