The herald., 1898-01-09


The attractiveness oe the Shake
assertions as to its decadence. Recent
revivals in New York include an elabo-
rate one of "As You Like It." produced
by Augustin DAILY, in which Ada Rehan
of course took the leading part of Rosa
lind, while Julia Marlowe appears in the
same character at the Knickerbocker
theater supported by Alfred Kendrlcll
as Orlando, George W. Anson as Touch
stone and Bassett Rowe as Jacques
Julia Marlowe was taken i'll recently in
Cincinnati but recovered after a few
days rest.
Modjeska has been meeting with great
success in her performances of Lady
Macbeth, Rosalind and Ophelia. So
great was the interest aroused in her
personation of Lady Macbeth that the
house was sold out before the curtain
rose, camp chairs and standing room
went at premium and the receipts
were by far the largest of any night in
her engagement of three weeks. Her
performance was greatly admired, and
Joseph Haworth, her leading man,
comes in for good share of praise.
Even In Los Angeles a Shakespearean
play Is almost always q good drawing
card, the large audience that witnessed
Louis James fine performance OF
"Othello" a week ago being the latest
case in point
Sarah Bernhardt's latest appearance
on the stage has been in Les Mauvais
Bergers," by Octave Mirbeau, new
play produced at the Renaissance thea
ter in Paris. in which she plays the part
of a starving revolutionist shot down at
the barricades. The piece has provoked
severe criticism, on the ground that 1t
is sign of the growing tendency on the
part OF the press and of the stage to
brave censure in the exploitation of doc
trines subversive OF all ideas of law and
order A writer in the London Times,
commenting on this production, says:
1.-THE most dangerous theories are now
being placed upon the stage; the imag-
nations of the uncultivated are being
fired by ideas for which they are not
prepared; the animosity, not only of
races but of social caste is being sown
abroad; and as If we had not yet division
enough we are now having, with all the
prestige of art and superior stage set
ting, the intlammatory theories Of the
Socialist club. 'Repas du Lion given
the other night at the Antoine theater.
was sort of lecture. 1t was admirably
constructed, but the dramatic interest
was sacrificed wofully to the theoretic
exposition of the social question. In this
new piece by M. Mirbeau we have gone
a step farther. The very life-b blood of
the revolutionary artisan throbs in this
dramatic play. We are shown men who
protest and believe that the employer
is depressing them simply for his own
pleasure, using them up as If they were
automatons, not only without souls, but
without flesh and blood. Here, as ever
in this new type of piece, the employer
Is a selfish and ferocious tyrant and the
workingman long-suffering slave. To
make matters worse, in M. Mirbeaus
piece woman is associated with the
work of revolution, and in fact becomes
its apostle"
The New York Dramatic Mirror, which
Is carrying on a most determined war;
fare against the so-called theatrical
trust and its obnoxious methods, says
as follows: "The alliance Of star attrac-
tions to promote the Independence of the
stage OF this country and to free dra-
matte art from the hold of the mercc-
naries that are throttling it is gaining
strength and number steadily. Unlike
the abortive efforts previously made to
concentrate the forces that wish to pre-
serve the theater from degradation and
decentralization, the new association is
working on. thoroughly practical lines.
1t Is building foundations that will en-
dure. From the nature Of things the
preparatory work is beset with obsta-
Giles, one OF which is the selfishness or
the cowardice Of few persons that
claim public recognition on artistic
grounds. yet when put to the test arc
found wanting. But the good work is
going on, and the association will be IN
= active operation carly In the new year
r + r
The funera; Of William Terr!ss. the
English actor, who was murdered at the
stage door Of his theatcr recentlv 10
said TO have been E most ren,ar,,a hle
demonstration. More than a hundred
carriages were IA line, besides sevcral
arays used to carry floral tributes. An
Immense crowd, variously estimated at
rom 10000 60 $4,000 persons, was pres.
mt. A morning memorial service was
aeid IN the Chapel Royal, Savoy. but
ihe principal ceremony was at Bromp-
on cemetery, which is distinguished A.