The times., 1898-01-23
Maape Ellis at the Biiop

The leader of all the attractions at
the Bijou this week will be the chic
saucy, piquant little woman, Madge
of this little star soon after her return
from England, said:
''Madge Ellis, the most popular of all
our serio-comics, who has just return
ed from England, is the leading fea-
ture of the program at Roster and
BiaIs. Her reception last night was
tremendous, which showed very clearly
that New York is still loyal to Madge
Ellis. The little artistic is as chic and
vivaciouS as ever but far more dashing
and graceful and finished than of. yore
Her songs, all clever, rendered with the
piquancy of the French school, were
rapturously encored, and she was COM
PEELED TO sing until she was exhausted
before the audience was satisfied.
Miss Ellis has been a star in the Eng
lish music halls, and her experience
across the water has ripened her art
so that even to her friends she was a
novelty"
Among the other clever people to be
seen at the Bijou this week are the
Whitney Brothers, musical comedy ar
fists; the Worlds Trio, the Sisters Ray
mond, Will White, monologue speaker
and story teller; the Sisters Batchelder,
vocalists and dancers; Billy Madden
and Clara Adams, in Southern
sketch; Will Trueheart and Alice Dill
Ion, in comedy act, and several others
of well-known merit. On the, evenings
of Thursday, Friday and Saturday~wili
be the long-looked-for contest for the
wrestling championship of the District,
between John ]. Luskey and r. r.
Mackey, for 5000 side. Next week the
Bijou will be fitted out with new and
handsomely-upho opera chairs
and several new private boxes added.
There is lively discussiongfn Paris
over Sara Bernhardt's new play, Les
Mauvais Bergers." 1t seems to be one
of those exhibitions of realism which
are very thrilling, very artistic and very
wonderfully one can endure them. 1t
deals with strike, mob and the de-
struction Of factory, from whose
smouidering ruins human bodies are
dragged forth. Someone in the audi
ence exclaimed at this point: ''It is not
a play; it is the Charity Bazaar over
againv" Madeleine, the heroine, is lift
ed from heap of ruins, apparently
ed her resuscitation made the specta-
tors hold their breath. 1t was fearfully
real and intensely tragic. The result of
all this is violent conflict of opinion
as to the merits of the play The so
cialist speeches in it are criticised as
and the final scene is pro-
revolving. On the other hand.
there are people who consider it all
and say, as Dana said of his
paper, that what. God Almighty allows
to happen is good enough to be put on
the stage.
There is point here, if one can only
see it, and it is this: In literature, in
the drama and in art alike there is the
to paint really inartistic
things because one can paint them well.
One is about as bad as the other The
line between the artistic and the mar
tistic needs to be very carefully drawn.
and while it is permissible, for the sake
Of realism, to introduce disagreeable
details into a play, they should not be
given more than their due proportion
Of value, nor should they be allowed
20 become the thing instinctively asso-
ciated with the drama in the minds of
he audience. Historical accuracy is a
good thing. but. after all, the real bust 4
ness OF a dramatist and of an actor is !