The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-11-19
THINGS IN THE NEW PLAYS.
Jvo or THE FREsCH FARCKs MAKE
FOLKS LLUSH AND BLUSH.

Ki..-A Young Brides INVESTIGATION at n
carnival eupper-Two Actors Favored
for their Birth Rather Than Worth.
Tho only additions last week TO the plays cur
can't in New York were Pnrisian farccs That Is
,b, ..me as saying that nothing worthy in stngo
literature was disclosed. But from a careless
poln, Of view, such majority OF the supporters
of,he.,res Take neither Make Nay for the Ladies'"
nor "Papas Wife" 10 deplorabo. Indeed, the
abused word success must be applied to both Of
,h,m. n We are 10 consider them merely as popu-
ia, entertainments Their merrimoni Is undeni-
,ble Asto their immortality. they are bad enough
in all conscience One scene In Make way for
IN. aides" would alarm the women In the audi.
,nce 4 the persons concerned in II woro not hus-
band and wife These two have been. married
ri. months but the bride 10 absorbed In her art
"A . painter and oblivious Of her place In ma,r
uony SO they are still bachelor and maid Tho
husband wants kisa The wife won't let him
have one lie sets out to take II BY force Sho
r,-i,ts with all her might IL 10 flight and pur-
mi, Around tables and over chairs they go
She IL caugh, on a sofa There Is a hnnd.to-
hand encounter. Masculine strength prevails
oy. feminine weakness Her protesting lips
arc pressed with his nrsi kiss. A man and
woman hsd such struggle In the melodrnma Of
-rhe Sporting Duchess, and 1t was regarded a.
d. boldest thing tina, had ever been done in carnal
action on our stage Blu, in that case the pursu.
rS animal was a gross liber;ine, and the over
AIKEN creature was a gentle maiden. That as
s.ul, was hateful crime, and the representa-
Of 1, was shocking But the one In tho farce al
The Madison Square Ii conjugaL The sympathy
Of The people 10 with tho husband who undertakes
properly to kiss his wife, and they know that.
whatever hhrpCns. there is q marriage certificate
70 legalize IL bc'.ides that the play IL q farce.
Nothing Is In earnest All is for fun. This Is
no, meant 10 defend the episode as one which
should have been put on the stage al all. or to
which tho talents Of Fiti Williams and Esther
Ti,ell should ever have been subjected. but only
10 explain the difference Of opinion as TO The kind
and degree Of the offence The clever ingenuity
Of Make Way for the Ladies'" Is no, to be denied.
Eobudy knows how many hundreds OF iarocs
have been written on the theme Of tho mother
In law sc, here is another with such an orig.
nal and novel lot VI incidents that there IL no
suggestion Of s,aIeness in the ioyial diversion.
convent pupil on bridal tour with proniEato
old husband IL the subject OF illustration In -Pnpas
VITA The possibility presented 10 the minds
Of the French authors must have been m,rk.
able and no doub, they msdo the worst Of IL
But in the English version. used here 10 exploit
n.gtsnt than the suggestion OF indecency once
in while However. II Is not meant 10 be a.
pure as spring water and It's best opportunity
for the actress ~ prove her claim Of talent IL alco
hole The bridegroom gives q farewell supper.
With which TO part from a disreputable woman.
The innocent young bride Is by mischance intro
dueed on that occasion In plao, Of the absent
creature, whose evil reputation she unwittingly
susIans by drinking more wine Than she can
contain with equipoisc. and Behaving in rccl.
less manner Of hilauiy II Ia In this episode
which lasts nearly half an hour that Miss Held
10 more than beautiful doll and almost an act
ross Of the type that Is famous on the French
stage She shows the start and progress Of TN
accustomed lnioIicaunn In ways thn, are very
funny. except 10 those Who can't or won't take
anything but serious view Of a woman In such
condition. even in !mcrry mlmiery. She does
eIpertly, and With humor that 10 Infectious
and al the climax abe dtopS into chaIr realizes
her degradation. Is eruAAed by H. and sobs out:
Poor mammal
Like The disguised goddess who appeared
TO Areas Miss Held stands revealed as the music
hall singer chiefly In her walk That IL a curl.
Gus lite strut not noticeably peculiar 30 long
a abe wore short skirts and passed rapidly from
one side OF tho stage To another In singing her
ditues But In dramatic performance. where
she must move about IN accordance with the de
mands OF The action. her mincing steps arc ,
personal diversion from the assumed character
IN The opening night she was constantly In mo-
uon and tho spectators had opportunity enough
70 oeeNe this phase OF her new effort II may
have been the resul, Of nervousness or Of dgh,
SAYS II was not admired a method Of pcdes
'ranisn II she could have moved over III.
her
hr pedal peculiarties might have escaped a.
tenuon But In play with other characters
on the stage she was kept in check and tho 70
suit OF this new restraint was tho gal, which
seems likely IN be more OF an impairment 10 her
Husuc progress than any other quality Of hel
present. performance The sei.-oonscioumess OF
her former specialuos should disappear with ex.
penenoe, and the walk may vanish along with
her singing voice Is much improved She
never unntelRtblo. and her foreign accent
rahef pleasant than otherwise The evidence
mai abe possesses real talent IL shown In the
upsy scena II can readily bs seen that more
deicAcy and variety would improve Il Such
qualities arc moro dificult IN the beginner. how.
ever than a strenuous dramatic expression. So
Miss Held adopted that treatment Of the matter.
ANA carries II through with enough success 10
SHOW that shs will some day be able 10 rive
" INC other characteristics, II sho Is develop.s,
oy hard work as abe has been In tho pas, few
seasons II would bc unjust to her to say tina,
'ne now has a command Of tho methods Of such
women as Jude, Theo and Aimee Miss Held
would probably deny any such claim herself.
one younger than any Of them were In their
PRIME and She IL under the difficulty Of acting
language that is not her own. II IL highly
''eanable that she has done as well AZ She does
u'uet We circumstance. and she has shown
an aolli'y IN accomplish much more In the fu.
'ute so she has every reason N 10 satisfied
WIN The result n her experiment and To have
ne' admirers without tho necessity Of telling
hr' MAT she is already somcthing which II will
"Se he' some years yet 10 become
Our young and ambitious actors Of small, die
""'"'h h"'d grievance against two English.
n'eh VINO got into theatrical attention last week.
Inc lucky offenders owe their preference to birth
enu not to worth. They are Laurence Irving
sn"s permitted to play A ntonto in "The Merchan,
'ehise because he il Sir Henry lrying's son
Hnu ENC Hope. who is assigned 10 a part in Make
way i'' The Ladies" because he is tho Earl OF Var
NOUN While II II true tina, they arc chiefly
'o'u"o'e as personal exhibits and that their ad
''"'emcn' II detrimental to such two other as
"'Hhs as might otherwise have got the roles or