The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-21
NEW DRAMATIC MATTER.
~uREE SHORT PLAYS PRODUCED ar
A STUDENTS, MATINEE.

Tn, FIrat TIme In America of "Vtennn
handles" By Conriod's Gernan Comedians.
Tbreo new short plays were enacted at Hoyt's
Theatre Yesterday afternoon by pupils or the
e,.nbope. Whcatcroft Dramatic School. This
vas tho first exhibition made by Mrs.
whsatcroft of her students, and they were not
v,t sufficiently skilled TO moro than indicate
,hot most Of them possessed talent worth fur
thar development or to do anything like Jus
lice TO tho roles intrustcd TO them. "Renun-
%c,n,ion," by Frances Aymar Mathews, illus
,rated none too dextrously an episode In n house
hold wherein the wife entertained q lover in tho
absence OF her husband, while her young sis
Tar camo In upon the clandestine meeting just
in time to break her heart, because tho follow
vas her own rccrcant sweetheart, and also to
,svo the wife by declaring to the husband that
Tho surreptitlous visitor was there to meet
herself, The piece was q crude composition.
"Hlchcr Education by Frances A. HoaSey,
depirted a frolic BY schoolgirls. who mischiev-
ously dressed q young professor as q Quaker
e,s. and in that guise introduced him to o
maiden who had taken a fancy to him and who
did not know that no had . bride. The ac-
,resses danced, fenced, and were vivacious, but
the task set for them, that Of oounterfeiting
merrlment, was too much for them, although
their efforts were graceful and agreeable. "Tho
Cup Of Betrothal," by Charles Bradley, was stin
further beyond the powers OF the semi-pro-
~fessional cast. This was q bit Of melodrama,
written in the vein Of ''The Prisoner Of Zenda,"
and recurring romantic pictureeQuenoss In the
representation. A princess was unwilling to
marry q r~epellent prince. and to escape that
misfortune she decided to poison herself,
but a gallant knight who had won her
heart fought his way to the castle In time to
win her hand, while by q blunder the deadly
plays we're set with borrowed but appropriate
and handsome scenery. The costumes were OK.
eel!ent, and while While, sey siT .S critical "a. Judgment TGg,P,nS
dlscouraging In the matinee TO its participants.
Mentionablc for pleasant cndeavor and a prom
lsS M i Pauline von Aroid, Margaret Gray,
Miriam Schanke. Alice Riker, Ethel May Ham
iiton. and Dorothy Rovell.
The Characterization OF the less important
figures in Tho Conquerors" at the Empire Is
generally clear enough to give each type dis
tinctness. and none of these is moro impressive
than the innkeeper's vengeful wife, who is de-
termined that her husbands assassin shall die,
whatever the cause Of the killing may have been.
Just how much of the strength of this role is duo
10 Paul Potter and how much come from Blanche
Walsh's intense and self-contained acting Is not
easy to decide. Certain 1t Is that Jean Marie
dominates certain scenes and remains In the
memory Of everybody who sees the play. Moth
Ing In Miss Walsh's personal traits adds moro
to tho effectiveness Of her performance than
her carriage. which might be taken as a model
by young actresses who need to learn that I'M
portant part of their art. Miss Walsh moves
with tho long. swinging steps Of a tigress. Sho
gives distinction to q slight part. Mr.. Ben
rimo's portrayal Of tho Prusslan Major is an
individual figure as effective as Miss Walsh In
making the strength Of tho ensemble. Small
WheeIocE and Mr.. Backus. The bevy Of girls
led by May Robson contains some genuine
beauty. Miss Robson's mask as q faded Pari:
sian ballet dancer Is a striking caricature, and
amusingly grotesque.. Her delight at being in
even we Il II It Is more "s sagEestine Of a New England
old maid than Of Paris. Lillian Thurgate in the
third, act reveals for o moment some OF the skirt
shown several seasons ago. Clara Bloodgood
Isl real beauty, and in her lavender satin gown
IN the arst act she is as refined q specimen of
All her associates are attractive and the sing
ing society which holds its session at the tavern
Fayersham has improved greatly in authority,
Gnish and detail since he acted the dissipated
Prussien on the hrst night Of the play: He Is
motor has been remarkable during the past
three or four years. He still swaggers too
hluCu, III bVLDGLlIlCb Ills uUeCIHIlOnB OIL bDGOCn
are almost unendurable; but his spirit, magnet.
Ism, fire and Intelligence are qualities possessed
by hardly any Of our young actors. The scene
stabbing. in the castle arc admirably managed
by Mr.. Favcrshan, and both, require nicely in
The playing: He never locked SO well as In the
sons In past seasons have admired Mr.. Faver-
sham, but heye thought, oh, IL his hair were
mlrers are glad. The hero OF THE Conquerors,'
us unconventional q hero as the theatre has
seen IN pI many 2 day, IL a difficult enough part to
task OF the play. How well and delicately she
necessary that the role should be treated with
1Gst the refinement and RentleAcss which Miss
Allen brings to 1t.
The burlesquers at Weber s. Fields's Music
Hall took a whack at THE Highwayman" last
night. Their fooling with Smith and Do Koven's
comic opera was entitled "Tho Wayhighman."
ana 1t hlled twenty minutes in tho second
act Of "Pousse Cafe" the matter about
The First Born" having been removed
10 make room for the new stun. Salient points
In The Highwayman" were taken up for ridi-
cue by means OF exaggerative distortion. Tho
Incident Of tho robbery of the coach was
maitreated violently. The vehicle was an
ai'nisht Broadway lunch van. drawn by imita-
t'oh horses. Mr.. Fields caricatured a Western
lanai MN iuulcrouS IeatS OF Workmanship.
OH; bernard was q mariner who carried his shin
anu pew It's sails with n fan. Mr.. Weber was a
,ustic amateur robber. Mr.. Daley was the do
rselvc, with n%arodies on the speeches of the
snSracieri in the original play. Mr.. Ross gave a
serionsiy good imitation OF the Irish hero and
sals a sentimental song. Tho actors named
~ such hFln f~avorites at this theatre, and their
peItonhi humor is liked so well by the ever con-
toh's' audiences there, that they cannot help bo-
luz thugned ut when they half Try to be funny.
gu ms new spell OF burlesque, although tho
subject dli not yield as readily as melodrama
uoes 10 mat Kind of treatment, they were ex.
,,eeuihgly comic last night. and will become
inaSh nlore 50 when they get to working smooth.
y Sn" ~ rapidly together. Many OF the small dc:
to%Scs VI riuiculc were ingenious. The colloquial
!oMgs were OF the sort keenly relished at tho
muHIT halis, and these comedians know how
Souollver them elfcctually. The women OF the
nnnnpahy, u comely and vivRciOus lot. were dis.
m.H!eu 70 GOOD advantage. The four new songs
"ot.oia taxing nature. Thus all the require
nonts were satisfied, and The lowhighnan"
was 4 successful diversion.
nero was a new play at the Irving Place The
s.fe last night. and It served to return to New
'"rA FRANZ Mueller, Il comedian who was popu-
u mere several years ago. He 10 evidently re-
"emoered' for the theatre was crowded and the
Spp'ause was continual. Much of that was for
VAC play, which is a CharactcristicaIly Viennese