The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-08-30
AFFAIRS OF THE THEATRE.
THE CRTTERION'S OPENING WITH
y1yE AND ASPECT NEW.

r,orIes Frohman's Possession OF That
uoos, ReRins with the Production of
nTbe GirI From Maxim's,' Farce
From the Fronch--Other Stage News.
Tho criterion. which has been known before
~ two other names. was last night opened
,,,der the management Of Charles Frohman.
and vill in the future be the scene OF many
ir,rortnnt productions by that manager. The
,hoatre has been redeoorated and altered to
hiring il more in accordance with the best
;deas OF taste and utility. There are now but
two balconies. the former cramped lobby has
Lecn made little moro spacious. and
cod in the decorations has taken the
Mace Of tho cold blue. which was
formerly the prevailing color. The
new theatre. improved by these changes, has
become one OF tho most agreeable playhouses
IN the city. The happenings on the stage may
he seen and heard from every part OF the or
obostra and the house is OF just the size that
puts the audience and the actors on sufficiently
intimate relations. Last night 1t was filled
with ono OF the eager crowds that the opening
Of every season shows at the theatres. The
Girl from Maxim's" was the Offering with
which the new house was opened under the
Chas rrohman control. In accordance with that
managers plan OF presenting yearly the most
successful farce OF the Paris season. This
latest work Of Georges Feydcau left all OF It's
native competitors behind during the last
theatre year in Paris. Reports o, its success.
with some revelations OF its character that
made the performance seem improbable
here. have already reached New York.
~ Feydsau is remembered from some
of his previous plays as farce writer
Of great ingenuity and more au-
dacity than the majority OF his colleagues.
srl,, / nrf in piy 10
tie old ingredients and he was always willing
TO season them a little more highly than his
associates had ever done before him. La
Dame de chez Maxim" represented the last
achievement OF his skill and daring and did not
seem likely to reach the local stage. But 1t has
arrived along with "ZaZa" and half dozen
other pieces which never seemed possible
before American audiences. Like many
another French farce before it. incidents
OF unmistakabe improperly were moder-
ately disguised under harmless local sub
stitutes that satisfied appearances and de-
ceiyed nobody Now lorks are accustomed to
and SO long as they really see through the de-
ception, they can enjoy II
must have been little more difiicuft than
usual. 1t was hard to explain. for instance,
how an elderly physician OF repute should
room that Adorned hers. He had acquired her
s M"m the tnsht before and
to the country place OF of his rel
atves. where she is received for his wife.
ent The French farce writer can be relied on
10 evolve humor Of his own kind out Of this
situation an, an some Of tina. T. sure to remain.
Most Of this came last night In the second
act. The manners Of tho coootte suddenly
her dsmorsizns inaence pr ON the pe so
ties for Partisan smartnes. and initiated
hcr ,identity-a!l these Incidents furnished
rapidly moving fun OF the kind SO m UGH njoyed
F. srce t. Ii tra ss8 asT0i r
appeals Certainly the audience last
night, seemed to take pleasure in every
ri naM seRsE 3, sS Of
that this style OF play has ever obtained. nota-
bly, the scene Of tho second act IN which the
that the voice Of her husband advising her to
80 home, is from, a supernatural source
G po S Hs H Ia ns
6 Sy to Or sHS Ssdn amy sR %prs .ss SLY
subtlety offered Unusual opportunities. Ger
wife who 10 constantly mistaken Tor a maniac
But for naturalness and lack Of exaggeration
s: .sond se which tS Are he a Gt
I With his p invaf fPPsn iyns.. o. m asp
infexible who may always be relied on
TO do the same thing in the same way
!! ~ P ETSsne@nr admirable as young soldier.
with cohort Of amateurish beauties who filed
the second act with exceptional comelness.
The oneact play called Paris in 1893"
which Robert Downing is showing this week
At the Pleasure Palace. ought to delight that
class OF men who consider that they show
their Appreciation OF high art by wearing their
hair cut long and their wits cut short That
section OF the theatregoing public admire any
piece OF dramatic work that Is not quite
understandable. Something that seems to
mean more than can be seen with the naked
eye Is accepted by them as worthy OF praise
and profound study. Such is the case with
Paris III l7a3.' 1t Ia about four hours and
half OF drama compressed into thirty min
utes The result is that the Pleasure
Palace audiences are completely mysti-
ned. After the piece has progressed for
ten minutes or 40 one rubs Oh
ones eyes and wonders IL a short nap has
caused tho loss OF the foundation OF the plot.
II lsa case OF what Sam Bernard would call
What 1t ISIS. ISIS it ?" Asnearly as can be gath
49, '"''"Sh otuuiouS TebedTcn Jne bJOTy Is
this. LYDIA Lnngtish sort OF woman is the
vile NJ decidedly worldly Partisan. Before
her marriage she has been In love with a peas
ant who went to war, She seems to be rather
insincere even in this passion. Question num-
Der one: Is she? She had received a letter
written by him while suffering from wound
lnhcted in battle. in which he repeats his love-
This time on his dsathbed. knowing OF only
one exit from deathbed she had given him
up But he returns. end after giving a detailed
account OF his life for the past flve years. with
out once referring to notes or data OF any
sort, reneWs his declarations OF love with all
the high-ilown eloquence OF Bowery hero
question number two: Is the part OF the lover
Intentionally Overdrawn and comic or is the
laughter merely due to the over acting OF the
player? The husband. 80 that his wife may
marry the man OF her choice. offers to get legal
separation. which 1t seems Is a more easily
procured commodity in Paris in 1893 than in
Dakota at the present day. All 10 settled aud
the couple are about to be married when
the characters. one and all. proceed to take
example by Sardou's correspondinRly compli-
Gated people in "Devorcons." In fact 1t would
lie waste OF time to tell the plot from here on.
The trio. that never we're original cease to be