New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-02-24
THE DRAMA.
sTAcr AFFAIRS IN GENERAL.

Tho ASPECT of the local stage Is changed rom
week 10 week but Its Importance Is not Augmented
its dignity is not enhanced. and It's intehec'ud
meaning Is not heightened. No dramatic ~orH NJ
! the first class Is visible anywhere The preValeht
belief seems to be that success consists In attract
ing a crowd of people and that any connection Is
good play which for any reason whatever. VIII ac-
compllsh that result Tho best comedy now cur
rent s Mr. Pinero's humorous ana saut""I
''Trelawny Of tho Wells" which has been ac'e"
more than a hundred times AT the Lyceum lhea'e
and which Will he continued there until the end OF
tho season The best melodrama Is 'Ihe 'fea'
Ruby" which has capuvated the multl'ude a,
Daly's Theatre and which. doubtless. VIII preNal
there for many weeks The best farcc IS Inc
White Horse Tavern" produced on February D al
Wallack's Theatre. and Immediately adopted H'o
tho public favor Tragedy is not attempted nut' as
there are no tragedians this circumstance Is tor'u
nate Farces and melodramas are supplied IN aouh-
dance Military and domestic elements are pro-
vidod by Mr. Herne's meodrama concerning } ne
Rev Grifith Davenport" AZ the Herald square
Theatre and by Mr.. Arson Ponds melohrafna ~
Her Atonement" at the Academy 'i M"S'''
Noudoscript shows are numerous and some OF them
are very nasty.
Tho wave of the romantic drama continues IN
roll and II is rapidly growing. alike in volume ana
in weight When "Cyrano do Bergerac' was pro-
duced last September, It might have been *
pccted-and indeed II was expected.-that me
GuaTdSmpn.'
Domonio" and others ~ that flock would speedily
collou. That expectation has not been disap-
nointed The Guardsmen will arrive next week ~
tho Knckerbocker Theatre, and about zen DAYS
later they will emerge at the broadway lhed'''
Mr. Sothorn and Miss Crane are to be conspicuous
Gpurcs at the former house. and Mr. James - NelIi
ond Miss RIarche Bates will assume like prom
nance al the latter The facetous Na' '''"-
win and the beautiful Maxine Elliott are "nn"l"S
IN y successful engagement at the Knickerbockcr
Theatre with Mr.. Fitchs crude. conventional anu
reminiscent but interesting and In some r'sP'''S
croditahle play Of Nathan Hale propu''o"
,,bicb reveals at once dramatic perception
pa.rlotic bosom verbal force pump, ana eoou
memory Tom Robertsons School Is susgesuNe
,ls,. and 50 IS Douglas Jerrold's BLACK Eyed
Susan" and there IS much virtue III M"o'e
melodies Miss Viola Allen Is In the last nSh'S "l
her prosperous engagement AZ the GARDEN lHr"'.''
rIo,ino the caprlcious and coquetish Glory Quayle'
leading Mr. Hall Gaines amorous ana homl'I""'
Christian into temptation and Mysteries. ana peas
inc evervbodv with her sweetness. grace. and force
4 thin. artificial and paltry EnellSh o""e"S'
called Lord and Lady Aley." whlch was pro
ducod last week IN the Empire Theatre.-anh "h.ch
contains q dstasteful story. various disagreeaole
characters and some vivacious writing'-haS met
with moderate favor, and It seems HkeIy 70 ha''
brief career. o..
Mrs Fiske will come TO the Firth Avenue Ihea"e
next week presenting the worn and weary pay
of "Nfagda" and Mr. Charles Coghlan VIII Sue
coed her there on April 10. presenting his new
drama "Citizen Pierre" Miss Julia Marlowe WI"
shortly return to New-York. with a new play en-
titled "Colinette" AN adaptation from rreh'h
original containing n pretty story. several "eIF
contraStod characters. and TWO or three eh'''''
dramatic situations. The French author appear"
IN have taken hint from passage IN me history
Of the Tower OF London. and also he seems 70
have used his material with felicltous skill Inc
dramatic season. thus far. has been full ~ labor
and It has been characterized by ample variety
4 few fine performances have been given, eXcm-
pufying the art Of acting and enforcing us Nalue
and its charm, but. In general. the stage mas
shown little or no serious purpose. and the record
Of the dramatic year. when finally made up. VIII
contain hut few incidents Of Il memorable charac-
ter It's best and most admirable feature was Mt
Dalv's production Of THE Merchant or Venice
and Ada Rehan. Viola Allen. Annie Russell Maude
Adams Mr.. Mansfield. Mr. Sidney Herbert and Mr..
jefferson have been its eminent figures Mr. ia
worth indeed has doomed considerably. as John
storm.-his sacerdotal pomp having, In most quar-
ers quite eclipsed the ponderous and sullen gloom
Of Mr. Edward Morgan I'm the same TREMENDOUS
character: one Of the admirers Of Mr.. Morgan
however was lately heard to declare. while con-
ceding the mighty prowess Of great Hawor'h' thaI
Morgan was more caddyvarlous.
Late IN 1857 the voice Of benignant fortune vouch-
safod a prom Sc that of the plays OF Eschylus
would short he produced at the Empire Theatre
and would have the approval Of Mr.. Charles
Frohman" That boon has never arrived Hschylus
slumbers But it IS now rumored that the learned
Frohman is about hestow his "approvar' upon
Shakespeare having lately discovered that there
IL tragedy called Romeo and Juliet which
has long been pining in obscuriV, and that the
characters Of Juliet. Romeo. and Mercuto were
originally written for Maude Adams William
Faversham and James K Hackett This flower,
II is said, will bloom In the spring and persons
Intending IN 60 to Europe might therefore be wise
to start early. w. w.
THE HATENEYER ART SALE.