The times., 1898-09-11
GOTHAM And IT'S PLAYS
Robson Fails Lamentably in
"The Meddler.'
A'S"CHARLATAN"D DONE
Nancy Sykes Has No Use for ssThe
Turtle,n But Commends serhe Ad-
venture of Lady Ursuln"-Coming
Offerings and Their Chances of
Success-NOtes.

New York, Sept 7.-Up to date the the
atrical season in this city shows five
genuine successes and one failure 'Dey-
lis Island" has scored heavily at the
Fourteenth Street Theater, E. H. Sothern
has repeated the trick with THE Adven-
ture of Lady Ursula at the Lyceum,
and Charley Hoey has passed the wire a
winner with his1"A Day and Night" at
the Garrick The failure has been made
by Stuart Robson in piece by Augustus
Thomas, called THE Meddier"
The story of Lady Ursula" tells of a
handkerchief which brings gentleman
to the feet of young and pretty woman,
who masquerades as a man. The piece
is rather thin in its motive but has made
a real success through the clever acting
of Virginia Harmed. She is pretty wo-
man and her curves are what may be
called pronounced. but a green velvet
coat and satin breeches convert her into
a gay and attractive young Lothario. 1t
was rumored in advance of the first per-
forms(ice that sho would carry the piece,
and she has really dominated the play
ana carried off It's honors. Manager
Daniel Frohman has staged the piece
with his uSudi SOOu ldSlc SupPiiSt q
supporting cast of much excellence.
Lady Ursula" is already the talk of the
town and is drawing fine audiences-as 1t
ought TO do for some time to come.
At Wallack's Stuart Robson is appear
ing in '.The Meddler" and serving out TO
a patient public the familiar squeak
which our forefathers used TO think was
funny Robson personates a middle-aSed
fool who takes an undue interest In
married womans visiting list, and gets
several innocent people into trouble. This
is all there Is to the comedy, and IL Is
not new Robsons work Is not bit dif-
ferent from that seen in all his previous
efforts. On the opening night there was
a packed house, largely composed OF un-
employed actors and actresses. Since
| then the business has not been large
| enough 10 warrant the stars claiming
! to be a New York favorite." The piece
! is given with appropriate scenery, but
| We godsi what costumes Mrs. Robson and
/ Maude Granger wear. Red. yellow ana
| green are the predominating colors of the
| gowns which, TO state IL mildly, would
! drive a meek and lowly bull TO suicide.
Marie Burroughs makes her re-entry be-
! fore a Metropolitan audience and as the
1 heroine of Mr.. Thomas queer drama
does all that any mortal woman can do
| with a thankless part. Marie still has
/ her soulful eyes with her but has taken
on flesh until she now possesses volup-
| tuousness of embonpoint that is almost
startling in leading lady"
| The Turtle" which was produced last
/ Saturday night at the Manhattan Theater.
| proved TO be pretty sultry farce. There
| is only one scene in il likely TO cause
comment and that is in the nuptial cham
| ber of the second act. where Sadie Marti-
| not disrobes. The actress removes her
shoes. garters, stockings, skirts and every
| thing else down to her chemise and then
goes to bed The whole business is mas
ty. and as Sadie is forty or Whereabouts
the exposure is not particularly attrac-
tive. The salaclous exhibition lasts ten
or fifteen minutes. II did net create un-
due excitement on.ahe opening night. but
1t did bring forth some kissing. From first
to last the piece is smut, and can't see
how on earth it can have run.
Monday night the Knickerbocker opened
its doors for the season, with De Wolf
Hopper In comic opera by Sousa and
Charles Klein. called The Charlatan. "
Mr.. Hopper was seen as a devotee of the
black art. He had the assistance Of Mel
lie Bergen, Alice Judson, Edmund Stanley.
Mark Price and Alfred Klein The music
of the new work, is OF the usual Sousa or
der and includes one or two effective
marches. There is some fine scenery and
4 d lDi OF pretty SiflS All dDbfcNldttu GUS
tunes Nellie Bergen is just little stout.
er than she was year ago. but sings as
| we'll as ever. Alice Judson, who has re-
| placed Edna Wallace, IS an attractive SOU
brette, and in some respects more COM
| petent than her predecessor. OF course
the noble De Wolf is in 1t, too. No one
ever saw comic opera star who was not
in the center of the stage. and there you
will always find Hopper. THE Charlatan'
is good piece of theatrical property.
Charles Frchman has imported a COM
pany of English ae.ors from the Strand
| Theater in London and Wednesday nigh
he placed them on exhibition at the
Madison Square Theater, formerly Hoyt's
They We're seen in a farce called "A
Brace of Partridges,'' and it must be sait
| that their American debut was a success
The piece is mildly funny. though bull
on the old lines of two people who look
| so much alike that their best friend:
cannot tell them apart.
Manager Pftou started his season al