Life, 1892-03-17 · page 12 of 18
Life — March 17, 1892 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Life Magazine Drama Section (circa 1881-1884) This page reviews New York theatrical productions. The main text praises Charles Frohman's play "Gloriana," highlighting actor Mr. Henley's comedic performance as Count Evitoff, a Russian nobleman—calling it a surprising success for an actor known for emotional dramatic roles. The review also discusses companion productions and other theatrical ventures. The illustrations are thematic historical references unrelated to the drama reviews: they commemorate significant dates—Herschel's 1781 discovery of Uranus and Caesar's assassination in 44 B.C.—likely chosen to fill space or provide humorous contrast to contemporary theater gossip. The page also mentions other amusements including the "Urania" astronomical exhibition and concert series, suggesting what respectable entertainment options existed for New York society in the 1880s.
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Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
GLORIANA, ETC. R. CHARLES FROHMAN has hit on the funniest play that “has been produced in New York this season. The first act of “Gloriana” drags a little and would stand careful pruning, but once well into the action of the piece every _ situation, almost every line, brings out a laugh. The play is excellently cast. Mr. Henley’s performance of Count Evitoff is a revelation even to those who thought they had measured his powers best. It is essentially a comedy part, and Mr. Henley has gained his prominence almost entirely as an emotional actor. His portrayal of the irascible Russian nobleman is thoroughly artistic and-less of an exaggeration than might seem at first thought. Among tne other good points of the cast are the Spznks of Mr. joseph Humphries, Miss May Robson's Ky, and Mr. Allen's 77mothy Chadwick. Mr. Clyde Fitch’s “ Frederic Lemaitre,” which serves as a curtain-raiser to “ Gloriana,” is given a far better representa- tion than that accorded to it under Mr. Felix Morris’s owner- ship of the piece. It is well written, and contains more strength than most curtain-raisers. Mr. Miller is better than Felix Morris, but he is far from being the ideal /rederic Lemaitre. Miss Nettie Guion looks and acts well the part of Madeline. MARCH 12, 1884, WHITE ELEPHANT PURCHASED BY P, T. BARNUM FROM THE KING OF SIAM NT-OBSERVING “people have two excellent sources of amusement which do not fall within the ban of the churches. One is the astronomical exhibition “ Urania” at Music Hall. The scenic effects are extremely interesting and if the descriptive explanations could be made a trifle more enter- taining “Urania” would doubtless become as much of a feature in New York as it has been in Berlin. The other is the series of Thursday afternoon concerts at the Madison Square Garden Concert Hall. Mr. Seidi has arranged a set of attactive programmes and is assisted vocally by Miss Margaret Read, a very promising artist. * * * R. AUGUSTUS PITOU has undertaken the by no means small task of organizing a stock company to present legitimate dramas without the aid of a star. After taking his company through the country, he has established it at the Union Square Theater. Here he finds it in com- petition with the metropolitan stock companies and its work to be measured by metropolitan standards. Judging from the performance of “ The Last Straw,” Mr. Pitou has attained a fair measure of success. The piece itself is of the comedy MARcH 13, 1781. THE PLANET URANUS AND SATELLITES DISCOVERED RY HERSCHEL. MARCH 15, B.C. 44. ASSASSINATION OF JULIUS CESAR. comicbooks.com