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The price of yearly subscription to THE THEATRE is four dollars in advance The editor solicits contributions from the readers of THE THEATRE, and suggests that old play-bills, and scraps relating to the stage, notes, news and items appertaining to the different arts, would be acceptable. It is the desire of the editor to establish a widely-circulated magazine, and to further that end every good idea will be acted upon so far as possible. Care is always taken not to needlessly destroy valuable manuscript. All articles that appear in TE THEATRE are written especially for it unless credited otherwise.

Generally speaking THE THEATRE is an original magazine, but the appearance of any article bearing credit to some other publication is because such an article is thought to be interesting and especially valuable for preservation. There are two volumes of THE THEATRE every year, and these are not only handsomely bound, but are excellent reference books for the library shelf.

ENTRE NOUS.

THE strong antipathy which our native actors

and managers have unanimously evinced in regard to Messrs. Barrett, Booth and Boucicault's silly "boycotting" movement meets with very deep sympathy from all the best known actors and actresses on the English stage. The American triumvirate are challenged to adduce a single instance of an American artiste being received with incivility or disrespect. The unimportant demonstration against Edwin Forrest in London was provoked by the ill treatment Mr. Macready received in New York, but that did not prevent English playgoers from admiring and appreciating Mr. Forrest's splendid acting. Edwin Booth certainly has no cause for complaint, for no foreign actor ever received a heartier welcome than he did. Lawrence Barrett's splendid reception in London is still pleasantly remembered, nor is it forgotten that, in his postprandial speech, he described it as "the happiest event of his life." Dion Boucicault is believed in his time to have drawn more English money than any actor or dramatist of the past forty years. As regards Jefferson, W. J. Florence, Frank Mayo, the late John Drew, Barney Williams, Josh Slingsby, Hackett, the Cushmans, John McCullough, E. L. Davenport, Dixey, the

WHOLE NO. 110.

Daly company and many other American invaders of the British stage, it cannot be said that their reception was otherwise than cordial, hearty, and of the most hospitable character.

I

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AM glad to learn on the authority of my well informed London correspondent that Wilson Barrett will shortly give his opinion on the subject in the shape of an article in one of our magazines. Barrett may be expected to use very plain language about his erratic surnamesake, to whom he acted as host and entertainer during the enactment of the "happiest event " of Lawrence Barrett's life! But probably noth-. ing has given greater satisfaction to English professionals than the plucky and truly patriotic action which C. P. Flockton has taken against Louis Aldrich. Good old "Flocky's" health was drank at every theatrical club in London when the news reached that city.

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SHAKESPEARE has certainly come to the

front in New York as well as in London. Whilst Londoners are flocking in vast crowds to see Henry Irving and Ellen Terry as Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, Wilson Barrett as Hamlet, Beerbohn Tree as Falstaff, and Richard Mansfield as Richard the Third, New Yorkers are criticising and sitting in judgment upon Mrs. Langtry and Charles Coghlan in Macbeth," Kyrle Bellew and Mrs. Brown Potter in "Antony and Cleopatra," and Marie Wainwright and Louis James in As You Like It." Seven Shakespearian plays in two cities at one and the same time, is a fact without precedent in the history of the stage.

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MRS. OSCAR BERINGER and Mrs. Camp

bell Praed are not the only English women dramatists who are devoting their talents to the modern stage. Mrs. John Aylmer, in conjunction with her husband, has recently adapted a very powerful story by Ouida, under the title of "Don Gesualdo." The acting rights of the play

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LONDON letter tells me that Miss Ellen Terry has taken possession of her new home in London, a house built according to her own plans and taste in decoration.

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FIND this convenient advertisement in the

Press:-
-

theatre, is a frisky matron of four score winters,
and still open for engagements. Mrs. Alfred
Mellon, the once popular and fascinating Adel-
phi leading actress, Miss Woolgar, has attained
the age of 65, and she, also, is anxious to tread
the boards again. The only survivor of the
original cast of Still Waters Run Deep," thir-
ty-four years ago, a lady who played Mrs. Mild-
may under the name of Fanny Maskell, is still
alive and well. Miss Glyn, who shared leading
business with Macready and Phelps between
thirty and forty years ago, Lady Martin, who,
as Helen Faucet, was long the greatest English ON my special request

CREMATE the dead babies, $5 ; children, $10; adults, $15;

actress, Mrs. Herman Vezin, Miss Marriott, an old American favorite, and about a score of other venerable actresses who are on the verge of the scriptural three score and ten, are also still alive and in good health.

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IN the audience at the Star Theatre last Monday night on the revival of "The Wife," were a number of people well known in social life. who went to see Mrs. Berlan Gibbs, an "amateur." Secretary Vilas with his daughter and niece occupied a box. Among others present were Mr. and Mrs, Kissain, with a party of friends, Mrs. Charles Dodge, Mr. and Mrs. John C. Wilmerding, also with a party of friends, Mrs. Thomas Francis Meagher, Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Berry, Montefiore Issacs, Maurice Minton and Miss

call get a circular.

This is an immense digression from theatrical subjects and I give it only as a startling reminder that we are what we are.

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Mr.

Aronson has given me a list of the different operas thus far produced at the Casino and the number of performances each was given. It will be an interesting record to many of the readers of THE THEATRE.

OPERA.

The Queen's Lace Handkerchief..
Princess of Trebizonde...

The Little Duke....
Merry War.

Apajune...

Prince Methusalem.
Beggar Student..

Falka...
Sorcerer

Fliedermaus
Patience..
Billee Taylor...

Pirates of Penzance.
Polly..
Gypsy Baron..
Nell Gwynne.
Amorita
Nanon.

Erminie

Marquis

TIMES.

137

50

50

69

50

102

110

ΠΙΟ

40

26

16

32

16

40

86

24

103

150

744

75

Madelon......

Nadjy (first time)..

Yeomen of the Guard.

A

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50

153

100

LARGE theatre party comprising the following members of the Tuesday Evening Dancing Class saw "Captain Swift" at the Madison Square Theatre last Tuesday night: Miss Yvolin, Miss Porter, Miss Lillie Chatillon, Miss Maidhof, Miss Lent, Miss Rogers, Miss M. Rogers, Miss Schaefer, Miss Golden, Miss Gregor, Miss Phelps, Miss Mather, Miss Walters, Miss Rice, Miss Floyd, Miss Clapham, Miss Jackson, Mr. Schuler, Dr. Hodson, Dr. C. W. Kranahaar, Captain W. J. Maidhof, Dr. James H. Porter, George E. McKenna, Dr. Ralph Waldo, David D. Davis, J. P. McDonnell, Dr. T. J. Bowles, O. T. Driscoll, F. Coster, Emil Huber, Dr. W. J. Bricklemaier, C. A. McMahon, Shaw Blauvelt, Herman A. Schalk, C. R. Scott and S. S. Wheeler. The party were chaperoned by Mrs. Joachim Maidhof, and after the theatre there was dancing at the house of Miss Lillie Chatillon, No. 149 East Sixtieth street.

AN amateur performance will be given at the

Lyceum Theatre on the afternoon of Friday, February 15, in aid of the Fresh Air Home, at Summit, N. J. The programme will consist of the drama "Ernestine" and Buckstone's one act comedy entitled "The Dead Shot." Among those who will take part are Miss Alice Lawrence, Miss Vida Croly, Miss Rosa Lawrence, Edward Fales Coward, George W. Nicholas, T. Francis Conrad, Valentine G. Hall, Francis Griswold Landon, and by the kind permission of Daniel Frohman, Henry Miller, of the Lyceum company, will also appear. Tickets, at two dollars each, can be obtained at Brentano's, or any one of the following ladies who have kindly consented to act as patronesses:-Mrs. Walter L. Suydam, Mrs. Valentine G. Hall, Mrs. W. T. Lawrence, Mrs. Allen McLane Hamilton, Mrs. Elliott Roosevelt, Mrs. I. Fred Pierson, Mrs. John Ellis Roosevelt, Mrs. Abraham R. Lawrence, Mrs. E. Marcey Raymond, Mrs. William J. Hamilton, Mrs. Hilborne Roosevelt, Mrs. Auguste Montant, Mrs. John R. Suydam, Mrs. Burton A. Harrison, Mrs. B. F. Corlies, Mrs. Frederic Coudert, Mrs. A. M. Martin, Mrs. S.

W. Towey, Mrs. Benoni Lockwood, Mrs. John K. Van Rensselaer, Mrs. W. H. De Forest, Jr.; Mrs. Edward G. Janeway, Mrs. St. John Roosa, Mrs. Emlen T. Tittell, Mrs. Henry I. Hoffman, Mrs. John W. Ellis, Mrs. John Sherwood, Miss Peebles, Miss Thompson, Mrs. Howard Crosby, Mrs. Roger A. Pryor, Miss Cooper, Mrs. H. B. Chittenden, Mrs. William H. Osborne, Mrs. Talbot Oliphant, Miss Peter, Mrs. Edward Woolsey, Mrs. P. Rogers Hoffman, Mrs. Richard Irvin, Jr., and Mrs. John A. Robinson, of this city; Mrs. W. H. De Forest, Miss Sarah B. Matthews, Mrs. John Doane Lyon, Mrs. George N. Grant, Mrs. H. Y, Pierson, Jr.; Mrs. Frank H. Dodd, Mrs. Edward Gogorza and Mrs. William B. Crosby, of Summit; Mrs. S. Edward Nash, Mrs. Stephen H. Little, Mrs. Richard King, Jr., of Morristown; Mrs. Ogden, of Orange; Mrs. George D. Mills and Mrs. Benjamin Strong, of Montclair.

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The amount of printing figured for, would last A GREAT many people were shocked to hear

the ordinary good travelling companies, averaging small towns (one night stands) and other cities of two or more nights, together with such cities as Buffalo, Albany, Pittsburg, etc.. etc., about twenty stands, to which must be added a stand of bills, being a cut of the play (or title) as might be decided, an addition of say for stand of bills of 14 sheets at 8c. $1.12 per stand, say in 5 cities, averaging 10 stands of bills, $11.20; for 5 cities, $50.00. Bill posting is done by theatre.

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of the seemingly sudden death of Mrs. Mary H. Fiske, play writer and journalist and an extremely well known woman in this town. She died of pneumonia Monday last at her home, 72 West 93d street. Her history is a remarkable one for a woman, and a number of good qualities will ever remain uppermost in the remembrance of many friends. The record of her career is thus set down: She was born about forty-five years ago in Hartford, Conn. Her father was a Scotchman named MacEwan, who earned some reputation as a portrait painter, and her mother was the daughter of Senator Giddings of Connecticut. From her earliest years she evinced a predilection for the drama, and when a mere girl she spent much of her leisure in the study of Shakespeare. Her earliest triumphs were made in the old Bowery Theatre, of which she assumed the management after her marriage, at an early age, to Charles K. Fox. Here, as throughout her life, the young playwright showed herself possessed of prodigious industry and marvellous versatility. She not merely wrote her plays, many of which were written in three or four days, but she appeared in their production, taking part nightly in each item of a programme, which usually included a three act comedy, a five act tragedy or melodrama, and finally a roaring farce. At the close of the performance she arranged the play for the following night, the rule at the theatre being that no play should be produced twice in one week. When the Old Bowery passed away Mrs. Fiske retired from the stage and never again returned to it. About this time she secured a divorce from her husband and subsequently married Zeno W. Burnham, who surrounded her with all the luxury which wealth could afford. Though rich, he was wholly illiterate, and Mrs. Burnham actually taught him to read and write. It was then she entered upon her journalistic career, in which she afterward attained such signal success. Her letters to the St. Louis Republican over the initials "M. H. B." attracted marked attention and led to her delivering a successful course of lectures in that city. Later she corresponded for the Chicago Tribune and Herald and the Washington Post and Herald. Toward the close of their married life Burnham

became involved with the authorities and was sent to Sing Sing. Mrs. Burnham devoted herself indefatigably to procure a pardon for him, and after a hard fight succeeded. After Burnham's death his widow married her present husband, Stephen B. Fiske, at the time manager of the Fifth Avenue Theatre and now dramatic editor of the Spirit of the Times. Mrs. Fiske recently wrote the drama " Philip Herne," which had a successful run at the Standard Theatre, and was a very strong play. She was at work on another at the time of her death. She was also known as "The Giddy Gusher" in The Mirror. The funeral was last Wednesday morning and was numerously attended by theatrical people, Robert Ingersoll making an address.

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My Dear Sir-If I had a photograph that was not a single handed reproach to my parents and a double headed horror to myself I would allow you with pleasure to duplicate my image in your clever periodical.

But photography has been less kind to me even than nature or fame. Charity has enabled me to endure my face, but the thing the camera makes of me is something dreadful to contemplate. Your gallant soul would never suggest the dissemination of my picture through an already suffering world if ever you saw one of 'em.

Yours very sincerely, MARY FISKE. THE portrait of Fanny Davenport in THE

THEATRE this week does not do her justice by any means. She is certainly the most majestic woman on the American stage. Her career has always been a triumph from the time she used to play Lady Teazle in comedy, to "Pique" as melodrama, Olivia, Fedora, and La Tosca. Miss Davenport has certainly taken a noble stand regarding the production of the latter, and her opinions, as well as my own, which coincide, have been fully ventilated in these columns. Her powerful performance of Sardou's great heroine, can never be forgotten. She has been playing it at Meech's Theatre, in Buffalo, the past week with brilliant success. Trophonius.

ART CHAT.

THE STEBBINS COLLECTION.

MR. JAMES H. STEBBINS of this city was a

picture buyer of rare taste and judgment. His collection, which the American Art Association will sell at Chickering Hall on Tuesday evening, Feb. 12, is a small one containing less than eighty paintings and a few pieces of statuBut it was a treat to contemplate them in about half the space usually used for an exhibition at the association's galleries. It is not often that one is able to see all the pictures in an exhibition as were shown in this.

ary.

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FOREMOST among the paintings are Gerome's

masterpieces, "Moliere Breakfasting with Louis XIV. at Versailles" and "L'Eminence Grise" (His Eminence Gray). The former is less brilliant than the latter but it is full of earnest work. It represents Jean Baptiste Poquelin, otherwise Moliere, seated opposite the king at a small rectangular table; he leans forward, his eyes on a group of courtiers who, so the story goes, have refused previously to dine with Moliere; this reaching the king's ear he on hearing that the author actor was at Versailles Invited him to breakfast, and he now sits opposite his guest, his head turned toward the standing courtiers, foremost among whom is the much displeased Co-adjuter Archbishop de Retz. The king seems to be addressing them and saying," You see me, gentlemen, in the act of eating with Moliere, whom the people of my house do not find good enough company for them."

Louis has a young and pleasing face thoroughly French, Moliere seems to be about middle aged with a clean shaven face. He is dressed in black with a brunette wig. These two figures are perhaps as fine as any Gerome ever introduced into a canvas. The picture was painted in 1862 while L'Eminence Grise was finished in 1874. We therefore see weaknesses in the technic of the former, whereas the latter is ripe and luscious as a piece of painting. But the human element in the Moliere" episode is far stronger. It is not going too far to say that no painter living (and perhaps only Zamacois among the departed) could equal this composition in the realism and expressiveness of the

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