Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-09-04
ROBSON'S NEW PLAY.
AUGUSTUS THOMAS WRITES aTuE
MEDDLER" FOR THE COMEDIAN.
4 SPLENDID COMPANY PRODUCING IT
Richard Mansfield VIII Appenr Re-
fore New Workers This Season NJ.
hos'"nds Long-Nosed Hero-BiIs
ut the Parks This Week.

~ VIII no doubt be gratifying 10 the
theatre-Soing public to learn that Stuart
ROBSON Will this season present "A now
comedy, written sor him by Augustus
Thomas. The Medder" is the title .,
the piece and 1t is in the role of the man
VINO Is continually putting his nnger IN
some other persons pie that the distin-
suisned comedian will cause a laugh
nearly every minute he is on the stage.
The admirers Of Stuart Robson and
'hey are many, are no doubt wen pleased
that he has shelved "The Jucklins." Tor
IN the latter the comedian appeared in a
role different from anything he bad here
tOI0Ie attempted. The character of the
weIi-to-do North Carolinian was not one
IN which Mr.. Robson could appear 10 ad-
vantage and. indeed was not one which
ne couic impersonate with any degree OF
correctness IT is true he was irreslsti-
oiy Iunny in the role, and even managed
TO bring out the pathetic side Of the cha
4acIer. out ten minutes after the great
comedian made his entrance his audience
ehuieiy lost sight of locality, and it
| would have been as easy Tor them 10
! imagine, as far as Mr.. Robson was con-
| cerned, that the scenes were laid in the
oreary wastes of Labrador as among the
| pines Of the Old North State. No matter
what the makeup" may be, Mr.. Rob
! son. so far as speech is concerned is the
same IN every character he impersonates.
mat Htue trick in his articulation and
ms hlgh-pitched voice have been his for
tune. Therefore, when theatre-goers at
tend one Of Mr.. Robson's performances
they expect 10 see him in "a role which
viii be made all the more laughable bv
reason of this little peculiarly in the
comedians voice, and not one in which
II Will be clearly out Of place. A striking
example of the former was the character
Of BERTHE, the Lamb"
PLOT OF THE MEDDLER.
In 'Francis Eli, the Meddler." the we'll
known playwright has given Mr.. Robson
one Of those roles which suit admirably
the peculiarities OF the actor. The piece
was given its first production last Thurs
day at Wallack's Theatre, New York
The story of the plot in 1.-The Meddler"
deals with the procivities of the princi-
pal character for interfering in the per-
sonal and private affairs of his friends
and acquaintance. and his penchant for
this sort Of pastime is the cause of much
worry 10 his immediate circle who are
thrown into state of turmoil by reason |
or the meddler advancing a theory that |
one OF their social set is engaged in an |
intrigue with the wife Of another mem |
ber Upon being taxed by the husband |
with this, the meddler, TO screen himself, |
puts the blame first on one and then on |
another of their acquaintance until he |
has them all in a state OF much per-
turbation. Mr.. Thomas has worked out
the story very carefully and skilfuly. and
the denouement which does not take
place until the end Of the last act. is
wrapped in complete mystery, so much
so that the average auditor finds it diff
cult 10 understand how the author is
going to straighten matters out for the
players who people his cast
Mr.. Robson has surrounded himself !
with an excellent company this season.
Miss Marie Burroughs is his leading lady.
while the name of Miss Maude Granger
will doubtless prove a magnet from a
box-oftce standpoint Then there are
John Il. Kellerd, Theodore Hamilton, and
Harold Russell. all of whom are well
known.
The Robson combination comes here
early in the season, it being booked 10
play Richmond October 31st.
A LONG-NOSED HERO.
Mr. Richard Mansfield has announced
that he will this season produce in New {
York Edmond Rostands "Cyrano de {
Bergerac" Many people go about this
world with a long face, but the hero in
this piece is forced to journey through :
ife with long nose. When the great {
JOquelin presented the play on the other n
side, il is said that the Parisians took
he hero to their hearts and worshipped
ais nose. 1t is even stated that the play y
has had the effect Of making long noses )
fashionable, and as Paris sets the mode, /
hose who wish to be correct in every \
hing will now have to puzzle their heads !
n search of a method TO elongate this Z
eature. 1t is not a new thing TO pull
lerson's leg. and IL may be that the nose 5
an be included in this stretching pro-
ess =
How New York will take Rostands
Dng-nosed hero remains to be seen. That
richard Mansfield, in making up" will
ot cut off one sixteenth of an inch Of \
his prominent feature, no one doubts,
Or even those who are inclined to be
haritable, admit that the great actor
eccentric" There are some who use n
mother word Such a thing as facing a b,
ew York audience with a nose inches II
length will not in the least bother r.
Iansheld New Workers are a queer lot II
owever. and the question is, will they p'
Ike this seriously? Alan Dale, the great | II
ew York dramatic critic has already | al
iggested 10 Weber and Fields the posi-
lity of burlesquing the hero of "Cyra- &c
, de Bergerac," and says that when II
lis is done he shall NEST assuredly VI
aim royalties -
AT THE ACADEMY. VI
at Fort Bliss" a play written by Mr.. 49, ~
enry Simons, will be the attraction al ~
e Academy of Music next Friday and nc
turday. The play deals with the rivalry
two army officers for the hand of
autiful girl, and is said TO be extreme
interesting. The situations are natu- NJ
/. but intensely dramatic. The comedy
bright and new, and is perfectly clean
d free from any of the usual objection
le features number of novel and 0''
tchy specialties have been introduced no
q a most enjoyable and interesting per- EN
finance is promised. Nh,
IFS WEEKS BROAD-STREET BILL an
. new page in the history of vaude- tn
lie in this city will be made this week, COZ
en Manager Leath, OF Broad-Street pa
TX. will present for six nights and fax
tinee Simmons & Slocums Minstrels, he
complete aggregation Of burnt wa
nedians. singers and dancers. There shi
/ be no advance in the price OF ad- aw
;sion, and the reserved-seat fee will III,
the same. The company numbers
rteen artists, and although 1t is not
large as IL might be. the programme