Life — November 27, 1884 — page 11: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

WALLACK’S, Mr. LESTER WALLACK. Sole Proprietor and Manager, A New Romantic Drama of Modern Society, ENTITLED, CONSTANCE; Or, THE FATAL GRANDMOTHER. BY ROBERT BUCHANAN. [The mise-en-scene (French for stage management) has been arranged by the AUTHOR, in conjunction with MR. LESTER WALLACK.] ACT I. HE scene is the gate of a park (as in the “ Lights o’ London”). There is a village chorus of boys and girls (as in “Storm Beaten”). Madam Ponisi is the Fatal Grand- mother. Miss Coghlan is an Angel of Purity (in pink). Mr. Kelcey is a Young Lover. Mr. Henley is a Bad Duke. Mr. Tearle is a Guardian Devil. The Angel of Purity loves the Young Lover, who loves her. But the Fatal Grandmother hates the Young Lover. The Bad Duke loves the Angel of Purity. The Fatal Grandmother gets the Angel of Purity to give the mitten to the Young Lover and her hand to the Bad Duke. Curtain falls as the village chorus sings : « Awake! awake ! in wood and brake ! Glad song of birds of spring / White lily and rose, your buds enclose Upon this merry morning /” On hearing this fresh and unforced rhyme the audience unanimously award the first prize for Spring Poetry to Robert Buchanan (in conjunction with Mr. Lester Wallack). BETWEEN THE ACTS. Playgoer of Tender Years: 1 say, you know, they don’t call this a new play, do they ? Veteran Playgoer : That’s just what they have the cheek to call it. Playgoer of Tender Years: But 1 sawa play like this here last year, and they called it “ Moths,” then. Veteran Playgoer : You saw it when it was “Moths.” I have seen it twenty times or more, and it has borne a score of names. Playgoer of Tender Years: But if it’s so old, who’s re- sponsible for its production ? Veteran Playgoer : Mr. Robert Buchanan, assisted by Mr. Lester Wallack. 305 ACT II. 6 Pit scene is a ball-room, where nobody dances. Miss Flora Livingston appears as the hostess, and her dress is trimmed with a peacock feather-duster. After looking at it a minute, the audience wish she would get up and dust. Miss Coghlan appears as the Angel of Purity (in white—low neck and short sleeves). She is now the wife of the Bad Duke. The Young Lover comes back from the war, wounded badly. His regiment passes under the window (as in “Ours ”). The Young Lover is told that the Angel of Purity is the wife of the Bad Duke. Curtain. BETWEEN THE ACTS. Playgoer of Tender Years: But nothing in particular hap- pened in that.act. Veteran Playgoer : Nothing in particular, and that was perhaps the reason the stage management was so shabby. The set was not even framed in with a ceiling. Playgoer of Tender Years : Whose fault is that ? Veteran Playgoer (referring to programme) : The miése- en-scene has been arranged under the special superintendence of the AUTHOR, in conjunction with MR. LESTER WALLACK. ACT IIL. HE scene is the boudoir of the Duchess arranged as a cir- cus-tent, for this occasion only. The Bad Duke provides the circus. Miss Coghlan as the Angel of Purity (in white again, with low neck and short sleeves), wants an escort to take her to a ball. Instead of engaging a district messenger to act as escort, she sends Miss Helen Russell (who looks very pretty and acts very neatly), to invite an old friend of the Bad Duke’s. Miss Russell having gone on this ladylike errand, the Young Lover and the Angel of Purity spoon, as though they were out Rocking at Mount Desert. Then the Bad Duke returns. Having forgotten his latchkey, he rings three times and the Young Lover dies. Then the Bad Duke has a merry jest with the remains to the great disgust of the Angel of Purity. Then the Bad Duke knocks his wife down, and on this striking situation the curtain falls. BETWEEN THE ACTS. Playgoer of Tender Years: That wasa splendid fall of Miss Céghlan’s, was n’t it ? Veteran Playgoer: \t was, indeed. I wonder if she would take an encore for that fall ? Playgoer of Tender Years: The plot thickens don’t it ? Veteran Playgoer : Thickens ?—nay, it curdles. Playgoer of Tender Years: Mr. Tearle talks a great deal about the devil, does n’t he ? Veteran Playgoer : He does—and perhaps that is why the play has been damned. ACT IV. HE scene is just outside of a convent in Brittany. All the characters have crossed the Channel as Cook's tourists, personally conducted. So has some of the scenery, for the boughs of the trees across the top of the stage were seen in the first act. If this were Birnam Wood and if the