The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-02-02
NOTES AT THE THEATRES.
, CAT FARCE NEWLY TRANSFERRED
FROM PARIS TO NEW FORK.

n,.trIchstein's Free English Translation of
Dumanoir and Cares mile. Fif,,-
Chicngo's various Treatment of Ora.
mntists-N Memories of Days Company.
"Nle, Fin" kept in the well-bcatcn track of
r,ris farce during its first half last night.
rben the play was acted here for the first time
=, the Manhattan Theatre. The French au-
,bors, Damanoir aud Carri. had succeeded
rl,h the ingenuity OF their kind in getting a
new favor out Of the old ingredients. They
b,d done it, too, with less emphasis
on the adultcrous motto OF such pieces.
Ths ]sstrangcd husband and wife were n youth.
mi couple pretending u~nhoppincss In order
hat the woman might got control, after n
divorce that was TO he merely temporary. Of
The fortune put out OF her reach rs a wife by
,hs precautions of Il Yankee mother. The
Su,band's pretended unfaithfulness was UNDER
food by the wife. who visited him during their
,~,peration and was mistaken Tor somebody
l,ss honorably entitled to that privilege. An
iris was set forth pleasantly enough. with no
,,rv exceptional humor. but with animation
md spirit. Along those lines Mile. FIJI
might have found favor enough with that large
rart OF the public that enjoys these plays from
the Palais Royal.
But toward the end OF the socond act an in
.ident was introduced SO brutal in its nasti-
ness, so unimaginativc in its Nth. and so un-
necessary TO the scene that the spectators
watched the rest Of the act in silence and saw
the curtain lifted only by the Efforts of some
determincd supporters under the balcony. 1t
VAS then seen that TO their credit the actors
we're embarrassed and in confusion. An old
sweetheart had been brought TO the husbands
rooms by a jealous rival. The woman was a
singer in a music hall, and came directly from
the stage. Her dress was short and so cut
on one side as to display her legs. But
that was conventional enough and shocked no.
lOdy. In order TO awaken the old love in the
man who she thought had sent for her. the
woman threw herself on a sofa and called
hy leaning over the sofa. They drank.
and then she dragged him down into
her arms. But he was still obstinate. Asa
final attempt she threw back her skirts and,
accompanying tho action with a speech that
added 70 its ,coarscness' 77rh,e was, most frankly
sofa trying to win back in this way Il lover who
The audience at the Manhattan last night
was not unsophisticaIed but this episode was
aperccntihle shock to cvervbudS there. Louise
Beaudet spared no pains. BY actions and looks
10 bring out the fun significance OF tho situa-
ton. 1t threw tho whole piece out Of Joint.
Several ingenious scenes that ought to have
been amusing followed. But nobody smiled.
What in the French must have been q piQuant
incident had been made the occasion OF taste
ltSs and crude exposure under circumstances
which exaggerated every detail that vul-
Earty suggested. The spectators allowed the
curtain 10 fall, and it was only raised by the
Efforts OF the wooden-handcd cohorts al the
rear Of the house. The incident damaged not
only the decency Of the play, hut its value rs
an entertainment. IT. made really dcprcsS-
ing. aud. painful what would have been
fairly diverting and lively throughout.
The performance employed TN" services of some
Rell.known actors. Rose oghlUu will be more
lnusinE when she is more certain Of hcl lines.
hut her agitation was eNcusable. Grace
leorge acted a young wife Charmingiy, if
NTH too much seriousness. Thomas Burns
Ind John I. Sullivan were capable enough.
Aubrey Boucicault certainly conducted himself
with discretion and dignity as the other figure
In Miss Bcaudets lamcntahie scenes.
The audiences at the American like plot
with their opera. In I'll TrovatOre' they got
possibly a little too much of that. 1t was too
clrdled for comprehension, even in the Eng
lsh language. But the dramatic elements of
other works have appealed to them success
fully. The simple action Of "~Lohengrin'
held the people there in an absorption that
was not due entirely to he spell OF the music.
The sufrerings Of Elsa and the plottlngs of
0rir,tde were new 10 them, and the story's in
trigue was interesting. In 'hida' there was
the same element to attract the attention of