The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-08-29
THEMES OF THE THEATRES.
STOCK COMPANIES ron MANHATTAN
AND BROOKLPN BoROUGHs.
Donnelly's Company Begins with ethel New
south Rtthe Murray Hill, and Growers

ouRh Of Manhattan and one for Brooklyn. be-
gan their season on Saturday night. They are
meant to supply dramatic amusement that
shall be cheap at the low prices Of admission
charged. and they seem likely to give a full
moneys worth. The opening performances
were wholly satisfactory. judRedfrom that point
OF view. That is to say, they were quite half az
good as the average OF those for which twice
as much Is commonly exacted. Henry V. Dom.
elly's players acted THE New South" at
the Murray Hill Theatre. This drama by
Joseph Grismer was first produced in Broad
way. and IL was then regarded as expert and In
some respects strong, falling only a little short
Of marked excellence. The hero Is an inno-
cent convict. and his sufrcrinRs as u contract
laborer in n Southern forest, under a malev-
olent keeper. appeal eflectually for sympathy.
In the Murray Hill revival this character was
played competently by Robert Drouet. and tho
same kind and degree Of praise may be given
to Hannah May Ingham, who portrayed the
heroine, "a daughter of the old South" A
negro political leader was depicted by E.. I.
Stetson. and an old style Southern gentleman
by William Redmond while Dorothy Donnelly
figured In the cast as a particularly pretty and
girlish soubrette.
TIL stock company organized by Leonard
Grover. Jr.. opened the Brooklyn Park Theatre.
The play. How Brown Was Hypnotized." had
been advertised as brand new. but it was at
once recognized as My Law" which
had been performed on the same stage about flf-
teen years ago. Some r~evisions had boon made,
however, and they were all in the way of i'm
provement. The author is Leonard Grover, ST..
who, wrote :" Our Boarding HOUSE" in which
%S eaame + as 6pnnss 3 rIfo st hart E biaes' il Jointly Il Z
h GndyS ;bSTIslys , hslt1er-s q pt ttatrsd9' and , a
son right merrily, and that is q first
Eytinse.p Amy Lee. and iS tn The as senior erfGr S and jn m2Ss
Growers, TO treat its fun profciently. Other
employed in this cast are John il. Stoddaur1t and md
louise iIal. 1t is essential to the scheme
stu g Te snd yge shaRFH of few lP rssiho rsa@IIsin tfhsHt uttSSe e
actors shall have had much experience in many
parts. This requirement has been taken, into
account by Mr.. Grover and Mr.. Donnelly in
making up their forces. and that precaution
will. go u long way toward giving satisfactory
performances
"A Runaway Girl" is completely usual. It's
matter is all repetition. The formula OF George
Edwardes has become as fixed as the rules of
the unities used to be. A group OF ordinary
English girls in extraordinary surroundings is
tho main idea. THE Gaiety Girl put them
at a soldiers barracks and on tho Riviera.
1.-The Geisha" in japan. THE Circus Girl I" in
Paris, as did 1.-The Artists Model" and now
the British party is taken to Italy. The char
actors are the same old lot. The reason
for this similarity is that certain popular
London comedians must be provided with parts
that show their particular merits. Frederick
Kaye must always be a crusty old chap. Con-
ME Ediss. q cockney girl; Laurence D'orsay. a
swell, and Maurice Farkoa. q foreigner with
q, dialect. These, pieces have as well their
similar spectacular incidents. The final, one
takes place somewhere near the Plaza San
Marco. 1t Is evening at first, because Mr..
t R"Iy thu turns red d eisdtrio the lambs lights sn the IN G P6bsg
may be seen. But it suddenly becomes day
light when the dancers appear and the lights
are lowered again, and thereafter nobody be-
lIeyes that any particular hour is meant. The
costtu Mnssn il Is the the fdee " %h lR2st are re- i hns Ssafg
Is na dSma sda to the RSof eff Se4'f that Of none sS5o II the he
oar { feI5 i II eG1fRertt; o,. TRey are and chorus thhosripr ~ girls z who
trimming is less obvious than it would other
wise be; Their dancing. as well as many other
much better the English representation must
The lack of suitable comedians damages the
nearly al Of TIE laughter: No other man in
ilve9 nth the ' Perf9rma aesSif some ed' the roles Se EN- IN
in the hands of farcically, clever actors
GSS5f b IN p '9Ris, p te s3Snt they iSE m %iE65
women DO better. virginia Earle sings with
creased spirit and finish. Mabel Gilman is
ssprightlly and dJiy;ertinrG. and Paula Edwardes Is
ip a force requiEing, half a dozen. the value Of
be driven into round holes. but they cannot be
made to fit.
Virginia Dreher. who retired ten years ago
from Days company. has long had u pulmon-
airy trouble and has gone to Arlzonai in the hope
that her condition will improve. She came
from Louisville and was one OF the women Of
that town who sought to follow in the footsteps
of Mary Anderson. Miss Dreher. who was
handsome. refined and graceful. fitted well into
the atmosphere OF the German farces and the
few Shakesperean roles In which she appeared.
Her debut was made in st. Louis as Julia in
- The Hunchback " under the management OF
John Norton. who had been connected with the
triumphs of Miss Anderson's earlier days. Soon
afterward she came to New York. She had
been a schoolteacher. Her maiden name was
Her first husband was a musician,
named Dreher. Their married life was not
waite. Her nj health began several years ago,
She WAS one OF that quartet which included
NAY bms5d1 thst r E9l4s hf ro@ psly, s9 Service Rs'tt y
julia Arthur ie to play Rosalind next winter.
In K Lady OF Quality is fulfilled, She should
be a charming figure. In the last act she Will
vary the usual dressing by IL simple froek, on
the ground that RosalindcOuld not have carried
with her into the forest the elaborate costume
change the fashion Of the heroine's dress ear
Her In the. play there will be no objection.
Annie Yeamans has celebrated her fftleth
year of stage work. She was Is when il began,
and she says that she Is equal to fifteen years
more. She was once in O circus.
Richard Mansfield will not, after all. have O
play from Israel Zangwill. according to the
latest accounts. IT. wqs TO have been a dra-
version of THE King OF Schnorrers,"
but the actor and the novelist are said TO have
disagreed; Egerton Castle. whose novel, Tho
the Lyceum. will provide a play for Mr.. Mans
field.
m n Young m ms teacher ioovei nv tie e hr III pa pf
her pupil. q young Duke; His mother decides
that his affection shall be honest, and insists
make her his wife. In person she earliest the offer
10 the humble home Of the girls parents. Aman
Of her oWnlstation also woos the girl and she
hna nrOmlseh to mnrrY him, but she hrpnkn hnr