The herald., 1898-01-16

, syndicate, for I admire the power for good
that is behind him; but If we who devote
our lives to the furnishing of material
for the stage are brought face to face
with the truth that our successful nveli-
hood depends upon supplying the wares
| that Mr.. Frohman is now offering (wares
that have included The Founding The
Night Session. The Proper Caper. and
other dainties of that sorD. we owe it to
our self-respect to demand a remedy. 1t
Is all very well for the superior wording
to console himself with the claim that the
theater is not for the young person'-but
1t is exactly on that point that take
| issue with him. trust the day will never
come when the Americans love of decency
will so absolutely desert him that he can
take pleasure in any realm Of art to which
| he cannot invite his family"
The past week has furnished a con-
siderable quantity Of amusement to
theater rgoers, and IL the quality has not
been entirely satisfactory there is a
consolation in the fact that better is to
come. The Calhoun Opera company
gave good performances for the prices
charged. and the bar-room entertain
ment "At Gay Coney Island" that
WOuIQ uP Tic Wcch, was cIllTely u Tie
taste of quite number of people. OF
course the taste is not an elevated one,
and some simple people might even call
it low; but so much depends upon the
point of view. If the admirers of a
whisky farce comedy, with barkeeper
and undertaken attachment thrown in,
find themselves in the majority, that will
be proof positive to them that they are
right.
At the Burbank Sam T. Shaw Is CIV
ing great deal of satisfaction. He is a
good actor of character parts and has
the uncommon gift Of being able to a
great extent to sink his own individual
ity in that of the character he assumes.
The Orpheum bill has been particular
ly good for some weeks past and prom
ises well for the coming week.
+ r =
New York has been entertained by
performances of "As You Like 1t" at
Daly's and the Knickerbocker, the
character of Rosalind being taken by
Ada Rehan at the one house and by Julia
Marlowe at the other. The Contest" as
it is termed; between two such promi-
| nent actresses has naturally worked
\ huGii ACSPCCtltC uuthiI cAB up " d IllB II
pitch of excitement, to the great benefit
of the box office and to the advantage of
newspaper writer's who have shown how
much, or how little. they know about the
play and the acting of it. OF course the
sensational papers have taken advan-
tage of the opportunity to give portraits
of the actresses, and in one of the pa
pers find these portraits arrayed side
by side with anatomical measurements
in the same detail as is usually given by
these journals when a couple of prize
fighters are about to test their powers in
a contest. 1 know nothing about the
accuracy of the figures given in this case
but quote them for what they are worth
The measurments of Ada Behan are
given first and those of Julia Marlowe
follow, to wit: Height, feet, 7h-5 feet,
5A; weight, 1471s-12S; neck, 14-12; bust,
31-S8; biceps, 14h-13; waist, 171z-24;
glove size, 3--4; shoe size, "a. With
these aids to knowledge it seems to be
assumed that the play-goer will have a
better enjoyment of the performance
and more accurate perception of the
ability physically and otherwise of the
actresses to properly portray the char
acter of Shakespeare's heroine. should
not be surprised If the example were fol-
lowed by the proprietors of some of the
dazzling leg shows that are going over
the country We may expect to see the
announcements of farce comedy stars
whose curvilinear attractions are sup
plemented with scantiness of costume
in which the physical measurements,
over symmetricals, of course, will be
oiu 70 of ar It'd
to witness the display of feminine love-
liness on the stage.
The leading theatrical attractions in
Washington of late have been Richard
Mansfield in his new play, "The DEVILS
Disciples" w. H. Crane, in "a Virginia
Courtship;" Du Souchets farce, my
Friend from india" and Mrs. Fiske, in
Tess of the D'Urbervilles" Fanny
Davenport was to have opened in "Cleo-
patra," but the audience had to be dis
missed on account of the stars sudden
illness. Acute neuralgia was stated to
be the complaint. Theatrical business in
the city is reported good.
= + =
Henry Dixey, the Adonis magician
appears to have made big success of
his enterprise in coming before the pub
lie as prestidigitator. His reception
in Chicago was very fiattering.
4 + \
The so-called Chicago Manuscript
company" under which name Alexand-
er Byers has for years been carrying
on traffic in stolen plays the principal
source of supply to play pirates through
out the country. has been brought to
book at last, says the Mirror. There
Is probability that this nefarious busi-
ness will be completely broken up. The
police made seizure of over 1000 type
written copies of pirated plays.
4 4 4
With the exception of E. s. Willard It
Is said that there are no English stars
touring America this year. Mr.. Will
lard has identified himself so closely
with this country he can no longer be
regarded as foreign attraction.
4 4
Harry Corson Clarke Immediately up
on his retirement from the Frawley