Lii
THI COURIER.'
IbI W
THEATRICAL NOTES
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All but a few scats in tho parquet
wero filled on Thursday night at the
LanEing. "A Bachelor's Romance" by
Dorothy Moiton is one of tho best plays
jet written for Mr. Rus ell. Tho char
acter of David Holmes, closely corres
pondb with Mr. RuEEell's own. Few
actors havo the literary gift
Mr. Russell is a master of
direct, simple, Ecglish. Hie before
thecurtain speeches aro literature of
Joo Jefferson and Richard MansGeld
and Sol Smith Russell would have suc
ceeded as writers if their fortune had
cot led thC-m to tho stage. The selec
tion and arranement of words in their
curtain tpecches is so artleee, melodious
aud witty that one is led to think it
cssy until seme other man, equally great
pern ape, as an actor, makes a speech
and then one knows that last night it
was Hyperion and tonight a Eatyr.
Mr. Russell then has the delicacy,
poetry, mildness and ruminating habits
of a writer. Soma girl in the audience
eaid as she was going out, "I don't won
der Sylvia married that sweet old thing
instead of tho young man." Youth to
youth! The soul of David Holmes is a
flower, unwilted, never bandied, and
brought to rare perfection by gentle
doeds and forty years" converse
with the classics. Sylvia has
more of worldly wisdom than he.
Sho is a sweet girl but cot more inno
cent, not a ear younger than David
Holmes who has kept himself un
spotted from, the world. I have never
beroro seen Mr. Russell in a play which
exhibited b"m transparent purity, his
charity, and above all, his literary qual
ity so "well as this one. Tin audience
ww in full sympathy with tho play and
the plaj ere. A member of the com
pany, after the play was over, expressed
tier pleasure in playing to an apprecia
five audience. And, in fact, for undem
onstrative Lincoln, the Louse was
wildly enthusiastic What makes the
people love Russell so? For the same
reason that they love Jefferson. A
Fwcet spirit sits enthroned with his
genius. Every one in the audience
wants to hear him speak and toseo
raore of him. When ihe curtain goes
down after a climax, separation from
their idol is insupportable, and he must
tand before it
The company is excellent. Mr. Den
bam, Mr. Hudson and Fannie Addison
Pitt have been here before and their
work is familiar to Lincoln audiences.
Mr. Decham, as Martin Briggs, the old
servant, was a real old man. His legs
were tiff with age, and he kept them so.
witbout making the audience feel the
effort he was making to keep the posi
tion, liko so many false old men on the
B'.ae, whose painfully crooked attitudes
make the audience ache from strain.
His line work in act III, where by a
few movements, broken words and 'cobs
be shows the stored bitterness of disap
pointmented love and ambition, come
soar to maHng the sensation of the
evening,and lifts him above the rank of
,6upport. Ftinio Addison Pitt does
irascible, exaspctated old lady parts as
well as Mrs. Drew.
Bertha Crcighton is fresh and dewy
as a rose. I love her for what she ie
not as much' as for her grace and
beauty. Sbe is cot stagey. Dot a sou
bretie. not 6eIf-cocsciouB, and she keeps
away from the centre of the stage
except when she belosgs there. If she
goes on saakisg withered old hearts
bsat.with a renewed consciousness of
'tfee beauty of young womanhood! she
will earn her salary. Sbe played the
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part of Sylvia as it wats written aod
Sylvia is au exquisite character.
The scenery was good in tone and
composition. David's rooms, bx lights
up from bores, made every newspaper
man in the house turn green with envy.
The play is constructed by a master
builder, who bad perfect kuotrle-Jge of
the use her structure was intended for
the people who were to live in it, as well
as the limitations of tho drama. The
only suggestion to bo made is
that Martin and Clementina be
given a minute or two of reminis
cent loveinakicg at tho end. However
at the end the different threads ure all
drawn together and tied and the hero
and heroine aro the knot. Clementina's
lovemaking might set tho gallery to
laughing. Two lonesome, aged lovers
are fun for the gallery, and their jeers
would ruin the delicate work of tho
denoument.
"Rob Roy' played to a moderate
hotiBa at tho Funks on Monday night.
DeKoven has been accused of plagiar
ism so often that it has has come to
pass that a western critic dare not say
"I have heard that before'' when listen
ing toone of his operas for fear of being
called another himself. It is so easy to
say what all the rest say. Yet when ho
wrote "Rob Roy" DeKoveu's faculty or
assimilating other men's operas and
the national airs of all countries was in
perfect working order. On Monday
night, The Chimes of Normandy, Faust
and Scotch ballads appeared and reap
peared like ghosts or resemblances to
friends on strange faces.
If Gilbert and Sullivan or the ma n
who wrote Faust want their tunes from
"Rob Roy" they can can apply for a
habeas corpus for the DeKoven
has taken the Dungeon song and
the Daisy song almost bod
ily. Tho Scotch ballads wero
harder to place. Somo of tho choruses
began with "Coming thro' tho Rye" and
ended with "The Campbells Are Com
ing" and so on. But at least it is pleas
ant to be reminded of old friends and
"Rob Roy" is full of reminders.
The costumes were gay and graceful,
the voices wefo not of tho best, and the
acting was amateurish to an objection
able degree.
"The Girl I Left Behind Me" played
to poor business at the Lansing on
Wednesday night. The play is a fine
piece of construction, the climaxes in
every scene are Btrong, and the situa
tions are interesting if not new. The
company wsb poor, and tho play was
left to conquer by its own merits. Tho
stockade 6cene, where the beleagured
whites wait for death at the bauds of
fanatical Indians, would be thrilling if
played by stuffed men anil women. So
much is indicated by the noiso of tho
chant the approaching Indians sing and
the drum they beat. All the stories of
Indian torture and outrage wo have
ever heard are recalled by the drum
and the actors need only to read their
lines to be apprehended, and that is all
they did do. The sign mark of inferior
ity is unintelligble enunciation, and
only two of "Tho Girl I
Left Behind Mo" company could
be understood, and they wero
the Indian and Irishman. Tho Indian,
William Lee, was well made up and
produced an Indian effect, technically,
o called. His was a character sketch
showing conscientious 6tudv of his
ujuuti, in voice, acuon, race and reeliDg.
If it had not been for Scar Brow and
the play the company would havo left
an unsatisfied audience. As it was
they went home discussing tho Indian
question.
JOHN DOWDEX, Jr., Manager.
One Night Only,
Tuesday, December 8.
AMERICA'S FAVORITE COMEDIAN,
EDDIE FOY
In His katest edition of the
if
Off Tlie
Of sweet singers
Of pretty girls
Of funny comedians
Of clever dancers
Of merry makers
A. GRKA1?
A wealth of 6cenic accessories. The fairy forest. The bazaar of wonders.
The garden of mushrooms. The dance of fasions. The gates of tho moon.
Prioesl,00,75c, SOc, 25c
Seats on salo Saturday morning, 10 a. m., at theatre box office.
Get seats early.
C.H.
YiORST -
1131 O Street
FRANK C. ZEHRUNG ' Manager.
TWENT
FOPLP.
UNIFORMED BRASS BAND.
MERROPOLITAN ORCHFSTRA
09S0
pftfTOH COKW CO.
ISAAC PAYTON,
Proprietor.
WILLIS BASS,
Business Manager,
The Ariadne of Comedy
CABBIE LOUIS.
Tho Character Actor,
ISAAC PAYTON.
And a Strong Supporting Co.
THE PAY TRAIN.
Permission of DittmerBros.
THE CAPTAIN'S MATE.
Permission ot Dittmer Bros.
A MIDNIGHT CALL.
Permission of Wm. Rightmire.
THE GOLDEN GIANT.
Permission of Howard & Doyle.
CHRISTMAS BELLS.
Permission of John A. Stevens.
UNCLE SCSAN.
Permission of Carrie Louis.
A car load of special Scenery Carried
for these productions.
Elegant Special iaper from The
Courier.
"f
bpectacular Extravaganza, " '
tho sweetest
the prettiest
... -the funniest
the cleverest
the merriest
COMPANY,
FREy
- FiORST
Lincoln, Neb
THEMONARCH
Of ALL
POPULAR PRICED
ATTRACTIONS.
KNTIRE NEW REPERTOIRE
OF PLAYS - - .
ON ROYALTY'.
ONE WEEK
Beginning
JkORDJW
December 7.
foADIES FREE MONDAY
If reserved before C p. m. Seats on
sale Friday, December A.
Popular Prices
10, 20 and 30c
'" si
j .....
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