The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-04-21
APLGYBY THE LITTLE PEOPLE
THOSE WITHOUT SOUL VINO
WORK on WIRES.

the MAriOnettes, signOr PariSl Con.
Quoting, IN Preparation for the PeO-
pies Institute show for school children.
Some Of our most prominent dramatic
critics, who are always complaining about
commercialism on the stage and inquiring
bitterly why we can't have art for arts
sake, ought to take . run down To 26s Eliza
beth street some night to observe Slgnor
Antonino Parisi's production Of Il Pal
ladini di Franchia,' dramatzed by Agnor
Giusto Lodico from the old, old song Of
Roland.
There isn't much OF the commercial spirit
about Signor PariSi, although that hard
worked soul tolls every night with his
voice and his two hands and even hisfeet TO
interpret oreditably the stirring tales Of
Charlemagne and his paladins,
The Signor's actors and actresses are
people OF brass and tin and stuffed leather,
and although they cannot talk back at
him and row about the star dreaBing rooms
and kick about somebody getting the spot
light when somebody else was clearly en-
titled TO il, yet the Signor's troubles are
not Insignificant, Orlando may lose a leg
almost any night in the heat Of his duel
with Oliver, and the fair BrdddmdHtS, Or
lando's spouse and sister 10 the redoubtable
Olrer has been known to spill her golden
head at the very moment when Orlando was
making the most passionate avowals.
The signor's theatre Ia only a packing
box Of a place, a stufy, gloomy garrett over
a wine shop, poorly lighted by nickering
oil lamps and further obscured by the
clouds Of cigarette smoke pulled by the
Signor's patrons. On feast days and holt
days, when Giuseppe takes his Giuseppina
70 see the fierce combats Of armored knights
and pagans, as many as 200 persons may
crowd into the tiny place, Ordinarily the
SiRnor rubs his hands pleasurably when
the sharp eyed Michaelo Angelo, IN charge
Of the box Office, counts up SIS real money
in the house. But whether the house be
fat or slim Signor Parisi ~endeavors, as ne
will assure you modestly TO give an artistic
performance.
There was a special production last night
Of Il Paladini di Franchia' because the
Peoples Institute committee on drama
and music have arranged with Slgnor
Parisi 70 give his show at the Plaza Assembly
Rooms, ITO and i12 East Fifty-ninth street,
on April 80 for the amusement and instruc-
ton Of school children and pupils. There
fore the Signor, who ia proprietor, show
manager, house manager, stage manager,
propeTty man and scene shifter all In one,
rumpled his hair and melted down his
shirt collar last night TO make sure that his
squeaky. jerky little maTionette people
would acquit themselves with credit.
Rack Of the curtain, a stretch OF hand
painted canvas about the size OF a bed
sheet, Chnriemd0ne, the Emperor; Orlando
first Of the Paladins; Ohrer, his brother IN
arms; the beauteous Brdddmdnte, King
NdHddoro, Of Africa; the traitorous Gdnelon
and MdnfridoHiO Of Bulgaria, not TO men,
ton the fierce black giant, GiloLdRdo, and
the SoiidGn himself, hung listlesaly from
wooden hans, suspended by the long, slender
irons which the signor jerks this way n
that. 10 and down, az he, concealed by a
drop, hurls them into battle or bends their
creaky knees in romantic love passages,
While the Signor, his arms going like
fails, slams Orlando and the false Sanction
together in mortal combat, shouting Or
laHdo's defiance at GdneIon and Gdnelon's
defiance at Orlando, and there Ia O fine and
stirring clash Of brass on brass and steel
on steel, G%iuseppina Costa, q red shaw
around her brown head, sits in the wings,
Just out of sight Of the audience, holding
the prompt book.
The Signor has memorized Just ,2,2l2
pages Of Giusto LodicO's drama, which re-
lates the deeds Of the paladins from Pepin's
time until the dark day Of ROncevalles,
but occasionally the Signor slips up on his
lines. That il natural enough, because
when there is a tournament on and twenty
knights are rummelling each other with
| broadsword and lance the Signor has to move
like lightning, jerking puppet after puppet
from It's comfortable roost and dangling
il theoretically upon the little stage 50
il isn't TO be wondered at II he forgets now
I and then the battle cries, which are sup
posed 70 stir the knights to more desperate
endeavor, and there's where Giuseppina
Costa and her big hook come Ia. In q low
voice, but sufficiently clear to reach the
Signor above the turmoil Of battle, Glusep.
pima supplies the necessary CUES ana all
goes well.
G%iuseppina has more important work to
do though, and she Is a very necessary part
Of the production. When Orlando has
Uttered the stage with dead and dying, and
there's a pile OF pa gans and false knights
three feet high al his mailed feet the lovely
Brdddmdntf must trip upon the field 70 re-
ward the hero in dulcet tones-and SiSnorR
Costa has a line Of dulcet tones that just
about meet anybudy's conception Of how a
fayre ladye ought TO chirp 20 her gentle
knight after he has converted half an acre
OF ground into a young cemetery Tor her
sake.
They run the drama in Elizabeth street
! pretty much as il Is conducted in Doyers.
where in the noisy Chinese theatre only
three or four acts may be performed each
night from a drama OF at least 800. Last
night Roland. for love Of his Brdddmdnie,
slew an entire pagan army and received the
thanks Of Chdrlemdgne with Brdddmdnte
herself, in a fine robe Of red and yellow satin,
| embracing him as she jlggled from the end
Of her iron. You might think II wasn't
! exciting, but there's where you'd make a
mistake and do grave injustice to the art OF
Signor Parisi.
Orlando c'anking at the end OF his little
lightning rod and toppling over one furious
pagan after another, citing them over the
head with his good sword and crushing them
| down with his shield, was a fine little figure
Of a hero even you could see the stufing
p~rotruding from a hole in his ma even II
! he did advance and retreat " tn a stiff kneed
| jerkineas which could not be overcome by
the experienced and skillfu fingers OF
Signor Parisi. There was no conquering
that Orlando crash Clangl Clash And
they rolled dead rs any puppet at his feet.
You can just bet that Signor Parisi's pa