The times., 1899-05-07


out of the affair with distinct credit is
Blanche Bates, who is now perhaps the
most talked-of woman on the American
stage. Washingtonians have certain in
! terest in this artist at present in that,
while she has never been seen here, she is
! in large measure identified with T. Daniel
Frawley. from whose San Francisco organ
ization she emerged to success. Miss Bates
was originally employed by Mr. Frawley
| for utility work at a salary of something
| like $40 a week. In very short space of
time she had clearly demonstrated her
| ability and had come East with the idea
OF conquering new territory. Her initial
engagement in New York invited the atten-
| tion of Gotham's critics largely through an
! interview published in The Times, and in
which Madame Modjeska, who had seen
/ the California girl at her home, prophesied
that Miss Bates would come to be one of
this country's best known people. This en-
gagement was with Augustin Daly's COM
! pany in The Great Ruby and though it
! lasted only few days, 1t served to show
Miss Bates as startlingly clever perform
er. Through its triumph she was secured
for the Liebler production of THE Musket-
eers,' and in this has more than doubled
the impression made before.
Altogether it seems that within the year
new claimant for unrivaled theatrical
honors has sprung up. That claimant is
now receiving the attention OF dramatic
wiseacres in all parts OF the country.
While 1t is impossible as yet for her
methods to be criticised in Washington it
were well to keep her in mind as an ac-
tress who is at present general topic in
professional circles and who viii bear the
closest watching 1t may not be very long
before Miss Bates is universally acknowl-
edged to be the supreme artist which her
hit in the role of ''Miladi'' has made her
friends claim her TO be. In all events. now
that the several adaptations of THE Three
| Guardsmen" have passed out of sight, she
seems the one permanent histrionic figure
of prominence the revival has erected.
| Speaking of THE Musketeers" makes
one think OF Richelieu. and thinking of
| Richelieu brings to mind another interest
| ing man. Sir Henry Irving is the person.
| age in question. and he commands atten-
ton not only because he is TO make
| tour of these United States next season
but through the likeness to the crafty Car
dinal that makes 1t possible to mention
| both in the same breath. Richeiieu never
! had more power than when he seemed
nearest TO losing 1t all. and this has been
| shown to be the case with the great Eng
lish actor. Sir Henry has Just effected
| the most wonderful transit known in the
| annals of the stage
| month ago. when the American tour
was first announced. Irving's evident hope
was to retrieve to certain extent in this
country the honors be had lost in his own
| The distinguished actor was ILL., financially
| embarrassed and. one may imagine con-
| siderably discouraged. There was talk of
| the Lyceum Theatre in London passing in
| to other hands, and the observing began to
| believe that at the age of siXty-one the
| grand old man of the drama would be
| forced into passive retirement Finally
! the rumors which had been spreading con-
| corning a new Sardou play for which Sir
| Henry was said to have contracted, became
| more definite, and it was announced that
that play was to be called 'Robespierre"
| Early in April the work was done in the
| British metropolis, and its triumph was
| wonderful. BY its means the star comes to
| these shores not as a sort OF artistic exile
| but rather as conqueror.
From detailed accounts of the initial
| performance of "Robespierre," which are
| just beginning to reach here, ii is appar-
| ent that the scenes enacted on its first night
! were among the most remarkable ever
| witnessed In n theatre. Immediately after
| 1t was made known that Irving had really
| climbed back to his old heights by means
| of the vehicle Sardou had built for him
| the house became hysterical with anthusi-
| asm. Both the pit and the stalls rose
| at the great actor At the elimination
| of the piece the entire audience became
wild with delight and the hero of the hour
was called before the curtain again and
again. That week little else was spoken
| of in London.
Hugh Morton. author Of "The Belle of
| New York" and other Casino successes
| writes from England to the "New York
| Telegraph describing the work which has
effected this turn-about and his article