Omaha daily bee., 1899-09-17
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accepts a proposal OF marriage from Par
bury's best friend, and all ends happily.
ut may be seen from this outline that 1t Is
for the audience to feel at once that
Parbury loves his wife deeply. and that moth
ing separates them but an accidental misun-
Outstanding. 1t is also essential that the
audience should not imagine too strongly
that the attractive secretary Is In love with
Parbury. Otherwise, the consequent scenes
of the play are apt to be wholly unsatis-
factory, u not quite unacceptable"
OF Mr.. Drew and Miss Irving's work the
World says: with one or two exceptions
the acting of John Drew and Isabel Irving
was quite in accordance with their usual
high standing and most acceptable" The
cast includes only six people.
Next in line OF Importance was Minnie
Maddern Fisk's appearance in Langdon
Mitchelrs dramatization OF Thackeray's
Vanity Fair" as Becky Sharp. 1t was
hardly received with the same spirit by the
critics as was THE Tyranny OF Tears" Just
the reverse, with one exception the New
York papers we're rather harsh in their
criticisms. The Journal said it was dull,
had no dramatic value, that Mrs. Fisk's
portrayal of the familiar character Of Becky
was bad and any number OF other harsh
things. The Tribune was not quite so
harsh, but thought that Mrs. Fisk did not
quite portray Thackeray's Becky as he meant
her to be. The Herald criticises the play
harshly, but OF Mrs. Fisk's work speaks as
follows:
Mrs. Fisk's Becky Sharp is clever and
consistent. 1t Is conscientiously studied
and carefully wrought out. 1t does not seem
quite Thackeray's Becky, because it does
not quite answer to the Becky Sharp that
Thackeray has conjured up in the individ-
ual minds. Perhaps no individual has quite
the same idea. Here, therefore, We invaria-
bly, have to content ourselves with Mr..
Mitchells idea as wrought out by Mrs.
Fisk. Something OF our own fixed notions
must be sacrificed in the transmission from
mind to mind. What the novelist left to
inference must be explained bluntly and
frankly by dramatist and actor. 1t Is ex-
planned intelligently and coherently, but,
after all, 1t is the explanation Of an ex-
PLANTATION. 1t still needs the FLIP Of mem
DRY to reawaken the old Illusion"
Mrs. Fisk's supporting company Includes
Maurice Barrymore. Charles Plunkett, Ar
thur Maitland and others not so we'll known
to Omaha theater-goers.
OF the other new plays produced the
| World says: 1.-THE other theatrical offerings
of the week comprised three %farces. "Mr.
Smooth" at the Manhattan, I'm Paradise"
at the Bijou and Miss Hobbs" at the
Lyceum. All three may be described as
relative successes" None OF them rises
above the ordinary in a single particular
I and each is composed chiefly of well-worn
theatrical expediente and situations, intro
duced with more or less ingenuity for the
sole purpose of provoking mirth. This is
well enough in its way and 1t Is the usual
| process in the making OF farces. The fact
that a situation has been used before Is Of
| small consequences to the play-goer. The
only trouble is that when a playwright con-
s~ciously borrows other peoples materials
and sets about stringing them together the
/ comic effects usually do not seem to flow out
naturally from characters and story and
there is an apparent lack Of spontaneity in
all that occurs. Even the most unsophisti-
Gated spectator cannot help feeling that
something is hollow and forced about 1t and
he does not laugh as heartily as the really
comical situation would seem to warrant.
All three of the new farces have this de-
feet to a considerable extent.
"In Paradise was written by three
Frenchmen. Miss Hobbs by an English
man and "Mr. Smooth" by an American.
The difference in the subjects and the senti-
ments death with and the manner of treat
ment correspond very closely to the differ
ence In nationality"
Willie Collier was the star in "Mr
Smooth Richard Golden in 'In Paradise
and Annie Russell in Miss Hobbs"
Stuart Robson is confronted with the
grave danger of having his expensive New
York production Of 1.-THE Gadfy," the dra
matted version Of Mrs. e. L. Voynichs
mover, enjoined by the author on the open
ing night. Arrangements have been mad,
to present the play in New York tomorrow
evening. Differences between Mr.. Robson
and Mrs. Voynich have eliminated in al
intention on the part Of the author to pre-
vent Mr.. Robson from acting the play, Of
the ground that it is not an artistic ant
faithful reproduction Of her book.
The original dramatization OF THE Cad
fly was made by Mrs. Voynich and sh,
cam to New York to be present at the re
hearsals. 1t was soon discovered that sh,
lacked knowledge of stage technique an,
Mr.. Robson undertook to rewrite the pla.
according to his own ideas. Mrs. Voynicl
objected to having her manuscript change,
and the rehearsals became stormy affairs.
The play was tried in Providence, r. I.
Monday night last. Mrs. Voynich wa
present at the performance and attributes
the lack Of success to the liberties takel
with her version. 1t was then that she de
cided, 1t is said, to prevent it's p%erformanc
before a metropolitan audience, on tn
ground that 1t was a reflection on her lit
erary abilities and that her contract calle-
for an exact reproduction of her work.
The production is said to have cost MI
Robson nearly SOS, 900. 1t has been stage
favishly with a cast of twenty persons, in
GLIDING Marie Burroughs.
Mr.. Robson, it seems, is also having som
trouble with Marie Burroughs and she ha
threatened to leave his company unless Ger
tain lines in the new play, which she ha
to speak, are changed or cut out. For in
stance, she thinks such remarks as "Wha
has he done for you, this everlastin
Jesus?" or These alliances Of the Hol
, Ghost" are needlesly offensive, and she de
clines to play the role unless they al
eliminated.
Coming events.
i, "A Milk White Flag" will no doubt |
hailed with delight by a large majority
theatergoers. In many respects "A Mil
I White Flag" is Hoyt's best. 1t satirizi
certain factions in our citizen soldiery an
, INDUCES in unlimited fun at their expens