Life — January 8, 1903 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

-LIFE- VEZ /1|\\ ae Bad Actors and “ The Girl With the Green Eyes.” HE dearth of young American actors who can play even the simplest parts accept ably is a most noticeable, conspicuous aud ple fact. ‘The young Americans who to-day are occupying leading positions in the best companies we have are so notably incompetent, so little educated for the PERSONA. work, and so little artistic in their con- ceptions and methods that there must be a fundamental reason for the de- The primary reason is doubtless that e not an artistic nation, We have been so busy fighting, first for an existence and later for mmercial supremacy, that there has been in this country no atmosphere for art. The best re- wards for which men strive were to be gained in more prosaic pursuits, and the man who would for wsthetics must have a courag > natures, to the rebuffs, discouragements and discredit in his path. The American woman, being of more delicate and receptive tem- ment, has succeeded, and does succeed, better in meeting the requirements of the stage. Besides the conditions incident to our national growth, those surrounding the theatre itself are calculated to turn away from it the very men it needs. An educated or refine will find little in the stage life of Americ tempt him. Its whole tone is grovelling there is in it nothing of artistic incentive iration, The highest ideals of ntrol are that the men of the stage should be physically good looking, that they should be animated clothes- racks, and that they should be objects of admiration to the matinée girl. Bral temperament and breeding are in no wa necessary. For this purpose the good- looking stable-boy or bar-tender is quite sufficient If yo cunspi ficiency. wea rare in artist overcom| doubt this condition—eir- * ° erp GIRL WITH THE GREEN EYES” will send the name of Clyde itch booming down the paths of Fame. Even in the way of con- temporary value it has less to recom- mend it than his other pieces. As intly indicated by the title, its motive is a young woman's jealousy. But in working up the complications which the jealousy causes Mr. Fitch takes his never incidents so far away from the realm of not only probability but possibility that his audience is in a continuous titter, not at the comedy itself, but at the absurdity of episodes which are supposed to be serious in themselves and important in their consequences. To bring in his main reliance —the clever and. faithful staging of familiar scenes from real life—he takes his jealous girl and her husband-victim to Rome and gives us a carefully wrought up gallery scene from the Vatican. The action takes place in the cabinet where stands the Apollo Belvidere, and horror of horrors! Mr. to lug into his ines that antediluvian remark of Mrs, Perkins, of Boston, who prefers the physique of Perkins to that of the famous statue. In- cidental to this scene is the introduction of a party of Cook tour- ists and their conductor who, as here pictured and under a strict interpretation of the law, might give Messrs. Thos. Cook and Son ground for a libel suit, Through improbability of incident and faithfulness of detail the story proceeds by bumps and jerks to the final catastrophe, where the jealous one who, by her blind self-de- ceit, has made needless trouble for everybody, attempts to suffocate herself by turning on the illuminating gas. She is overcome by it but is discovered before she is actually dead, and promptly regain- ing consciousness, goes through a reconciliation scene with her husband, showing thereby that she has a vigorous constitution proof against the usual effects of inhaling the gas manufactured by the Consolidated Gas Company. Conspicuous in a weak cast is Mrs. Clara Bloodgood, who jumped into prominence by her first appearance in “The Conquer- ors,” and has since gained notice as a portrayer of very modish women in society plays. Jealousy, asa rule, is supposed to go with a more or less passionate temperament, but in her early and ten- der relations with her new husband, ‘Jinny’ Austin is a very ice- bergy bride, indeed, and one whom it would be difficult to con- ceive as caring enough to be jealous of any one. In the jealous scenes, however, she is more effective, and givesa fair illustration of the utter absur of that emotion. The other members of the company are mediocre, the remarks above applying with especial force to the male members. “ The Girl With th te credit on its writer and produ Fitch has the auda syes” is endurable, but it reflects lit- Metcalfe. TO THE THEATRES. religious melodrama, LIFE'S CONFIDENTIAL GUIDE Academy of Music. Spectacular and Ninety and Nine.” Worth seein: Belasco.—" The Darling of the Gods." markable play. y.—"The Sliver Slipper.” Musical comedy. Fatr. ‘The Chinese Honeymoon.” Musical comedy. Better. Daly's. —* The Billonaire.” Notice later, Empire.—" lnpradence.”” Agreeable Iittle comedy, acceptably acted. Garden, Sothern tn“ Hatnlet.” Excellent, Garrick.-Mrs. Langtry in “ The Crossways.” Notice later. Herald Square.—" Julius Cesar,” with Mr. Manstletd as Zirutus. Good production, Knickertocker.—Mr, Goodwin and Miss Eliott in Friendship.” Amusing little play, well done. Madison Square —Elizabeth Tyree in “Gretna Green,"” Notice later. ‘Manhattan.—Mrs, Fiske in “Mary of Magdala.” Interesting and well staged New York of Civil War times. Princess. —* Meidelberg. lite. Rather interesting. Saroy.—"* The Girl With the Green Eyes." See above, Victoria. —" The Eternal City.” Strenuous dramatization of Hall Caine's novel. Watlack"s,—" The Sultan of Sula," Notice later. Weer and Fieds's.—Vandeville and burlesque, Millionaires who will pay the speculators the price they ask and who conduct themselves re- spectfully when passing the box office may see the performance. “The Remarkable production of # re- “The Altar of + When Johnny Comes Marching Home." Divertin; * Sentimental little play of German student Musteal comedy comicbooks.com