The sun., 1910-05-29
FIRST NIGHTS IN PURPLE
WTTH BLACK CARRIED AUDI-
ENCES M LONDON THEATRES.
LoadSn Piayhsusea Hurt hy KIng I'D
Narda Death-'Ghalns," a Type-
writers PlAy. NeIl RecrlNeti RUSSIAN
Dancers IN l.ontian- Nar. TyleT's I.nrk.

| writer's PiAl. We'll hecrlN etl u uaslAn
| Dancers IN Lontian Mr. u lrPp Luck
LoNuoN. May IS-Three FIRST nights
have slightly ligh'ened the gloom Of the
DAYS intervening between the death ol
King Edward and his funeral. Only
slightly. however. Tor to produce a play
for the first time in a theatre draped in
purple before a mysagrs audience mostly
garbed in black and not in a mood 20 bs
enthusiastic or even encouraging ~ not
an easy task. and the three first nights
cannot he said to have scored great sue.
| cesses
George Tyler produced The Dawn ol
Tomorrow on Friday. the thirteenth.
having already faced such had luck In try
ing 10 give the play in London that hn ioli
that even this combination oI day and
date could not further damage him.
Perhaps Il did not. bat The Dawn Of a
TO-mOrrON reused the critics o. bitter
ness. They scored II roundly. though the
first night audience gave IL fairly hearty
welOo me
The critics disagreed widely a. 10 Miss
Gertrude Elliott's conception Of Glad
Some said that she saved the nlav from
utter banality and proved herself an
actress Of exceptional ability. others that
she never once suggested the part and
added to the unreality and impossibility
Of the situations by her own lack Of sim
cerity. But II there was a diverhity Of
opinion regarding the leading lady there
WaH none respecting the piece Il was
catAlOgned a. sOrt ~ rehash Of the
Passing of the Third Floor Back. The
Message from Mars Whiteing's book,
Number ! John street. and other slum
plays and stories 10 VAS pronounced
preachy and quite unwoFthy "a re the
WOrk Of Mrs. Hodgson burnett Yet
there IL a chance that the slim audience
which saw the play on ia first night NAV
voice public opinion better than the
critics and that The naNn n Of To-mor-
row may achieve London nm.
Thomas Beecham opened his opera
oomique season ~ His Maiestys Theatre
with Tales of Hoffman, and an e4-
celient performance was given The
all English chorus seemed a bit al sea
az times and the Orchestra conducted nv
Mr.. beeCham was often too energetic
for the limited confines of the theatre
hut barring These defects the production
was interesting
John Coats. the concert singer. made
splsndid HOFFMAN The three women =
parts were well played by Miss Nora
D'Argell. a beginner. who sang the doll
very prettily. Nine Z6lie De f.tIssAn. who
was a charming GHiietd. and Miss Ruth
vincent, graduate from musical comedy,
who sang and acted tRioaid capahly.
A depressed and black CARRIED audience
isNs -
70 bring Mr. ReechAm out 10 bow his
thanks for their applause
On Tuesday evening Mr.. Frohman
nroduced Miss Elizabeth Raker's play
Of English lower middle class life. Chains
Miss Baker. q will be- remembered. h a
typeWriter employed by a city firm and
wrote this play about people abe saw
daily and lived among and sent Il 10 the
Piaygoers S0ciety. which accepted Il az
once and gave u a. one II it, Sunday
night performances with unprecedented
success No enthusiastic were the critics
that Mr. Frohman bought the plav without
having seen u and produced IL AZ his
Reper'ory Theatre Unfortunately 80 in
auspiciOus was the time that only a small
audience assembled n So II those who
were there appreciated ~ merit and
applauded warmly
The scenes of the play are a. Hammer
smith and ChisWick In the h0mes n a
plumber and clerk All sorts of sub,ir-
han types enliven tho action. which cen
tres about the restless desire Of the clerk
10 have a hit of land Of his own where he
can live and tll the soil thus escaping
the dreary routine of desk work
he longs 20 emigrate 10 Australia with
a friend. but the outcry from his wife
and her family about his leaving a safa
berth for an uncertainty u more than he
can hear. and when his wife finally tells
him Ot hia prospective paternity he gives
up hope ~ escaping from the city and
settles down 10 clerk II al tho rest Of his
life with a dim prospect of some day ha-
coming head clerk as his only possible
ammtion.
Miss Baker knows the world whereof
she writes and Chains is marked bv
realism There Is a touch Of genius In
its absolute simplicity and pathos Not
one word too much, not one situation too
extreme man "
A. the end II the play the audience
insisted upon seeing its author and in
answer 20 repeated calls there gteppad
upon the stage a little. shrinking. tirnid
woman. very pale Of face aud With dis
tended fear hlled eyes She wore an m
fitting. tasteleHs gown obviously home
made. and IN herself she was the proto-
tvpa uf all she had written about in her
play drridRery tho daily struggle with
poverty and the monotony of lie ugly
and Colorless To tho credit Of the audi
-acs be 10 said they cheared her 20 ;ha
echo
The Russian invasion IL a definite thing
A. every mgsic hall In London this week
there II contingent ~ Russian dancprs.
all advertised NJ belonging 10 the ballet
=
Petersburg and Moscow Whether they
really have that distinction Or not they
are winning English laurels
Naturally theatrical prospects are much
affected by tho Kings death. Managers
who had counted on the summer season
~ bring them N" prosperity the Writer /
season had denied them are worried I
Some of the plays planned for early pro- .
ducti0n will be- postponed I'll autumn. for
a smart first night h an impossihility with
most Il the fashionable people suend- ?
ing their time IN the country Sir Herbert
Tree. Sir Charles WyndhAm. George Aloy .
ander. Miss Mary Moore and others will
take long vacations hcfore beginning
provincial tour.
Many stories II King Edwards likes and J.
dislikss n certain plays and PLAYERS are
circuktted One ~ them King Fdward |
used n sometimes tell as a joke on him /
self
Ne never could b7ar George AleHander.
the society actor and atinee IDOL who /
reigns over the ~ James a Theatre Va
rious members Of the Kings suite had
urged him O. 90 and 49, His House I'M 1
Order in which Mr.. Alexander PLAYED /
the leading part, bit King Edward sIwava
refused. saying Mr.. Alexander bore,i min.
Az last the news was published that NJ
Alexander had been ill and had decided i
a. take q short vaGs ton, during which ,
time his understidy would phy The narf /
King Edward then decided b see the fieoe 4
and word was sent n the theatre thai ~