The times., 1898-10-23
FRIENDS OF LAST WEEK.

FRIENDS OF LAST WEEK.
The Empire Theater Stock Company |
has always been a strong one in every |
respect and, therefore, those who witness
ed its production last week were not at |
all surprised al the ability displayed. And |
vet on this occasion both of the leading |
people appeared to so much better ad- |
vantage than usual that some critical
credit seems due them. William Faver- |
sham deserves special praise for. though |
tempted by his popularity TO descend to |
the very tricks that have made John
Drew and z. II. Sothern mere names
among thinking classes, he resolutely
avoided his Qpy opportunities Tor mas
tistic work and presented an impersona-
ton fully worthy of himself. One can
not help feeling a trifle sorry that Mr..
Faversham should have thought diff
ference of twenty-eight years in time of
action a sufficient excuse Tor rolling his
tongue on his palate and pronouncing his
words In q manner known only TO roman
tic actors but even this did not detract
greatly from his efforts. The leading
man of the Empire is In all respects rin-
ished and scholarly performer, whose re-
serve force and intelligent conception In
d role difficult OF Interpretation places
him among the first players of the day.
Jessie MiIlward, who has replaced Miss
Allen in the organization, had from the
start TO labor against fearful odds. There
were many in her audiences who felt a
certain resentment that Mr.. Frohman
should nave gone to London for one of
his principal people. while so many capi-
tai actresses were out of employment at
home Miss Millward, however. went at
her work with grace and cleverness
that soon made her many friends. She
is possessed of great magnetism, and
degree of intellectually that could not
but make itself apparent in her portray
ais. Like Mr.. Faversham, she is in
clined to a sort of tragedy air that goes
not at all well with present ideas of ma
ture in art but she is, in the main, a
remarkable woman and a great acquisi-
tion to this country's too small roster of
really good performers. Both people ap-
pear well together, and contributed a
large share of the enjoyment surround
ing the presentation.
But Mr.. Frohman's company did many
things last week which 1t was never
known to do before and which came as
a great deal of surprise from so repu-
table a body of players. Not only were
tnere many roughnesses In the cast and
its methods but several details that go
combinations as those from the Empire
and the Iyceum were omitted entirely.
One could forget seeing modern Ameri
can piano in the drinking room of a
tavern situated in France during the war
of 1870, and could even convince himself
that he was mistaken when he imag ned
that the villagers in the last act were
rendering a waltz from Hotel Topsy
Turvy'' outside of a salon in the Granpre
castle. The preposterous continuation
of these choruses through three acts
might have been laid to unusual musical
development in the peasants and a dozen
other discrepancies and Inconsistencies
could easily have been forgiven. But
when the company came to making fun
of itself. as it did more than half the
time last week a limit was reached.
Such things may be enjoyed by th= play
ers themselves. but they certainly were
not by audiences of people who could
not understand such horsep,ay in The
Empire Theater Stock Company. Still
less readily could reason be assigned
for the manner in which one dead and
another dying man in the piece took cur
tain calls after the fashion of folk in
Bowery melodrama- All of these things
were small and would have gone unno-
ticed in an organization of less repute
but they had great effect and Will un-
doubtedly serve to injure so haloed a
combination as that of Mr.. Frohman.
Among many turns that taxed the pa
tience OF the spectator last week at the
Bijou. none was more pronouncedly bad
than that of George Howard. who was
programmed as the American Anna
Held" Just exactly how Miss Howard
ever obtained such a title cannot be
guessed, and II would be harder still 20
think of any that would suit her.
Despite the fact that she shows what
are supposed to be typical girls from
different cities of the world, she could
hardly be designated as a mimic. since
no one of her characterizations is any
thing more than a stupid and anything
but distinctive caricature; she cannot be
classed as a comedienne since the abb
surdly insulting monologue which accom-
panies her work is neither bright nor well
done and. as finishing touch, her musi-
cal bits are so ineXcusable that even
charity will not permit of her being called
serio-comic. She is. then, simply pre-
tender at all three forms of entertain
ment who takes up the time of her audi
ences for nearly twenty minutes with a
performance in which there is no merit
and very little sense.
It is rarely, indeed, that localitie:
have an opportunity to see so good a sup
porting company that which came
here with Stuart Robson. Had there beer
in the cast no one but the star and hi!
leading woman the roster would hav,
contained names rarely equaled but thest
two personages were given the assistance
of any number of capital folk.
One of these was Gertrude Perry
little woman apparently rather new t,
the stage and yet who attained a sort o
triumph in her labors the sister o
Francis Eli. Miss Perry is not at a
pretty, but there is something about he
that pleases and attracts one. She