Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-12-10


the book line by line and these are faith
fully carried out with Mathematician pre-
c1sion at each performance. Not one per-
son in the organization from the FINEST
child to Joe Cawthorf who plays ti a,. ii.te
role of Mother Goose, is allowed to devlate
from the manuscript either by voice ol
action, without first obtaining the permits
sion of the stage director, who is absolute
authority, and from whose ruling there Is
no redress. The entire performance Is d.
rected by him without uttering Woru, py
a system of signals by which the enlire
company and stage force are made TO I'M
derstand his slightest wish by the simple
raising or lowering of his hands.
A BIT OF DISCIPLINE.-There could
hardly be a bigger contrast than that be-
tween w. H. Carleton, the six-foot stage
director of Mother Goose, and the III
tie children who take part in the bai-
lets of that spectacle At the matinee the
other day he discovered that two of the
children had gone upon the stage with
out makeup on their faces, which Is as
necessary for them as for the soubrettes.
and so he summoned the culprts before
him. "See here, YOU he scolded. don't
never let me catch you again coming On
the stage withoutpyour makeup II Is
very awful offense3 and l Will nave 10 me
..Yeth, sir" Tsped the offenders. "Now
this will cost you a cent, miss, and you.
too, young maa, and if ever catch you
doing it again VI wiz be ) and 8, now re-
member"
'Yeth, sir" they STAN: red and scam
That night when he got to the theater
he found the children waiting for him.
One little hand cenched a penny and The
other a couple. "Here's your money, sir,
they volunteered i
oh I don't want it now. We never col
lect fines until pay DAY, and then we take it
out of the salary.
"Yeth, but when we get our pay we want
it ALL" they insisted. though it was
the greatest thing sia the world. That was
more than the stage manager could stand
and he grabbed cup THE little ones. kissed
them soundly, makeup and all. and sent
them on their way each with a handful
of small coins to- safeguard them against
similar emergencies lin the future
STUDENT LIFE IN OPERA i PUG
cinrs fascinating. Opera on Bohemian
life in the ParisS Latin Quarter, entitled
La Boheme,' which IS to be sung by the
Savage Grand Opera Company was the
third work by this now famous composer,
preceding his "Tosea7 by Four years. The
opera was produced at Turin in 1896, and
threatened to rival even Mascagni's 'Caval-
| leria Rusticana"= for popularity in Europe.
| Henry w. Savage produced IT in English
four years later in America, and has re-
! sons repertory. The5opera is derived from
| Henry Murger's novel ''Vie de Boheme,"
| written in 1S4S.
The story is reproduction of student life
| in the Latin Quarter of Paris in 1890 The
hero, Rudolph, is Murger himself, and
| many of his friends can be identified. Con-
| sequently the story and play have strong
| dramatic interest.
Rudolph is poet who lives with paint
! err Maroelle, and two other friends, Schau-
| nard and Collins, in a dingy attic In his
poverty he burns the manuscript of his last
play to procure a little warmth.
| The music of La Boheme" belongs 10
| both the French and the Italian schools.
| 1t is modern in treatment, without, how
| ever being Wagnerian. To Bizet perha ps,
| Puccni owes most; but his melodic gift is
| distinctly his own. The music follows the
| story throughout, the dramatic entity of
| the play seldom being Interrupted by solos
| or arias The most delightful incidents are
| the quartets and quintets in the second and
| third acts the beautiful solo and duet in
| the first and the quaint Goat Song in the
| last act.