The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-12-21
PLAYS AND THE PLAYERS.
THOSE on OUR STAGE THIS WEEK
BEFORE CHRISTBTA6.

Timer Broadway il thronRed by idle actors.
More than half the travelling companies take
= vacation during the week before Christmas,
No, that they wish to. but because their aer-
y,ses are not wanted. Their contracts give to
Ma managers the tight to skin this worst
time OF the season in the theatrical business.
Rut no New York theatre "a closed on that 40
count, and some OF tho best OF the stars are
Aiming here as brightly as ever. Julia Ar.
thur will revive "A Lady Of Quality to-mor-
row night at WallAck's. after to-niRit's 1nal
performance Of 'Pygamllon and Galatea,"
and Mercedes" John Drew is bringing his
long term with THE Liars at tho Empire to
an end. william II, Crane IA In HE last fort
night Of The Head Of the Family" at the
KnIcIerhocker. Annie Russell has only two
weeks and a half moro for Catherine at the
Garrick. Viola Allen with The Christian" at
the.Garden. May Irwin, with Kate Kip at the
Bijou. and the stock company with "Trelawny
Of the Wells" at the Lyceum. are continued In
definitely. Robert billiard and Elita Proctor
Otis are forces in the melodrama OF Sporting
life" at the Academy OF Music. Edward NJ.
Holland and Frederick Williams are factors In
the farce OF 'On and on at the Madison
Square. Virginia Earle and Adele Ritchie are
~yivacious In "A Runaway Girl" at the Fifth
Avenue. So are Madge Leasing and Marie
George In "A Dangerous Maid' at the Casino.
Ada Rehan is devotinR herself to Portia In
"The Merchant Of Venice" at Days. Clara
Norris has started on a round OF the low price
theatres with Miss Mutton at the Star.
Marie Dressler and Edwin Foy are ia their last
week with Hotel Topsy Turvy" at the Herald
equare. Frank Mordaunt and others are in
the fpal fortnight Of "The Village Postmas-
ter at the Fourteenth Street. Sadie Martinez
Il lirobipp hnraalf In s.Thn T,,,4lo,, ~ Ar.
Manhattan. Frederick Hallen and Mollie
Fuller are at the head OF the company that
has brought 'Pousse Cafe" back to own merri-
~ at the Grand Opera House. The whytals
are offering u novelty in "vsRabondia'' at the
Harlem Qrera House. Alexander Clarke and
Mamie Gilroy are in THE French Maid' az the
tiCck company In I'm Weissen RoessI" at the
Irving Place. John +. Kellsrd and Mary Shaw
" iRe4s fPS a'' p sa afanSS az at r ne Br 5SFHs%
Mr. Dr9uet. Mr.. Redmond and Miss InRham
s Nsr II I, the ,S stoe Mn cast # nTh e. Ticket ssss Of Lave ~
Stewart. Miss Macnichoi and Mics Norwood
are four Of the dozen members Of the Castle
kquare forces assigned TO- roles in The Boz
hemian Girl" at the American.
Howard KYLE may have felt last Monday that
he had discovered o defect in the system OF
the Keith continuous shows. He was for the
frst time an aid to Louise Thorndyke Bouci-
cault in Augustus Thomas's "A Proper I'M
propriety." The comedietta lasted a little
ever a quarter OF an hour. and Mr.. Kyle was
not In It's first scene. When he was In view
oil depended on the authors Enthusiastically
bright language. rs nothing akin to variety
show slam-banG had been supplied. Further,
the actor was playing a breezy, SELF con Gdent
Westerner. His share OF the dialogue had not
gone far before lac needed o prompter. and
there, was none, The actor evidently thought
,lS ia 5,,m , Trouble 3 lay with some T one In The winE.
al keith's become. their neat uniforms and are
under admirable discipline, whether sweeping
With his apparafns. some Of them take
thoughtful parts In sketches. One chap In
I@ aw his w cam e enter T:,t present S. z card So snIlSer nnd
road the lines 70 Mr.. Kyle as fast az they were
festion he spoke with excellent elect, which
made his hesitance stand out all the more.
rext they were rainous to tie dramatistf.s;
meaning. ard finally the actress was COM
,eiied TO BECOME an open prompter: II may
that {, vaudeville audience would accept such |
m,nreadtness MS a marx Of genius. The Keith
II Mr.. Kyle had given warning that he needed |
some one TO- tell him what he uuaht to have
known. provision would doubtless have been
mace.
Most OF the current vaudeville performances
ere by specialists. but a few are strangers.
ord many OF the others are we'll liked. The
usual short plays. too. are In use in the con-
tlnuous shows. Lillian Burkhart plays "Ex- |
travagance" at Proctor's and here Helene
Nora and Mcintyre and Heath arr top-liners.
Grace Huntington is using ~"Checkmate' ut
the Pleasure Palace, where Marshall p. Wild
II Is the biggest gun among entertainers,
louise Thorndyke Bcucicault has an AuGue-
ius Thomas .comedietta Mt KeIth's. and the
lamms npd Ellison and Enroll are listed.
ioaqrin Miller. In Arctic costume. Is to be a
!artie Scott and Gertie Cochran lead at Pas
tLs The, annual. Christmas entertainment
I y org ' neqt 5u n y sge h stsEe WI 81 e the slE @ns e.
balls, Weber Il Fields's continues its bright |
onresGues Of current dramas. Lew Field9 ,is
Stage last Saturday. but he is expected to re-
g f"ssE sIon' Roster 4 Bial,s hss two fine new
Heath celebrates her return to America By
EarsSa ss%kiif, T Pstri hSsee The ehq Pa fans.as wsln,aa
Harlem, 'f Bu niet'atI and md 81 s Ie%initf saof make K ' np
ne shows at the Dewey and Sam T. Jacks.
been S added wax va th SsG Gden o! M fa%sis co 1hsefsss h and
itOrs. ~ ~ "
eatherlre Campbell was arrested at q st.
louis hotel on a charge Of stealing small arti.
ees from the house. The manager Of q resi-
cent theatrical company. in which she was the
'eading actress. writes to say that she was de-
ranged by tho mental strain OF studying and
fehearsinG a role every week. while at the
iame time playing another. She has been
sent TO a sanitarium. Victory Bateman. who
"o.e 0 mentally at the same kind Of over
"oiK. II said TO be nearly we'll.
sarah A. Baker, aged 81. the oldest actress
N america, Is to 10 to the Forrest Home IN
rhlladelphia. This retreat. founded oy Edwin
FORREST, accommodates only n few persons.
1na when death makes a vacancy there are
many candidates. The trustees make a care
W selection. taking into account worthiness
VI eharacter. length OF service on the stage
sa probable congeniallty with the other In
% \ Mrs. Baker acted sixty-two years,
S SS LOT a long time with Thomas Keene. who
Al the time at WaIlack's from Feb 9to the
~ oi the season has been taken by Charles
,,sarundman; ,The frat piece viii be an English
Da ~ . q The White Horse Tavern" which
Ike 1hantei frohman owns aud intended TO use at
fin IN LScouln. put cannot on account Of tho con-
'sp Sc q "Trclawny OF the Weils,'
t,1ome VINO see ''vaRabondia." by Russ Why
oHIthars surprised by the fact that its episode
a. sae duel Is precisely like the one In Hearts
R y o.. Joseph j. @. Clarke and Charles
whnnu: ~ was original with Watts Phillips, OF