The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-03-10
THEATRICAL INCIDENTS.
A HUN0ARI1N PEASANT PLAT, "THE
RED WALLET,o IN GERMAN.

a HUNGARIlN PEASANT PLAT, 1.-THE
RED WALLET" IN GERMAN.
q Rehan Compelled By Tiness to Retire
Before the FAD or tho seasen-DoinEs or
Actors and Anthors-A Newell wire walker.
Julie Kopacsy commenced last night at the
Irving Place Theatre a series of farewell per-
formances. which is to end on Saturday. The
farewells are genuine, for Frau Kopacsy sails for
Europe on Monday. She selected an appropriate
play for her last appearances. 1t was THE Red
Wallet" q Hungarian farce In four acts. which
were n great deal too many for the contents OF
the piece. and its arrangement was contrived
to show the leading actress to the best
advantage. She was a worthy but CO.
quettish wife. who was loved by a num-
Der of %suitors, although che was faithful to
her husband. Tho complications Of the story
were elementary enough. But Frau Kopacsy
expressed them we'll. Luckily she was in good
voice. and the characteristic melodies inter
polated were sung in a much moro satisfactory
way than any Of her recent music has been. 1t
Is q fact that Kopacsy put her best forward at her
first appearance with a vengeance. In The Coo
ing Dove" she acted better than she ever did af-
torward. and she sang with more voice. Her role
in that operetta suited her just as the leading
part in THE Red Wallet " did. She is fitted
only for the characters of middle class or peas.
ahI Nv III blt Y tutul III uCllHh
humor and sincerity. or distinction and sub
tlety she has not O trace. She has no allurement
hearty. ." sesltSy, OF as Tee'SSEs' personality s ity With
a. flow of. good spirits and ,unfagging
yivaeeitFSi; o n view Of several %a ;a,anis
to realize this. But Frau Kopacsy never re-.
peated that tipsy scene Of her first appearance.
But her Astounding good nature was often to, be
enjoyed. just as 1t was at her benefit last night.
cut glass salad bowl, and the silver service
which her Hungarian friends presented to her.
There were e a great many of her G comp cnn,s
have been little appreciation for such q form.
less, crude composition as Tho Red Wallet"
Ada Rehan's illness compels her to abandon
q projected revival OF The Merchant OF Ven
CO. in which she has been preparing to enact
Portid for the first time. In the current perform
ances at Days, Lettice Fairfax assumes the
leading role whenever Miss T,ehan Is unable to
do it The ~favorite actress will after next week
retire until next season.
Marie Burroughs will reappear with John L.
Stoddart in Tho Bonnie Briar Bush" Selma
Fetter Is going into vaudeville with q oondcnsa.
ton Of Captain Impudence." Maude Granger
is a star again In Camille" Fanny JanAu-
schek in MARY Stuart" and Cora Tanner in
alone in London" Marie Celeste and Louise
Royce have joined the Castle Square company
" blO Suob VI AUG "AA
be with Mr.. Kelcey and Miss Shannon In Tho
Moth and the Flame at the Lyceum.
Charles II. Hoyt has "a Day and q Night"
ready for rehearsals. Edmund Rostand's ICY
rano de Bergerac" will be used here in English
by Richard Mansfield. Charles Klein and John
Philip Sousa are finishing 'The Charlatan" for
De Wolf Hopper. Clay NJ. Greene Is rewriting
for Walter Jones a comic opera which he and
Frederick Eustis made some years ago, Harry
IN a musical piece Tor Francis Wilson to bring out
next winter. Richard Barnet's THE Queen of
the Ballet" this years burlesque Of the Boston
Cadets, has been bought by Augustin DAILY
Every place of theatrical amusement in New
York. city is compelled to pay $500 for an an.
nual license. Formerly half OF this money went
to the Actors Fund, but the charter OF Greater
New York makes no such proviso, and the officers
of the fund have sent a bill to Albany to rec
tify what plainly seems to be an error OF omis.
sion. II provides that half the license fees shall
be given to the fund. which is well known to be
q solid as well as worthy institution, controlled
by the best. known managers and actors. The
bill is fair and reasonable.
Boston has one amusement resort whose
name suggests advanced culture. 1t is 1.-The
Zoo and standing out blackly in its adver-
isementsa are tho lines Pauline Hall and "Ad-
mis- sion 10 cents" Other items in its curricu-
lum are q gypsy camp OF fortune tellers and a
satin parlor." Violinist Remenyi follows
Miss Hall here. and the house has other dra-
matte and musical performers that have been
drawn to vaudeville. Maeterlinck drama,
eight hours Of '~stunts' and a ridc in the sub
way, all for an uncancelleG Scent stamp. are in
allegiance only because OF the threatening news
from Spain and Cuba.
A rampant melodrama entitled Tho Last
Stroke" was used in the low-Price theatres last
year. Its theme was the rebellion in Cuba, and
there naefi,u Ts5s tq msIdvo Sad ss sras sisneS; , bssid Tb a
piece had its term of popularity and was laid
away. But along came the destruction of the
IL a~l thn ncpfp rrNhnhiitp ~ . -a-
with Spain. and The Last Stroke" with tho
blowing up Of a United States warship by the
spy as an episode. is being hastily sent out with
half o dozen companies.
A new specially in Roster & Balls bill this
week is novel and difficult. Langslow per-
forms upon q fine slack wire running from the
back of tho stage out over the heads of tho peo-
pie to a point over the middle of the auditorium,
where it is secured by guy lines from balcony
and ceiling. Once upon thisewire the experts
feats are few, though difficnlt. before he COM
mences rifle practise. Three guns swing from
q rope near at hand and q target is put at the
opposite side of the stage. Standing on one foot
and maintaining his balance by constantly
swinging his other leg. the markSman snufis
misses, and while seated on the wire with his
back to the target takes effective aim from a
bly, less difficult, since HIS support is steadier,
is a shot taken while he hangs head down by
his toes, his pole WITHIN q rev inches OF the
floor. The scant space necessitates his remov-
ing his cilk hat. which he puts on the floor be-
meath him, with movements that to tho OBJ
server are confusingly. like what would be ex-
pec.ed Of q man who is right side up. Stand
Ing on the wire on one foot, his support sway
ing constantly. each of his four shots at a bulls
eye an inch in diameter strikes usually within
an inch of it and sometimes the bullet cuts the
cardboard whose edge is presented to him. In
conclusion he fires at clay spheres tossed by an
from bullets to fine shot makes his accuracy
less remarkable. but the man who tossos tho
balls more than makes up for this. His back is
slight report very well, but the resultant shower
upon his shoulders from the shattered clay
seems to depress his gay young spirit.