The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-03-06
Notes of the stage.

Ida Mule has secured the rights to a
number of Lotta's plays and will star in
them next season.
MY Friend from India seen here over
a year ago, has been booked for a return
engagement at English S.
Walter Jones makes his debut in New
York as a star at the Fourteenth-street
rheater, appearing in I'm Gay New York. =
Blue Jeans will make it's first appear
ance at the Park next week. Blue Jeans"
has not been seen here for several years,
and never before at popular prices
Smyth & Rice have rechristened Du
Souchet's farce my Wife's Step Husband"
and now call it IA Misfit Marriage" They
are to produce 1T next season VIA strons
company,
With Robert Fulgora's Speciality Com
pany, coming to the Park in short time
is the "biograph" with it's now famous
picture of the Maine leaving New York har-
DOR for Havana.
The Pacific coast tour of 1.-The Man from
Mexico" was one of the most profitable ever
known to any theatrical combination. Viii
ne'' Collier by his clever acting of 1.-THE
man. created sensation out there.
Paul Potters claim that he did not
plagiarize from Guy de Maupassant and
Sardou in THE Conquerors" is rather
prejudiced by the fact that he has had to
buy the copyrights of Mile Fiji and La
haIne to secure himself against lawsuits
IN England"
Nonsense new and good is so scarce in
new plays that when found a note should
be- made of it. There is a great deal of
such matter in My Friend from India. -
1t is full of rapid foolery, much of which
is ingenious in comic conceit. The work is
a farce and preponderance of its action is
irresistibly luaicrous, and it sets Mr.. Du
Souchet into the front rank of farcical play
rights.
A -million-dollar theater is to be
built for the Paris exposition in 1900, to be
known as the American Theater An effort
is being made to have Richard Mansfield,
as Americas representative and greatest
actor, dedicate the theater and make the
first run there. Mr.. Mansfield will be a
revelation to the PariSianS, whose art has
known no progress in twenty years. Wag-
6oner was a surprise, Duse astonished
them, Richard Mansfield will be revela-
zion.
In the plays in which now act" says
Eleanor Duse, there is side that is false,
worn out, already dead, which Expresses
me, and 1 feel a desire, an aspiration for
a new form of art which shall respond in
a more immediate and deeper fashion to
the structure of my mind. Magda,' La
Femme Ideale,' La Dame aux Camellias-
l feel Inundated under the apparel of the
persons l have TO play. We must go back
10 Greek beauty, 10 the dramatic art of
the ancients. The action, the color, the
drawing of contemporary art are the ac-
ton color and drawing of an art that is
rotten. Even the language that we speak
is vicious. The eternal words, the eternal
truths can be found only in the works of
the ancients, and il is only in taking the
art of antiquity as our point of departure
that we can give to the public pure and
healthy idea of form. The spirit of q re-
turn to the tragedy OF the ancientS is in
the air and will soon be felt throughout the
world"
Richard Mansfield, who will be seen at
English's for one night only on March %,
began his present season with long run in
New York, and then played a return date.
He went to Boston and broke a record for
receipts in four weeks, and syndicate
theater Immediately offered him spring time
at advanced terms. In Baltimore he broke
In ON the Lyceum stock season, thing un-
precedented, and crowded the theater night
~. though Baltimore Is considered the worst
Jheater town in the country. He has just
completed the longest run he has ever had
in Chicago and TO the largest receipts. He
had TO give extra matineeS TO accommodate
the crowds. He is expected 10 give Indian
apolis his new play, The Devils Disciple"
Richard Mansfeld's success in 'srhe Devils
Disciple has created sort of subsidiary
Shaw cult il his train So great is the sue
cess of the new play that there is an
awakening desire TO see Arms and the
Man again.. Mr.. Mansfield gave three per-
formances of this play during his season in
Chicago. When understood Arms and the
Man" will be listed as one OF the great
plays of this period hut 1t is said not to
compare with 1.-THE Devils Disciple" either
Ia humor or dramatic interest.