The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-06-07
TOPICS OF THE THEATRE.
CONSUMMd LIARS As HEROES IN
FIRCES FROM THE FRENCH

Tho Example Brought Forward Newly nv
"To" Much johnson" as Transferred
and Augmented by Giiiette-.At tho yerv
IND of the Dramatic season In Fpwu
The man who becomes IA hero merely through
his dazzling and inexhaustib Bile mendacity ia
not popular Just now with the French drnmn-
lists. The central figure In their farce Ia
usually a man who lies. But he is also likely
to be engaged In amorous adventure. IL IL the
Importance OF his lying that decides whether
or not he belongs to the kind embodied in
Too Much johnson" or in "On and on" In
the Gillette ADAPTATION. to he seen this week NJ
the star. the liar glores in his gifts Of untruth-
iulncss for their own sake He twists up tho
intrigue of the play with his falsehOods until
the interest OF one depends entirely on the fire.
uuency and cloIuence OF the other. In the
case Of tho amorous hero OF "On
and on 80 It Is his adventures in love that really
inspire his mcndacty. II is means with him
and not an end. lie lies for tho sake OF his
pleasure and not because he finds his chief on
lovment in exhibiting the virtuosity OF his
powers II Is the amorous hero that has taken
the pac" Of the other during recent seasons
and tho reason is not far to seek The mo-
notouy Of the liar CRATES on the nerves
moro quickly than the admixture OF the
amorous quality is present Tho formula il
80 invarlahle. and the expedient apparently
90 easy 1t is quite difficult possibly as
any successful work is. But 1t looks simple
To evolve one situation after another from the
lies a man tells and to show the EN- barrnss-
mpnt that comes from the contrast between
these and the truth-thcse seem almost ele-
mentary achievements for II dramatist But
Of course they are Just as hard to do well as
any other dramatic deveopment. Possibly it
George Polti in his work on The 1hirty-si
Dramatic Situat e does not include those
own sake and he has doubtless found dit It easier
10 classify them under the emotions that result
them. them TOO Much JohnsonS which inS ' IS the
m9st s{rkiaG re eSa ns Of the liar play seen IN
ue apart from n "e srac sns Of we tse
lertorp9,ahneee It seems fair to rejoice at the de-
SpreRr entirely, Not only do the ed dramSt fss
lowe him b Mt the actors as well rejoice in In
ssh,ies he has eniSS S his da HS T fery
The rout hero who has become ON the the
mos, popular to day has the advantage Of being
"omed In the inter i'm. Persons who admire
,iette,s rhlegmstic manner will miss him
play. They may regret the circumstances. but
others who believe that acting means some
reconciled to the departure OF the lying hero,
IN view 81 The way he was originally presented
IN Too Much Johnson"
Kyre Beew and Mrs. Potter acted together
for the first time In months at n charity
matinee in London the other day. They gave
the balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet"
Robert Lorraine. who was Julie Ops husb band
for briefperod. has fairly supplanted William
Terriss the hero OF Adelphi melodrama
Seymour Hicks is to be the author OF the next
play given there. 1t is to deal with the adven-
lures Of a young naval Lieutenant accused OF
treachery In an imaginary war between France
and England
London critics have begun TO protest against
the absorption OF English dramatists in sub
jects formerly considered the especial property
OF the French writer's But the native play
wright nowadays makes the same free use OF
the Questions which had formerly to be adapted
to the English stage. Il. c. Cartons Wheels
Within Wheels" evidently frank to an I'M
usual extent in its treatment OF certain sub
jects, has aroused this protest. which was pre-
Social duestions rSrey me trs Gay VIA wt
such lack OF delicacy are said to be touched
paliiating their grossness One critic said that
yGmpg Fiji nd wh S went to the theatre you'd
speech from its use Of slang and in action from
the audaciousy apparent doinGs OF the char
The Belle Of New York" seems to have
been acted first in Melbourne under unusually
disadvantageous circumstances. Louise Royce
who was acting the part OF the much married
and wounded herself so severely that it was
stage This o SG sHS " ~ % Sn
ought to be discouraging to American man
American artists. American humor. nor much
Of anything IN any shape that is American,
David Garrick has been offered for sale in Lon
i d3a, and there are said to be many more II ex.
of hays been months p fh 6r
sale in London auction rooms.
iGhhsTIsys Amt is doing more then many
lsh stage to the Continent. 1t has been
in order not to- lose me "' copyrirht
Charles Char e; Yvy a win give 2ne nertor@anse
lious susan to commemorate the twenty
thrd and lat year of his management Of the
successful plays given there during this time
American comic opera prma donnas are not
Intervals hetTesn enssxcmspts Lefty Lefty L i
m sRg h at in Lon and Ha
t"ssion in Vienna. Albert, Gran. membered
Hs s,a n IF H H.sp i acting with
Close resem blances have already been found
n ,liSs SSrdop's "Robesrerre" and Their
Tie author is said 70 have, used freely parts OF
the carlicr work. which Will probably never be
given in England.
We are indeed at the very end of the dra-
matte season. OF the three serious plays now
on the New York stage "Xaza" at the Gar
rick and The Great Rubys at Days are
surely in their final fortnight. while His Ex-
ccllency the Governor" can hardly hold out
longer against the weather at tho Empire. OF
the two extravaganzas. "A Reign Of Error" is
In its last week at the Victoria. and The Man
in the Moon" is continued indefinitely at the
New York. Comic opera is represented by
THE jolly Musketcer' at the Casino Too
Much Johnson" is the week farce at the Star
Hot weather is not to bring let-up in vaude-
vile competition. For every resort that closes
an open-air show will start and that. with the
fact that continuous shows keen on through
the summer, assures an abundance Of this
form OF diversion. The current bills are Of
good quality. Among those who contribute to
continuous bills are Odc Williams. Hayes and
Lytton and Ching Ling Foo at KcIth,s: Ger.