The age-herald., 1898-01-09
He PLAYERS Illk.

folks, Roland Reed and Isadore Rush, gave us a passing glance on Friday evening. They had the idea that Birmingham was fy-by-night town. The familiar "one night only'' is consistently Haunted in your face. It is just as much reflection on the players as it is on Birmingham. If you ask them about it they will tell you the fault lies with the schedules. So let 1t go at that We are thankful to get any thing. The first week in this raging '9S could not have brought us greater la vorite than Isadore Rush. She is not great actress or great singer. You are not burdened with emotional roles or flights in the operatic direction. She un- dertakes nothing for which nature has not fitted her. She is not one of your cling ing heroines. She is the pivot around which everything works. An important requisite of charming frocks. She is one of the most beautifully attired women on the stage Her franknessS naivete and personal charms were as usual irresistible. She made parting at Il o'clock at night such sweet sorrow.
 Roland Reeds personality came very near dominating the entire performance. If it wasn't for Isadore Rush, Hollands ad- vance notices would read "Ladies admitted free Monday night if accompanied with one paid ticket,' "The company is all that is claimed for it and more,' or something to that effect. He was sereamingly funny Friday night, and gave a complete and consistent impersonation. He is noted for over-doing the thing. Age cannot wither him.. He will never broaden by experi- ence There is no necessity for him to keep in touch with new methods of the theater At least he feels that way about it. It does not make any difference after all, since the result is felicitous. It does nobody any harm.
 It may be owing to the number Of times that James O'Neill has played the part of Abbe Busoni that accounts for his strik- ing resemblance off the stage to a Catholic priest An incident was recalled last night when MT. O'Neill was mistaken for a priest by a child in the streets of New York. One evening he was passing along a district tenanted by poor people when a little girl ran out of doorway and seeing Mr. O'Neil mistook him for a priest and plead with him to come inside and admlnls- ter to her dying mother. He followed the child into q bare, cold room, where the woman lay in the throes of death, but at once recognizing him as priest. It was useless at such time to tell them Of thelr mistake.
 O'NeilI, apparently. has no ambition now a-days to make sensation by sprlnglng new play on the public. The roleS Witn which he has become identihed nave not only been test, but also reward for his ability His sterling dramatic powers, to- gether with his superb stage presence make him one of the notable actors of the day He never undertakes to do anything reVo- lutionary in his interpretations
 While he is scholarly and artistic inter- preter, yet the classics are beyond nm. For this reason he has dropped Hamlet. Like other actors with ambition he had his heart set on Hamlet
 O'NeilIs voice is half tine battle for h1m He colors perfectly his moduations to suit the emotion of the words. But it is hardly necessary to make a criticism Of his Work He is a master of his art His engage ments yesterday afternoon and evening were played with his usual comprehensive and agreeable manner
 With Downing. Roland Reed Isadore Rush and O'Neill, the week has been rather wild one for O'Brien's.
 Misleading statements as to the theatri- cal trusts attempts to deal with Mrs Ffske last spring, after her great success Tn "Tess of the D'Urberviles" at the Fifth avenue theater, New York, having recently been made by the Philadelphia members of the trust, her management naturally wishes to keep the theatrical history of the year straight by statements of fact that controvert all the matters printed by the trust in the premises. Mrs Fiske's manager declares that he never applied to the trust for a route or for any part of route that the trust repeatedly made over lures to him for permission to book her a route; that neither Mrs Fske nor her manager ever consented to the laying out of a route for her by the trust; and that although the trust, apparently with great anxiety to enroll Mrs. Fiske among its at- fractions, made out and submitted route to her manager of its own motion, that route was rejected and all propositions made by the trust to do business with her were refused
 ANNIE KINDRICK WALKER.