The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-06-05
OPERA And DRAMA IN LONDON
THE STA6E SOCIETY SEES 4
DARING GERMAN FARCE.

I.udNlg Thoma Mads KnsNn 10 EngiSnd
m The ChAmpfaas q MorHllty''
suffrage ouestlan On the stage
kings Death Hurts lIu.ieal season.
! LONDON. May 2s.-The stag society
enlivened. theatrical matters somewhat
last Sunday night when Il gave a per-
Torrance Of L'ldWig Thomas Champions
Of Morality II d some time since this
Sunday night organization has ventured
10 produce anything quits 70 daring.
ThOmA. Journalist. aatirist. easayist
and playwright. h very well known In
Germany. but his work had not ruached
ERgland till Sunday night. The piece
vas very well translated but was rather
poorly acted.
The champions Of morality are a
hand of men in a small German town
who have formed themselves into a Wig .
lance committee 10 protect the morals
Of their fellow tOWnsmen. One oT them. a
professor. was made mp 10 look like Dr.
PaFkhurst lie became an admirer Of q
certain notorious Nina. Dc Hduisriils.
His psnitence takes the form Of an anony-
nous letter 20 the police In which he de-
nounces the woman
The chief Of police promptly arrasts
her and seizes a diary he finds her fat
Tie members Of the vigilApee COMMITTEES
are alarmed when they hear % the diary
andlths president steils IL.
Mms De Hauievtile ~ hen brought before
the chief Of police assures hlm W viii
regret his action IN arreuting her. a. =
very high parsonage was locked in her
wardrobe at the time Then a royal
aide-de-cAmp appears and tells the olioial
that the prisoner in the wardrobe was
the heir apparent IN the throne. lmme-
diately the chief Of police isOveroome with
horror At his precipiianoY In making the
arrest and wishes Tn release HE prisoner
on the spot
The woman declines IN he released
unless she is paid SlO.Oo The chief
Of police goes 10 the president Of the
vigilance COMMITTEES and asks bic advice.
and the president With diary In HE waist
coat pocket raises the money with tho
help % his fellow members.
The comedy. which vas almost farce
was very witty and full of a Shavian sort
of brilliancy. The State Society mem
bera we're enthusiastic IN their reception
Of II, though 10 was less ably produced
than most OF their performances Only
one critic wrote about IL. however, and he
prOnOunoed,i II vulgar
The Parasite. having failed to please
London. " 20 be Withdrawn shortly. On
Monday night aOne act comedy was played
in frunt Of i IN the hope Of rengtheuing
the evenings entertainment II was
called "A Midnight Meeting and was
intended a. an argument against the
modern feminist movement
lady who e a strong suhragist IL
expecting a friend ~ masquerade 40
a burglar 10 try her courage. ~ AZ AfHt |
she 10 not alarmed when a thief Suddenly |
appears In her bedroom. She N fright |
ened when she finds he 10 the genuine |
article. and the burglar. who from his /
hiding place has heard her conversation !
regarding woman's courage. gives her |
a sermon in which he assures her that 4
brute force will always rule the world.
Then he decamps with her jewels and 4
money leaving her IN faint
A couple n plays In favor u the suffrage
movement Were given by tho Actresste'
Franchise League on Thursday, the
hest u these being -UnexpeCted Cur
by Iseula Cqwsn The theme \
VI this comedietta was the dependence
nf the solid male hrHin on the wit and
resource Of the female mind IN order
10 overcome the various difficulties dhat
beast q mans carver.
Charles MGEvoy's troupe ~ ganuipe
village players from Aldbourne IN Wilt
shire have begun . iortnights season
AZ the Coronet IN The Village Wedding
They are having only fair slows as a real 4
theatre seems a less fitting frame Tor
their simple naturalneas than the Old
harm where they hrst played
Thomas beecham u having some din
Guilty In filing His MaieNty's Theatre DIR
ing his opera cOmique seas0n there.
linguistic -Werthsr- and -Shamtn
O'Bnen- were bis operate novelties this
week The first too are quite new IN
England and met with fair receptions
From -ShamR O'Bnen.- an English
opera composed by an Englishmah and
sung by English singers, the English
audience carefully stayed away. ~ that
% was sung 20 an almost empty house.
Mr. Beacham Is producing all his opeTas
very deliberately and has a large company
n singer lie feels that the cause ~
he failure 10 the King's death. which has
deprived him of the audience he eHperted
IN have namely the smart people Who
would patronage his opera ~ they orii-
narly do the grand opera.
Convent Garden u In the same condition
Operas ara sung 70 han hlled houRea.
while the tiers 81 boxes display mostly
empty seats even on Tsiragzin nights
Some Americans have used ihsir boxes
Mrs Higgins. the Duchess ~ Marlppor-
ouGh. Mr.. and Mrs. Anthony DraNel and
Mrs. Chhuncey are fairly regular at
iendants. but members ~ the real court
circle or those Who wish TO he considered
IN the court circle do not appear in public