The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-12-01
THEATRICAL PRODUCTIONS.
gHERE DID FELIx MORRIS GET THE
IL4r nBEHIND TILE kCEYENaI

The Introduction Hero Of "Hofsunst,, in
German-SonRs now Illustrated with
Moving Photographs Notes Suggested
by Revival of "Faust' as an OPERA
fragment whose source he will not confess
Il Felix Morriss present medium at Keth's
Ii Is highly amusing farce. new to vaude-
willie. and contains several features that nre
novel Six characters who speak and two shifts
OF scenery 60 with II. and that Ia unusual for
these half-hour plays. In It's FIRST scene Is
shown the leading actress OF n theatrical COM
rGny disgruntled on the eve OF q new play and
refusing to engage In last rehearsal. To her
comes Mr.. Morris, an old actor, bespoaking
employment for his daughter. To the dissatis-
fed actress also appears the writer OF the
play, a woman. whose entreatics result in q
promise to appear at rehearsal Then shift
is made to a stage at rehearsal time Its charac-
teristic disorder FITS the title given to the piece
which is Behind the Scenes" Here the
manager storms over the difficulties his actress
has brought to him. He warns the leader OF
his orchestra that the drummer must be ex-
act In his cues. else disaster will follow. lie
advises that the musicians be In immaculate
evening dress on the night OF the first public
performance. As the continuous shows have
but one musical instrument there Ia n doubly
comic side to this. especially when the Hone
plano player replies that the drummer h as not
reported for duty These directions the old
actor hears. Ho volunteers to play the drum.
and with his daughter he chambers over the
footllghts to where adrummer would sit In a
theatre band. With drum stick In hand
he listens to tho actress reading her
lines She has brought the lordling whom
she Ia to marry, Is In bad temper and Is
backed up In her misbehavior by her escort.
As affairs progress toward rupture between
manager and actress. the drummer grows ex-
cited. This ia evidenced by drum. beats In the
wrong PAGES; by spoken comments on inc Act IT,.
his s side e fhc actress finally deserts. aud the
drummer returns TO- the stage TO push his
dnaGnsr,s sa%; hsI tra and tpoS sou Sh ne bs
condemned as n hopeless case. when her father.
o. the crucial moment pnches her severely.
listening authoress and manager. and the cur.
tain falls. leaving the audience to believe that
che will replace the deserter.
Thilo Won Trotha, who wrote Favor at
Court" acted last night at the Irving Place
Theatre is not known to New York audiences.
and II was this same play that made him
known IN Germany to most OF his countrymen.
The introduction was not altogether feicitous
there. The drama did not make very favor
able i'm IMPRESSION In Berlin. Last night 1t proved
very delightful comedy OF lie at small
German court. but somewhat too satr-
ical 10 fact to succeed In countries
that officially regard even small
Irinclpality as an institution to DO treated
seriously. The manGuvres and gossip OF
courtiers. the unreasonableness OF rulers and
the artincalty OF court life may be made agree
able diversion to audiences that look upon
these subjects without traditional prejudice in
their favor. The new comedy. therefore.
furnished uncomponly successful amuse-
mosphere and illusion OF a provincial court
we're impresslvely and unremttingy pre-
ADnrODrnta naRpnntrY
accompanied every scene. Maids o' homer and
IN the sTa
every scene in the palace. The author never
hid the common humanity, OF al his eh aractcrs
contrast to the outward and visible ceremony
Their combination made the comedy delight.
proved ia value long ago. An impetuous:
natural country Sirs Is put INTO the nidst OF
her and those about her. makes her the favorte
OF the sovereIgns and ultimately their good
fy'"T5 road aad ' sss this Sne
e. .ss; sSS r. s,sS: ssSss!Ss, 4
sesns ,Ss Ssy 9ss with ,ne
trasted with the motives and conduct OF lie
to-day Much 2! this came from the , sEpprscin.
known skill OF Manager Conrieds actors.
The Donnelly stock company's revival las.
week was VI iEpNt. wan
produced by Augustin DAILY In October OF 1879.
and had success OF three months. This farce
was rewritten by Mr.. DAILY from The Surprises
OF Divorce" by Alexander Bison and Anthony
Mars. In its French form IL was salacous.
but by turning liasons into marriages. as
William Gillette did with Bissons Ecu
Foupinel" called here Mr.. wilkinson q
Widows" audiences were not made TO
blush. AR. DAILY did this frequently. and 50
has Mr.. Gillette. The clumsiness o! His
Honor the Mayor shows by contrast that II
takes a clever hand TO do this with good effect.
The original OF this farce. THE Husband OF
the DGbu.ante." by Mielh6c and Halavy. was
said to be most amusing. The translators ut
tempted 10 make New York fashionables out OF
Iaris tolevarders without changing their
characteristics. The result was failure. Clyde
Fitch founded The Head OF the Family" on
hplay by L'Arronge. in which the characters
were German peasants. and the part played here
by william II. Crane was man who could
erty. Mr. Fitch showed ,neni 10 US as leaders
In New York society As far as manners and
az hs w hy ee99sefM h and
n one exists but The Head OF the Family .
10 keep the plot: So although excellent enter
,taiRm,9nt,, this comedy was inconeruops. "A
Crane, contains. with ali It's amusing merits.
this same fault. The surroundings are, Amer
team. hut tho motives are foreign. In this
Michael Morton showed little OF the skill
q his sister, Martha Morton, who has
the art OF giving American character to
her plays though their parts, are foreign.
Mort2n's equal In this respect In that beaut-
~ play ,nbsurdly named Love Finds tho
Way" adapted from the German. Transla-
tons must either, he literal or completely
S aHsy bs is
{ iarSes,, showed plainly it, French origin.
sought TO make his characters English. arm
even tried to persuade the public that 4, was
IN original work. not founded on Meilhac 8
piece: Perhaps Mr; Brookheld thought that
because the original piece was a dozen or hf-
teen wears old It might be forgotten. The Lot
trry Of Love" II only one Of many farces that
were popular before Days company started
on It's decline These were nearly without ex-
German sna r0m so a, 80 by
thoronghly American. Its fun has not grown
one performance woman had hysterics from
mIrh and had n be taken out. while all the
spectators appeared to enjoy themselves as
much, II less consequentially.