The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-06-20
DRAMA IN Hi OLD WORLD
RECENT DoIR6S OF CELEBRITTES
OF the FOREIGN STAGE.

Edna May has attained theatrical celebrity
in London. Possibly It may be less graciously
termed notoricty, though thore is no good rca-
son to smirch her personal reputation with tho
evil attentions bestowed upon her by the same
sort OF men who once gavo publicity 20 Mrs.
LanRtry. She 10 the wife Of Fred Titus, tho
American bicycler. She used TO be n member OF
tho Casino chorus. When the part Of the Sal
walton Army lass In "The Belle of New York.
required q domure personality, she was picked
out for tho purpose. and coached into q weak
but bewitchingly naIvo performance. She was
exported to London along with the outfit Of that
extravaganza. and made one Of its Individual
successes. Instead Of r~eservtng herself to
stage exhibition, she went to such social AFFAIRS
as wero open to q burlesquo actress, accepted
gifts from admirers, and turned all this into
advertising. But 10 seems that she has half
ropentod Of her course, to which she may have
been melted by the managers of tho theatre,
and sent for her mother and sister. who have
just arrived in the English city, and with
them she will seek refuge from possible scandal.
1t in not intimate that her conduct has been
otherwise than circumspect, except in the
matter of self.exploitation through tho foolish
ness Of certain titled hangers.on OF the theatre.
A-Btir In . higher grade OF London dramatic
affairs is made by the promise that Hall Caino
will appear at q charity matinee organized by
Ellen Terry, who Is said to have persuaded tho
novelist to do a turn which has hitherto been
seen In q few provincial cities only. at is prao.
tioally Q condensed three-act drama" says ono
scenery or Accessories, but bis DIRE and emotional
force are remarkable" The only condition on
which depends tho performances is said to DO
eo OH has nSai learned 9ad i% EnTplEsh, and Gs Wi Win p Be ecm pre-.
henSiblo to his English audiences. He may
his new accomplishment In London. Marie
Tempest viii next sing there in THE Fencing
covered that the Ibretto of that, operettG g
founded on W. w. Astor's novel, "Sforza."
5 Il SnnSHn q new IN o ISnSGn t ss' smith ,iIhH and TAf DS
koven, win be sung hero in January, Can this
be another manifestation Of tho renaissance Of
Paris has two controversies that are chArao-
teTistio and interesting. An actress violatod-n
rule which prohibited members of the com.
| pany occupying seats In tho auditorium. She
bought . ticket, and whom abe was dismissed
the manager was compelled to pay her salary
and damages a. well. A hair dresser washed
another GctreSS's head with petroleum and
carelesSly let o spirit lamp ignite it; but tho
courB only made him pay for tho wig that was
thus rendered necessary. Lucien Guitry, for
several years tho leading actor with Bernhardt,
has gone 10 another theatre where he will re-
ceive alargo salary chiefly because he WINS
two plays that are regarded as probable suo-
ceases. Bernhardt, who will probably play in
London for tho first timo.tho tragedy "Medea,"
written for her by Catulle Mendes, has decided
not to appear Is Josephine In a Napoleonic play
which was made for hcr. She concluded after
two years elaboration that the role did not suit
hor.sand Coquelin has taken the play for tho
sake of acting Napoleon. The vaudeville
sketch Beem1 to be international now. IL began
in this country, took root in England and has
now brought on o row between the dramatists'
SGSSilesy has "a fb hilhsrt on" cd 5ne %Sdic tbs oI masio S%Ii
performances. The contention 10 that these
sketches are plays, wherever they be acted, and
The Coincide FRANCHISE last season produced
ninety.two plays. of which ten we're new. and
time at that house. Three ella borate REVEALS
Of former: repertoire pieces were given, and of
fornsnccs was 4s2. The largest receipts at a
single ono were $l,7so. from nLe Deppte Dc
and The Nominee" The oddoans. Which was
closed during three summer months. had in all
In the list were eight standard dramas for the
lions Of plays from the old repertoire. Tho
larger audiences were for Sarah Bernnardt in
gerao" and the play mentioned at the Com6die
ERTxa;n nSSa e. T dssggbo amounted osaGSda TO 81 ABOUT 696 Si,soo:
reached high water mark. It viii be seen, con-
trary TO tho Impression prevailing here. that
PartSianS do sometimes pay to go TO the theatre.
Germany Ia to have I'm Old kentucky" act
ed in German by q company sent from the
Pabst Theatre in Milwaukee. and accompanied
by negro dancers and singers. Tho perform
ance is.seriously spoken of in German journals
as n return for the Appearances here Of Sorma,
Engels, Kainz, Possart, and Barnay.
Tomasso Salvini 10 to return to tine stage in
Turin and act in Alheri'a sNirrinia - aud IN
"Morte Civile." Some of the modern Italian
dramatists still turn out tho morbid plays tow
ard which their fancy seems to turn. They
appear to be more concerned with the wife's un-
falthfulness than ever tho French playwrights
were. This 10 tho subject not only of anulyti-
cal works, but OF popular mclodramas as well.
One instance will snow the material which
sometimes delights the people. Tho wife of an
Italian soldier learns that her husband was
taken prisoner and not killed, as she supposed.
He is about to return, and she faces disgrace,
as she has n lover, the father of her unborn
child. This lover and his father have the same
name. Tho father has debauChed tho wifp Of
q half witted servant. In II storm no and tho
deceived husband are attempting to reach tho
shore, and the idiot alone can save them, But
he has determined 10 ayenge himself, and the
three In tho boat are allowed to drown as the
son. having parted from big mistress, reaches
be has deceived sink in tho waves. This Is
described as a play that appeals particularly to
lilu lohlu Va ~ Ohllip lENli'. NlbLlltI pro-
duotion makes Il guilty wlfo Kill herself rather
than face her husband, who has returned
from the war. The accounts Of buses recent
failure in LA Princessc do Bngdad" in Italy
are interesting; In view Of the fact that this
play Of Dumas's FIRST made her known outside
OF Italy. 1t is TO her performance that Dumas
refers in his preface, and he ncknOw lodges his
Indebtedness to her for the changes shc made
in one crucial scene which he subsequently
adopted in the last editions OF his works, THO
knowledge of Duse in Paris dates from that
time.
Midland Beach, which Is now open with a d.
versity OF seashore amuscmcnts, will begin
Electrically on July . with an extravaganza
entitled Tho Maid OF Manila" for which
John T. Harley has written the words and W.
II. Bachelor the music.
The stock company at tho Columbus. taking
courage from the cool weather and tho accept
ability Of "Jim the Penmnn," will continue
through this week, although n closure was an
nounccd for last Saturday night.
IL has been decided 70 make tho Hammer
stein testimonial consist Of old fashioned negro