The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-03-12
THEATRE HERE AND ABROAD.
HUMORS AND FOLLTEs or PLAYS
AND PLAYGOERS.


ProJect-Good but Neglected Comedies
'Ghosts' IN q play OF antique simplicity.
We compared II once TO a string quartet
performance In which the music made Ia
intense, intimate with tragic pauses and
an overwhelming denouement. Yet this
piece, so easy to grasp. provokes the most
ecomical comments from some audiences
No doubt Mary Shaw and her company
could tell some funny stories.
Last Saturday night small man with
large load gave personal pleasure TO
those who sat within range OF him-and
the Osborn Playhouse il q band box. He
was not irreverent. not a ribald note was
sung by him; but he took too deep an In
terest In the play, so deep, indeed. that at
the beginning Of the third act he sobbed
aloud:
THAT there minister hadn't ought to
drink so muoh.'
We were all shocked. Pastor Manders,
as you know. is q man Of unblemished
habits. and as portrayed by that excellent
actor, Maurice Wilkinson. he never sug-
gests for . moment the besetting vice OF
Enosfraad. But the critic In the stalls
saw matters In a different light. For him
Darkest Ibsen gave up new ghosts. When
ever Mandsys appeared he called out:
'Ha, ha! Been to the club again! Say,
you old soak. you ought to be ashamed!-
One interested in the play gently remon-
strated, II was not successful. Go chase
yourself, was all the young man said.
Earlier In the week a woman in one OF
the boxes screamed as Mary Shaw solemnly
intoned: -Ghostsi Ghosts!' So there are
all manner OF folk at an lbsen play, though
none quite so original AZ the sceptic who
believed not In the worthy clerical busy
body. We recall the finale. After Os,edtd
became sun worshipper our noisy friend
moment. He burst into cheers and rudely
clapped a pair of No. II hands.
We'll. OF all the gillies. Say, why didn't
he yell for the Police 0dxefter" This sounds
too good TO be true. but, nevertheless, 1t
is true.
The censorship that will deprive Berlin
from hearing Paul Heyse's MARY Of Mag
| DALAI Is ridiculous when you think 1t over,
especially In a city that listens to Suder-
mann. The Heyse play Ia harmless, is
old-fashioned; but Prussian hypocrisy has
| won.
Perhaps the Emperor Ia not In the best
| OF humor after his recent tilt with Delitzsch
! and the gentle critical drubbing admin
istered by Harnack. .L'Eglise, c'est mott
/ Is his old watchword. and doubtless the
theatre-I arm 1t will be his new one
1t is lucky this decision came here after
the success Of Mary Of Magdala- was as
| sured Many people are initiative In mat
tiers theatrical. and the pulpit-of Water
| bury and elsewhere-would have taken the
thing seriously. But IL is too late. Mrs.
flske IL ENJOYING success IN CINCINNATI,
.nous" 'oo" VIC eApeo' W i'"' '"e ''ua'
Jpndon Ia no whit better in this kind Of
cheap puritanism. Work the oracle the
right way. however and almost any sort
OF nonsense VIII Dc endured II IL smells oil
p'eg, a. TIM, old ,-;oL turned nm .r.,n ~
a winkine head of Christ. Herbert Salo-
mon-ominour name-exhibits a picture
with eyes that seam to open and shut, Cab.
ne' MAJ PIlhl .S ,s.ntx ,,asr. neo oh Nox
fr.nkIv /, there any more irreverenoe In
the Heyse drama than in this oonjuror's
illusionf
The fact that many eminent Berlin artis-
tic and literary celebrities protested, such as
Mommsen. Mcneil. Sudermann and others.
NAV have some effect with the Emperor
We hope 40.
49,
D'Annunzio In still building that new
national theatre in Rome He ia writing
o. 4, .K,na Nur.- and ;,,ands 90 IS
~. ~ -. a. a,a,u.,,a t.oa', 49, >
The TN Ren;,b6c and sMsdici IT. he
theatre is ever built much good American
money will 20 into the enterprise. as Lieb-
Ter c.; can testify Nineteen hundred and
four u The Tune set Tor the opening.
| -
| Hart Conway has produced George Rer-
nard shav's you Never Can Tell A, I'M.
s,udshaLer Theatre. Chicago Tbs s,n.
dents Of the school OF acting connected
with the Chicago Musical College played
thu comedy which IL delicious London
several seasons ago roared over lie delicate
ironics. Its top<yfwvy humor and ito