The sun., 1902-03-09
curtain falls on what Paris has accepted
as a brilliantly clever satire.


modern tragedies, Beyond Human Power
and a Failure" One Of his earlier plays
was recently acted in Berlin for the first
time in Germany. Its difference 20 his
late works is as marked as tho change In
Echegaray Of Spain from the Sardou-likee
Mariana TO the Ibenish "El Gran 6aleoto,
or the advancement OF Pinero OF tnRlanu
from the pleasant comedy OF sweet Law
ender" and lady Bountiful' TO the serious
problems of The Second Mrs. Tanqueray
and Iris" Bjornson's early play II a
heavily historic dramatic arrangement
of Incidents in the life OF Mary Stuart.
Maria Won Schottland' IS In two parts,
the first concerning her life with Darniey.
When the drama starts she has been hls
wife but few months, but she has learned
to despise him for his weakness. though
he worships her. The best act rs the sec
ond, In the Queens sleeping apartment
al Holyrood Rizzio and other OF Mary's
friends are drinking and merrily talking
with her, but Darnley's unexpected en-
trance With a troupe Of armed men ends
the merriment. Rizzlo seeks protection
beind the Queen who shields him Tor a time,
and stabbed to death by Darnley.s dagger.
The breaking out Of the revolution and the
changing of bells end this impressive
scene. Mary longs for the strong, pro-
tecting arm Of Lord Boutwell,, and she will
her half-brother. Murray. Then follows
Lord Bothwell's arrival and his declaration
OF passionate love for Mary. Darnley's down
fall and his appeal to John Knox Tor con-
ISOLATION and advice: the Queens trium-
panied by Boutwell,, and Darnley's miser,
able death In this scene he Is attended
by his faithful page, William Taylor, and
at the last Mary visits him and speaks a
tender farewell.
The Berlin stage Is lacking in novelty
just now, Paul Heyse's drama Of ""Maria
Won Magdala," which was TO have been
produced soon at the Lessing, has been
prohibited by censorship. Objection Is
made to the free use of Bible language, TO
the dramatic application of the sufferings
OF Christ and TO repeated reference TO the
Crucifxion. Agnes Sorma is acting at the
Lessing in new drama by George Engel.
Ludwig Barney, the famous actor who Ia
sixtieth birthday, and among his letters of
congratulation was one from the Emperor,
accompanied by an autographed photo
graph OF himself. jerome X Jerome's
Miss Hobbs" is stil popular in Berlin with
Miss Poppe as particular fsvorite IN Annie
Russels part Another English play that
received its first performance in New York
has found it's way to the Continent. Henry
V. Esmond's When We We're Twenty-one,
first acted by n. {. Goodwin and his COM
pany at the Knickerbocker, has just been
produced in Copenhagen in a Danish trans
lntion by DIR. Mant2ius.
The farce OF performing play in England
simultaneously or before It's American pro-
duction in order TO conform TO the British
COPYRIGHT law Is still gone through.
Bills must be posted and seats sold, but
usually the advertisements are obscurely
placed, and only a few hours before the
performs nee, and the necessarily paying
audience is made up Of two OF three persons
connected with the management. Al 1890
in the morning a week or so ago -Graustark'
was acted at the Globe Theatre, London,
for that purpose. Jenette Glider made
this dramatiZation Of George Barr
McCutcheons novel and Mary Mannering
may use 1t in America next season. A
copyv right performance with comic points
was the one that protected Paul NJ. Potter's
version of 1Notre Dame" In England
Charles Frohman was at his Duke of York's
Theatre during the evening performance OF
-The Twin Sister" and remarked TO Dion
Boucicault, his stage manager and lead
ing actor in his company, that he was
waiting 20 receive a cabegrain telling or the
fate Of -Notre Dame" at Daly's In New ork
Mr. Bouccaut was to have arranged the
copyright performance but had thought
that the American production was 20 occur n
week later. A few posters were hastily
printed and exhibited and the play was
read after the curtain had fallen ON The
Twin Sister"
SO, considering the difference IN time.
the midnight production in London was
simultaneous to the first night here. The
actors Of The Twin Sister played, or.
rather, read, parts. But they made up one
half Of the melodrama's long cast, 50 MIR.
fTohman sent notes to enough of the players
in his employ in London TO complete IL.
"Notre Dame" had IA real "all-star cast,
with William Gillette in small part, Edna
May for the first time in serious drama,
II 10 II n Irx-ifO SaVmOiir
Hicks and Dion Boucicault as other i'm
portant names in the imprinted programme.
Charles Froham himself also took part
IL must have beon strange sight, the
actors mufled in furs reading Potter's
bombastic lines in the midst of forked
inclosure that might be called scene
and with the gray morning light illumining
the almost deserted theatre.
Phil May. the famous artist on London
Punch, has changed his profession by
going on the stage, having made his debut
as Pistol In Henry "" in William Molli-
sons company. Edgar Selwyn. who went
from us as an actor, has made London
debut as a dramatist. He il the man who
gave such a brilliant performance Of the
Mexican in Arizona and his playing OF
the part there has been highly praised.
His farce is called "A Friend in Need
and has been put on as curtain raiser
10 Augustus Thomas's drama at the Adel-
phi II shows a wife burning midnight
Oh waiting for her Incorporate husband.
She decides TO follow her mothers plan OF
severity and punishment. Dressing a
milliner's dummy in one of her gowns.
she retires and leaves IL TO greet her hus-
hand and his drunken companion. They
treat IL very respectfully before discover
ing their error. Then the wife enters.
bent on punishment and severely orders
her husband to remove his clothes But
the one man in the room Is the friend, so
when the lord and master retires he is IA
angry at the wife as she is at him, OF
course, il ends agreeably, and il is said
TO Be very amusing little play.
nT-gII AVN uISIEJtNS