The record-union., 1899-12-24

size of his hand, and Octavius Caesar a
nose that would have done service as
the famous nose Of Bardolf in Henry
w. The tragedy came very near pe-
coming roaring comedy when MT.
James as Brutus.<said: Antony, the
posture of your blows is yet unknown
but for yours words they rob the hybla
bees and leave them honeyless," and
Mr.. Hanford as Antony replied: mot
stingless, too"
1t is rather difficult to see what good
purpose is to be served by such per-
formances as that of Richard H.
given in London the other day by the
Elizabethan Stage Society. The Lon
don "Athenaeum' says concerning 1t:
1.-The spectators were able to see and
hear, which has not always been the
case at previous performances by the
society. For this privilege they had,
however, to pay by occupying seats
which in the case of those of more than
average inches were unreasonably
cramped, and whence there was no pos
objectionable offense to their neighbors.
Stage conditions were, meantime, pro-
hibitive of any kind of decoration be-
yond dress and of almost any kind OF
action. One scene was employed
throughout. The churlishness of Rich
ard in his treatment of his uncle Ian
caster is greatly accumulated when the
monarch no longer pays his grudging
visit to the dying man, and 'time-hon-
ored Lancaster is brought on the stage
not even in litter, but in the arms OF
his retainers, by whom he is placed in
a chair and afterwards carried out.
Monarchs, heroes and the like had
again and again to step across the foot
lights and ascend by steep steps
through files Of spectators to a dressing
room somewhere in the back of the
auditorium. 1t was, Of course, impos-
sible for the fight between Mowbray
and Hereford to take place. All that
could be done was to bring on the con-
tending noblemen, put blunted lances
in their hands, and make them. with
the aid Of their squires, don, and then
at royal bidding doff their casques. For
a moment it seemed as if they were 60
ing to fight without, but on the Kings
throwing down superfluous warder
they were hailed back, and then or
dered off to Punishment
Louis n. Parker's play, Captain
Birchells Luck" presented recently in
Terry's Theater, London, is the tale of a
man redeemed from the slavery OF
drink by his love for woman. Having
married her, he falls from grace and
vanishes, but returns in time to pre-
vent her from marrying some one else
Then he succumbs. once more to his
passion for brandy, and again disap-
pears. In the end he is reformed, and
all ends happily. The piece appears to
be loosely constructed, but is said tc
afford opportunities for some good
acting by Scott Buist.
Maude Odell, who is playing Miladi
with James O'Neiu, is a very devou,
Catholic, and deeply interested in
ecclesiastical architecture, on which
question she is quite an authority
She supervised the erection of one
church in her home, Beaufort, S. c..
of a large number Of stained glass
windows in churches throughout the
country.
Jaques Kruger of James O'Neill s
company claims to be a distant rela-
tive of the President of the Transvaal
Republic, which is now at war with
England. Mr.. Kruger is confident that
"Oom Paul. would give him a COM
mission in the Boer army, but says
that his business is to make fun, not
war. He has scored one of the hits OF
his career as Bonacieux in 1.-The
Musketears."
children, both on and off the stage
One Of the hits of his Sag Harbor'' is
a baby, who plays an important par,
in the theme. AS a sort Of testimonial
to his juvenile friends, Mr.. Herne ar
ranged a special entertainment for the
poor children of Boston on Thanksgiv-
ing morning, followed by a real SAG
Harbor dinner of roast turkey, cram
berries and clans.
Ffolliott Paget will shortly make her
appearance in vaudeville in an original
sketch by Alice NJ. Bradley Frank
Dietz has secured for Miss Paget the
exclusive rights of "A Woman's No
until April, 1901. Miss Paget is undef
engagement to Joseph Jefferson till th9
end of next May, but the interval be-
tween Mr.. Jeffersons autumn and
spring seasons give her an opportunity
to appear at the vaudeville houses
The usefulness Of the claque is past
apparently, in Paris, and some in
genious mind has proposed to replace ii
by number of persons to be scat
tered through the audience, who will
laugh contagiously at all the funny
passages, and thus start the audience
into the delusion that they are in.
tensely amused. 1t is a well-knowr
fact that one hearty laugh will create
an uproar, and this fact is to be skill
fully built. upon.
F. Marion Crawford. the novelist, has
visited Viola Allen in Philadelphia, ano
submitted to her the COMPLETED cor)v nj