The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-10-09

ance.
piquancy has not yet been worn away by
service in the vaudeville theaters, and
who is helping her two brothers IN an
acrobatic act at the Grand Opera House
this week, has been an acrobat for a
month only. il is related at the theater.
Another sister, who was working with the
young men, died as she was preparing for
a performance one evening Instead Oh
canoeing their contracts, the brotnerS
sent for their second sister and she quick
~ learned to take a place in the act.
XXX
Miss Ethel Barrymore and her company
have begun TO act in Carrots" an adapta-
ton from the French, and "A Country
Mouse" a comedy by an Arthur Law, an
English writer, at the Savoy Theater, New
York. In Carrots the shorter OF the
pieces, Miss Barrymore is a boy perse-
cuted by a mean mother, but bearing his
sorrows for his fathers sake. This play
came from Antoine's Theater, in Paris,
and is said to have been finely written. "A
Country Mouse" is a story of a provincial
girl that gets into smart society III London
and fools her new acquaintance by seem
ing TO be simple, while she really is wise.
The play was selected to fit Miss Barry
more's pretty demure manner, and in
trinsically would seem TO be old and
trivial in theme.
A slashing, noisy melodrama entitled
The Sword of the King" a dramatiza-
ton of a novel by Ronald Macdonald, Is
being acted at wallack's Theater. New
York. by Henrietta Crosman and her COM
pany, which includes Aubrey Boucicault,
who had the part of Paolo in Otis SINNERS
production of Boxers Francesca ga
Riminf" last season. One of the scenes II
this new play is the heroine hiding the
hero In hnT bod while hfg mlTdRrOuS
enemies search the house for him. Miss
Crosman also dons male attire and de-
ceives her lover, with whom she tights a
duel. These bits indicate the character OF
the play, and 1t certainly cannot long sur
vive the opposition Of common sense.
XXX
Alfred Ayres, who is seventy years old,
was stricken by paralysis the other day
and lies at his home in New York. His has
been an active and profitable career. Ar
American by birth, he was an actor on the
French and German stages years ago ano
was in Paris during the Franco-Prusslan
war. His books on the right use OF Englsn
clearly and concisely written-have done
and will do much for the preservation OF
the purity of the language. Mr.. Ayres has
been conducting a school of acting In New
York.
In connection with Kyrle Bellows reap
pearance in "A Gentleman of France in
New York William Winter has written this
in the New York Tribune:
"Mr. Kyrle Bellew emerged last night al
the Harlem Opera House, presenting him
self in "A Gentleman of France the melo-
drama so LONG current at Wallacks inca
ter last season, in which the hero slaugh-
tiers a platoon of assailants and revels III
love and gore. The play is picturesque, ex-
travagant and fantastic, and MI. kyrlt
Bellows picturesque. artificial, insincert
personality and snowy style are accordan'
with it. This brisk and dapper performer
has recently been proclaimed as the sue
| cessor to Edwin Booth and the direful in
timation Is given that he will presently ap'
pear as Hamlet, as Iago and even as King
Lear! Shakespeare is fair game for every
body; the Baconian idiots have settled that
but the memory of Edwin Booth is dear
and sacred, and it seems a pity that theatre
cal managers cannot pursue their traffic
without ~profaning 1t. AS to Hamlet and
Lear,
Nay, fly to Affairs; there they'll talk you
For Fools rush in where Angels fear to
read.
The Princess Theater, New York, Is
| opened this week as a new playhouse with
Weldon Grossmith and his company in g
farce called The Night of the Party
written by Mr.. Grossmith. OF the theater
which is said to be beautiful, and the play
William Winter has written the following
interesting account:
18th Princess Theater was opened last
night under Mr.. Shubert'S management,
and Mr.. Weldon Grossmith appeared there
in a play called The Night of the Party.
The theater is the little bandbox in Broad
way near Twenty-ninth street which has
borne so man. names and been devoted to
so many and such various entertainments
1t has been thoroughly renovated, and its
present aspect is that of comfort and ele'
Oanpa TfG MANAGER iptipnataS that IN lie
dedicated to ali things light and bright and
fair. Many years ago New York %rejoiceo
in Mitchelrs Olympic; perhaps it will now
rejoice in Shubert's Princess. The opening
of IL is in every way suspicious. The house
was crowded and a brilliant audience saw
a merry performance-fuil of frolic and
void of offense. Mr.. Weldon Grossmith
long known and admired as a humorist. is
a good comedian. He Identifies himself
with character, he expresses 1t spon'
taneously and he is intrinsically comic. He
does not use antic and grimace. He makes
his effects without apparent effort. His i'm
pe~rturbable gravity and expeditions move
ment are at once drol and inspiriting. He
kept his auditors steadily amused and left
them happy. His play, The Night of tbs
Party in which an English butler in The
absence of his employer assumes that EN-.
ployer's identity and creates a comically
perplexing tangle of cross purposes, Is OF
the kindred of Townley's High Life Below
Stairs (stin sometimes incorrectly at
| tIlDutCu W 0dlliChlg "a II II " a COpy
ii stands on its own feet, and 1T is adequate
as a medium for the comedians disclosure
of comic personality. 1t would be of great
er utility in this respect If it's central char.
acter were of finer texture and If all its
ingredients were delicate. 1t is broad farce
and some of it's components are coarse
but its coarseneSS never degenerates into
nastiness and never deviates into the weir
of insidious vice. The fun is on the leve
of certain scenes in 'Pickwick,' such as the
cold swarry' at Ipswich or the supper a
the ducking of Raddles Mr.. Grossmith ha.
assembled ar excellent company, includins
Miss May Palfrey Mrs. Grossmith), Mis-.
Maud Hobson, Mr.. Herbert Sheath and Mr.
Wilfred Draycott. A pompous, consequent
tial turnkey, Mr.. Flambert. was made life
like and enjoyably ludicrous by Mr.. Her
bert Druce, and the clear vocalism of MI
Prince Miller as Boyle had a capital effect
Mr.. Grossmith had a warm welcome and h,
deserved it,"
"A Hidden Crime" a melodrama, will b,
put on at the Park this afternoon and will
fill out the week.
Harry Bryant's Burlesquers will be at thu
Empire all of this week.