Life, 1904-05-12 · page 13 of 20
Life — May 12, 1904 — page 13: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page primarily contains **theater reviews** and gossip. The main illustration, captioned "Sic Transit Gloria" (Latin: "thus passes away glory"), shows a young man in office attire at a desk—a composite photograph of "sixty-seven of last year's most prominent college graduates." The satire is straightforward: these celebrated college stars of the previous year have already faded into obscurity, now working as ordinary office clerks. Their former prominence and promise have evaporated into mundane adult life. The page also includes critical commentary on Sir Henry Irving's recent American tour and theatrical productions. Life challenges Irving's claim that Americans lack appreciation for Dante, arguing instead that his staging simply failed to impress—a pointed critique that even great artists sometimes miss their mark. The remaining content lists current Broadway productions and theater reviews.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
taste may make "A Man from China" suce summer entertainment, but it seems too mediocre even for that, And yet New York will take almost anything in summer. AMfetcalfe, ceed as N ami- able corre- spondent informs Lire that “Saucy Sally? practically a translation a French comedy,entitled “La Flamboyante,” written by Paul Ferrier, Félix Cohen and and produced at the Vaude- ville s in February, 1883. The pro- gramme states that the play is by F. C. Burnand. In addition the picce bears such strong internal evidence of British workman- ship, of the same kind shown in the columns of Punch, that Lire is loth to believe that the editor of that journal would deliberately put his name to the work of others without giving the credit due. . . * NE more question, Sir Henry, before we part,"asked a reporter from the Lon- don’ Telegraph of Sir Henry Irving, as the latterlanded in Tilbury after his recent tourin America. To what do you attribute the want of appreciation of Dante’ in America 2” * Mainly to the fact that American playgoers know little or nothing of Dante, the poet and man, We played Sardou’s drama some forty times, but the old pieces were wanted, and they drew enormous audiences.” Lire is compelled to take issue with Sir Henry on this explanation of the non-success of * Dante "in America, Whether Americans know Dante or do not know him, the fact was that neither the play itself nor’Sir Henry's staging of it was in the least degree impress ive. Perhaps for this the only thing to blame is the high standard which Sir Henry had already set for theatrical production, and which in this case he himself failed to reach, . . . N the same interview he took occasion to deny absolutely the speech attributed to him by one of our yellow journals, in which he was made to vilify the American stage, American critics and the American people. Any one who knows Sir Henry knows also his kindly feeling for Americans; a feeling which is reciprocated not only by his many warm personal friends in this country, but by the thousands who have enjoyed his scholarly and artistic presentations of great plays. It is evident, however, that he does not know our yellow press. Otherwise he would never have taken the trouble to deny any statement t make. wes Ae SS * Two Little Sailor Kitty Bellairs," with Hen- Interesting love Academy of Musi Belasco.—" Sweet rietta Crosman in the title part. comedy extravagantly staged. Broadway.—* The Yankee Consul.” The most success{ul of the season's comic operas. {4 | SIC TRANSIT GLORIA. FROM A COMPOSITE PHC Paff, Pout.” 'o type, riterio he Dictator."" Central American politics as expounded by William Collier and Richard Harding Davis Daly's.—James K. Hackett in “The Crown Prince.”* See opposite. Empire.—Jalia Marlowe in repertoire. Casing. Pi Musical comedy of the usual C: Garrick.—Virginia Harned in * Cam fd Square.—Last week of * The Girl from Funny and tuneful English musical DGRAPH OF SIXTY*SEVEN OF LAST VRAR'S MOST Ph NENT COLLEGE GRADUATES, Knickerbocker." \ Veni ceum.—"* The Other Girl.” Clever and well- acted comedy of contemporary American life ian Romance." Lyric.—Prehistoric Wan As funny and bright as ever, Amsterdam.—Last week of “The Two “all star cast Sarey. zabeth Tyree in * Tit (or Tat." Polite and laughable French comedy. Watlack's.—* The County Chairman" continues to elucidate the methods of rural politics. comicbooks.com