The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-04-01
new YORK FIRST nights
Three Plays Introduced to Metro
politan Audiences.
4 Gloomy Adaptation From the Ger
mnn-"OId Curiosity shop Re
,amped Under Piratcd Name
Twelve Months After at the
Madison Sauare-Thc DAILY sale

been enlivened with at least three first
nights Of Importance this week which is
not so bad for the flag end of the season.
Perhaps enlivened is not exactly the right
word in regard to all of them. but it is
anything here for a change-even change
for the worse THE Sunken Bell at
least. was sombre and depressing. and
overburdened with dialogue. although not
without power in some of its situations,
but what else could be expected of an
adaptation from the German Of Haupt-
mann by another German-at least IN
name-Charles Henry Metzger? The piece
is net entirely rev here, nor was New
York favored with its very first first
night" in it's English version. Under its
German title, Die Versunhene Glocke." it
was produced at the Irving Place Theatre
nearly three years ago by Agnes Sorma.
and Sothern and Virginia Harmed have
given this English version in at least three
ether cities-Boston, Chicago, and Phila-
delphia-before trying it on the metrOpoli-
tan dog. It is enough to say that i'll
many respects it resembles Tannhaeu-
SER and Ibsen's The Master Builder"
If that is not handicap enough add the
gloomy and impressive Sothern and what
else could come frCm combination lut
play sombre, mystical, metaphysical. and
talky. However it will in all probability.
run throughout the Sothern Harmed en-
gagement. We take our pleasures seri-
ously during Lent.
Turning from grave to gay, from severe
to lively. we have Little Nell and the
Marchioness" at the Herald Square, with
Mary Sanders in the dual title role. Ii
is sacrilege to change the title of any
of Dickens stories-and this Of course. is
that of the "Old Curiosity Shop''-all the
more. as the title which the adapter.
Harry p. Mawson. has given his work is
awkward and cumbersome. although it gets
in all the facts. To be sure, Lolita played
another version of the same story under
the same title. almost a generation ago.
but two wrongs do not make right. even
if one Of them is hoary with age. There
is enough material in Dickens story to
make half dozen plays. and Mr.. MawsOn
has chosen as his main theme the CON
spiracy OF Quilp, Sampson Brass and Sally
Brass against Kit Nubbles. celebrating
this and weaving in all the characters. or
characteristics personfied. made famous
by the novel he has succeeded in produc-
ing an interesting series of tableauN and
character sketches. but plot or play
never. Yet tG the host of lovers of
Dickens who can supply the missing links.
it is pleasing enough. Mary Sanders JUS
tifies her ambition 10 star il with the best
CT them, and the Quilp of p. Augustus
Anderson-Quilp would turn in his grave
if he could know that one of that lady
like name had played" him-was so
hdeous and ugly that his work was good.
There were no glazing anachronsnlS in
the costumes and the scenery was excel
lent. but anybody can compass that in
these end OF the nineteenth century days.
Another German adaptation - thank
heaven. for Dickens, Thackeray. and even
Mrs. Frances Hodgson Burnett. and their
adaptable stories-had its premiere at the
Madison Square. Monday night when 3es-
sic Tyree. Anne Sutherland, Frederic
Bond. and Leo Ditriehstein struggled
through Twelve Months Later -" a sequel
to AT the White Horse Tavern. II the
audience had been consulted il would have
been twelve years. decades. generations, or
centuries preferably centuries1 later, but
ii was not The audience never is until it
is too late. Even the cast would have IN
doubtedly advised a postpOnement. but the
management neglected to colle-t their
views. too. and so the blow has fallen
However they led the forlOrn hope nObly.
Melodrama rampant the plaus be
American comedy-drama' they called it on
the programme-wh is fiat plagiarism
on McKnley's Porto Rican performance
mad an inning at the Star. It's other name
was On the Stroke of Twelve D. you
notice how they all pull up on the brink
Of the unlucky thirteen In vain. though
as somebody pushed them both over, or
possibly they fell OF their own weight. 1t
certainly was not momentum or go. This
title sounds-speakinG CT bells-lille The
Midnight Bell but the Tesemb ance stops
there. II was not half as good. The pub
lie is assured. hcwever, that il was muci
admired in Kalamazoo and Oshkosh, and
elsewhere in the provinces where ii has
been running for some time. The east?
Nobody one knows, and. indeed. the writer
ought to apologize for wasting valuable
space mention Of it.
What does "Das > Rad look like? A.
rebus or a study in abbreviation2 II is
neither. II is the title Of the last produc-
tion at the Irving Place Theatre. and was
made in Germany" and means TIE
Fifth Wheel As the writer's working
knowledge OF German is confined TO 1--WE
beer" he is little hazy as 10 what it
was all about. but the guess is hazarded
that. like its predecessors at this house
Tfe Sunken Bell, "On the Stroke Of
Twelve" and others. it will be done INTO
English next season. and what is as I'M
necessary as a fifth wheel? This was
some time proverb.
Mention of the first night of f. Kinsey
Peile's three-act comedy, The Interrupt
ed Honeymoon" at Days last Tuesday
Y.
act affair-the second-but the writer was
quoting from the play bill when ne said
three above. 1t is just another case OF
managerial bad judgment in selecting or
plays. Tor surely Mary Man
nering Hilda Spong Mrs. Charles Walcot
John Mason-not Jack-Edward J. Nor
gan. Grant Stewart, and the rest of Daniel
Frohman's company can carry any comedy
not hopelessly bad.
Tt.4 nufts los f=s4.i
week are "A Man and His Wife" in which
Jessie Millward will again take her place
as leading lady and a one-act curtain
raiser. The Bugle Gail" with which
Charles Frohman will replace Brother OF
fcers'' at the Empire. Just why the popu
lar money maker should be taken off is not
entirely clear TO the lay mind. II is too
late to start it through the provinces. and
it certainly had vitality enough to run i,
well into the summer.
The Casino Girl" is proving to be mo-e
and more Of a success. one that Will rank
with the best of the Casino product lions \
stage fun of pretty girls, gorgeous Cos
tunes and scenery were TO have been eX-
pected as a matter of course. but it has.
besides the music. the snap and 20 that are
too often lacking. and to complete and in
tensify the interest, the chorus contains
another auburn haired mystery whose in
cognito is rigidly preserved. To be sure
this is an infringement on the only origI-
nal Girl with the Auburn Hair" but the
people cannot have too much of a good
thing.
That is all, except that the old stand
State of Ohio. City of Toledo Lucas
County-ss:
Frank j. Cheney makes oath that he is
the senior partner OF the firm of f. J.
~