The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-11-04
NOTES AT THE THEATRES.
THE MURRAY MIL sTOCK COMPANY
UNDERTAKES NdPOLEOHIsM.

Changes from farce TO mclo irnmn. to society
nroblem u ave, and 10 historical comedies. arc
usual at the Murray Hill Theatre. Last week
they gave adequate performances OF Lady
windermeres Fam" and now they are pre-
senting Madame Sans Gene This Napole-
onlc comedy was never exceptionally success
full in thI. country. Like most stage fiction
surrounding the great condueror. II Ia scant in
interest other than historical. Another cause
for its lack Of grcat prosperity hero was the
insufficient manner in which Ada Rehnn and
Kathryn Kidder acted the principal part OF
the two Miss Kiddsr was much the better. but
she was unabe to give the Characterization
which Nine. Rejane showed us. Madame
Sans Gene" was an injudcious choice
for tho Donnelly COMPANY II depends
too much on Its pictorial sidc. which
I. necessarily bad ut the Murray Hill The
court o. Napoleon wears costumes OF various
historical periods. and others that nre seen only
in comic opera land The important parts ara
not suitably arranged for stock company.
These organizations have their Leading woman.
leading man. frat juvenile. and so on. Miss Ing
ham ia not in this piece. the PRINCIPAL role being
utterly nnsuited to her. Ralph Stuart Ia not
the chief hero. because there Il none. Thomas
Coleman who has i'm orsonnted villains eNclu-
slveiy this senson until now. Is the good hus-
band Walter Allen Ia the Napoleon and surely
takes the lead among the men. Most Of thu
women are worth mention only for their Cro-
teslue drosscs. Dorothy Donnelly i NtdcDe
Sans Gene. II 10 a rretty big undcrtaL-
ing for her 10 attempt role which
was too much for Ada Rehan. and
than ncccntnSie Miss Donna,ry does moi VAN ar.
renr regularly n III MURRAY HI because h"-
sn.e,s,,y Is nj MI, often needed Their" This
some gowns She wns In clover Last week
when she dlsn,nrcd a 'ne wnrdrchc, And drllv.
mere. Fam with mn easy grNc" that would
max. Elsie dc Wolfe trsmh,,a for her lnur"ls
supreme "IY"r. and ia surrri.lneiv " "Si shss
grasp. the unronneh: free aud easy manner a.
S;mTred by W%e R.jonse IN ii" rTrt' me
Kldder'a INTERPRETATION. Mas DHnnellr's COM
sdy is too iarcical. however. md she lacks
Friend from Ini'a" viii 10 Glvon. and Mr.
sS.nH nSS Tct S
purposes. and English ones with romr'oV uo.'s.
twill he good ros' for ,hcs" hIrdiworkinlg
aim To he funny.
Clyde Fitch must have heou the first dra.
mntlst IN select M the scene ~ two important
episodes tho porch ou'si le "a house and the
staircase within IL. barbara rrie'chio" pos
sess those novel phases of dramatic con-
struction. Tho FIRST ne o' the PLAY passes In
the village o'an american town. Il is evening
and the audience sees onv the light that comes
from n room in one II tho houses
girl Ia playing n piano and singing
Two others are seated on the stnns n,
the house. Nothing is spoken Ivy either ~
these TO- several minutes Listen 20 the
Nocking Bird" which has been Givna over 10
the virtuoso whis.lers on Tho fcrrvhoats. l. tho
tune TIM. comes from within. Nror n whna
fFi
Maryland" At this tim" the conversation hc-
tween the two girls and th"I" n,iGh5or. who
ats on his step smoking n cigar Is frncman-
tary The EFFORT 81 tive drnmAtiSt 10 give the
impression ~ n summer night in southern
village il delightfully."- accomplished The
girls Gossip together. call To the third one in
the house. md then relapse into silence Their
chatter about III" Young men they know il
naturally interrupted by their own reflections
The light that the scene gets is iuCnnious,v
supplied. Presumably tho house il illuminated
within. Every time tho door is opon"d Fash
throws into Wow oil the character, on
the scene. Tho third act passes on
the broad, od-fashionei staircase Of a country
house; This occun'as most ~ N" stage. md
on either side the characters enter and leave
the scene. The only ornamentntion ~ the
apartment Is two oli.tashioned portraits when
h'G |. , 8" ns fRa rod THs n
carpet. hnwsvcr. that the most moving met
dents o. this act tnEe place; and III" rest Of the
act. II is in. the house of a Lutheran
an oId.raehionod fow"r pattern. The
furniture and decorations. unlike those Of
rurer style 81 the colonial reH1i"i. they ~" IRE.
nlnlnlv; result ~ thai tim" in, our styles
which hos been described rs the h'a"k walnut
perioi. No play that came rom foreign staga
was ever better presented so FAR rs details ~
tH'" and EGGwTdgo goes Than hT m.y o.
ssS rooms "TSs SGtoT!?s. NJ ES, smjs,RS:;
we're hIrhy praised a. "om6inntlons q beauty '"il
and realism. None Of these was superior 10
sfS%nd a TS anti in tn" rrv at G@
4. good In Its way. although those who
nnd ,. crinlo,Te,n nr,. In r",i@c,i2n Of detail
second net. Julia Mnrlowc wears herold-fash-
toned gowns with wonderful grace The ain
and picturesGueness Of movement some 81
her associates hay" been inst as fortunate in
bends Mr Fi,ch SOW own sharS "' in f n.so rn
suits cannot be overlooked. m nearly every
play Of his has shown some, traces Of this
s' Ha and w1 The nfFE nrG it 'v wa. ID
enjoyment Of his lntcst work drrnnds in a
large measure, on thcs"" Qualities he impar's
gers are liberal enough 10 carry Them '' out
They seem now INDISPENSABLE to tho sncra-a
OF II Fitch inlay, ana " would he n loss to dis
pense with them. The dramatist fairly revnlA
IN such details ~ his work. and IL so much NJ
HON" ~ them that his lack OF ease. evident
unfami larity and undoubtcd artincaity in
dramatic aud serious episodes can readily 10
accounted for.
Before the war with Spain was over our
vaudeville audiences woariod of the specialists
who displayed Old Glory and adulatsd tho
wars celebrities One witty parolist took OF
these performers 80 effectively "a to fix them
with nickname They became known az
"Oh. give us your kind applause !" performers.
Among them. and there were many. were fcu
who made much capital out Of the coriality
shown toward US by England. Tie great
friendship Of Uncle Snm and John Bull was left
for exploltaton by English performers They
have worked the field we'll according to ac-
counts from LONDON. How they do
Is shown by an English pair now
At Pastors. In get-up,, manner. md pro-
nunciation the man and the woman are
stamped as English product. II" holds n Union
Jack and heflcs tho woman to make a better
exhibit, She producgsn llae Of these United
Stnt"s. The gallery thunders Then he sings
81 Great Britain's accom- ulishments. His stnn2n
10 bright enough to hold respectful attention
even though his refrain In n challenge" Her
renly Is IN kind, and again the gods surr.nd,r
TO their feelings Three verses hive Nhion's
n