AN ILLUSTRATED MAGAZINE OF DRAMA, MUSIC, ART AND LITERATURE. - Published every Saturday at Nos. 31 and 33 West Twenty-third Street, New York. DESHLER WELCH

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EDITOR AND MANAGER.

The price of yearly subscription to THE THEATRE is four dollars in advance. We cannot undertake to return manuscript that is not suitable, unless we receive sufficient postage to do so. Care is always taken not needlessly to destroy valuable manuscript.

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.

*** All articles appearing in THE THEATRE are written especially for it unless credited otherwise.

DRIFT.

MR. DANIEL FROHMAN, the manager of the Lyceum Theatre, and a clever business man, has instituted a plan which may serve as a sort of boomerang advertisement. He asks the ladies who attend his theatre to remove their bonnets, and has arranged proper facilities for their safe keeping — that is, for the bonnets. He has appealed to Mrs. Grover Cleveland to espouse his cause, but whether that lady supports the movement as a matter which will assist the "brilliant appearance" of the audience or to render a service to a suffering class of men who are compelled to look over these bonnets, is not exactly understood. Apparently, however. Mr. Frohman has had very little experience with women. He shows a maiden thoughtlessness in this instance which betrays a sad want of knowledge of either woman's philosophy or her soul. Mrs. Cleveland is a young girl-undeniably beautiful - but she cannot become a fashion censor in this country for reasons that are quite obvious. What she cares to do she can do because she hasn't anything else on hand just now but the upholding of presidential dignity, and living in royal state. But she forgets that this country is not Europe, and it will be an everlastingly long while before

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it will even take upon itself any similarity of life in its aristocratic belongings. In England the majority of the social and better class are people of leisure, ready and able to follow any convenient fashionable movement. The English theatres are not arranged like ours, and people of means and idleness - frequent only the stalls where bonnets are forbidden. Here "the pit" is a seating place where silks and satins might jar with blue jean and mortar, and any juxtaposition enforced will have the effect of making things decidedly objectionable, to say nothing of a positive box-office alarm. It is a difficult matter- and Mr. Frohman really ought to know about this, you know — to induce a woman to take off her bonnet when she is calling at the house of a most intimate friend. Some women take their afternoon naps in their bonnets. Surely then our young theatre manager will not presume that these evidences of female insanity can be immediately overcome by him? Another thing Mr. Frohman has never observed, most likely, and that is many women arrange the hair to suit the bonnet, and sometimes the latter is a positive cloak for excuses, as many women look much better in their bonnet, and buy these little arrangements as the most important factor in self adornment. I know of a number of

men who can testify to this by the bills which

have been sent in afterwards.

SERIOUSLY the plan will never work in this country. Many women start off to the theatre in a few moments' notice. Many are in town only for a few hours, and are unprepared to go to any inconvenience simply "to add to the appearance of the house." No. If Mrs. Grover Cleveland and Mr. Frohman wish to do an act of kindness, they will organize a commission to experiment on milliners for the purpose of lowering the heighth of hats and bonnets, and Mr. Steele Mackaye will invent a

plan whereby a big post and a big hat will be no obstruction.

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THE death of John E. Owens, Tuesday last, at his home in Aigburth Vale, Maryland, removes from the stage one of its oldest and most successful comedians. For a generation Owens and his bar'l o' apple sass," has been a welcome visitor in all parts of this country, and was, perhaps, better known and appreciated outside of New York than in it. His "Solon Shingle" was a delightful performance, because it was an agreeable character sketch of a warm-hearted and blustering old farmer, acted with an old-school nicety and humor. Mr. Owens had been in poor health for about three and a year ago was so ill that his years, death was daily expected. He, however, partially recovered his health so that he was able to go about and attend to business. Soon after the earthquake of August 31, he went to Charleston, S. C., to look after his property there, the Academy of Music. He returned from the South in the early part of October, and except taking one or two brief trips to New York, had since remained at his country home in Baltimore county. He leaves a widow. Mr. Owens was born near the town of Aigburth Vale, England, on April 2, 1819. He was a son of Owen Griffith Owens, who emigrated to this country when the future actor was 6 years old. Young John E. Owens was apprenticed to a druggist on East Baltimore street, and, possessing strong dramatic inclinations, became interested with the stock company at the old Baltimore Museum. Mr. Owens for some time performed the routine duties of a drug clerk during the day, and strode the boards at night. Finally he bade farewell to pills and powders, and began the career which made him a foremost figure of the American stage.. He became proprietor of the Museum, subsequently going to the Front Street and thence to the Chestnut Street theatres, Philadelphia.

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WHEN the war broke out, Mr. Owens, who had strong sympathy for the South, was the first man drafted from Baltimore county. It is related that at that time he was appearing at

Washington, when a telegram notified him of this fact. His part that night was that of an old man. Turning to the audience on the opening of the act following, when he received the notice, he drew his coat tightly around him and said: "There's a draught around here, but it ain't from the right side."

WHEN Mr. Owens first went on the stage, he believed he was born a tragedian. He attempted once to play Richard III. at the

Front Street Theatre in Baltimore. He was met by a perfect thunder of yells and laughter, but quickly concluding what a mistake he had made, turned it upon his audience, and with his friend, an actor by the name of Gallagher, entered heartily into the absurdity of the situation, and agreed to help the amusement along. They got basket horses, such as are used in burlesque plays, and on them gave a mimic battle on horseback, to the delight of the house, which from catcalls had gone into spasms of laughter.

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THE Manchester Guardian, of England, sent a correspondent to this country a short time since, and now says:

Americans delight in being considered a smart people, but there is a crudeness about their smartness which borders on the plebeian. Refinement in sentiment and expression is not looked for, simply because it is not understood. I regret to say that this is more pronounced in American journalism than in any other section of the community. Thus I am not at all surprised to find that the New York papers are in their “unique smart way "down" on my representative." It also goes on to say:

How differently these little courtesies are extended here is best answered by the numerous representatives of American newspapers in this country. I don't suppose that it is on record that a duly authorized representative of an American journal has ever once been refused admission to a place of amusement. The English sense of hospitality in itself is more likely to gloss over even any shortcomings in the way of credentials rather than put any difficulties in the way, and there is, I dare say, not a theatrical manager or actingmanager who at times has not seriously inconvenienced himself, and positively turned money away in order to show courtesy to the foreign, and especially to the American

press.

This is not the first complaint I have heard, yet.I am frequently told of the many courtesies shown the American press abroad.

TRISTAN AND ISOLDE.

THE production at the Metropolitan Opera House was simply all that could be desired- - far more than could have been expected. From the impersonation of the leading parts to the carrying out of the smallest detail and suggestion in the orchestral score, all was as the master himself would have had it.

Herr Niemann is of course a model Tristan, and were it not for the fact that he is known as the ideal representative of many of Wagner's characters, would seem to have been created for the part.

Who that has felt the meaning of that wonderful theme connected with the love charm will forget those significant glances at Isolde as the spell has wrought its work? And here let it be remarked how great is the power of these themes, which reveal to us, by invisible means, the thoughts in the minds of the characters!

Where Tristan lies dying, how truthful is the delineation of this great actor and singer-his feebly articulated sentences, as he begins to ask for Isolde, growing stronger and more impassioned as he sees her approaching, till, in his excitement, he tears open his wound, and dies just after she enters.

The Isolde of Fraulein Lehmann is as near perfection as we can imagine it possible for anyone to approach. Her voice is ever strong and true, while she delivers every word with a distinctness of enunciation and an earnestness which is most admirable.

The attractive appearance of the impersonator of this unhappy couple is at once so attractive that the sympathies of the beholders are at once enlisted in their behalf, and one can readily see how valuable they have been to Wagner in the production of his leading works.

Fraulein Brandt, as Brangaene, exhibited those qualities for which she has always been celebrated, dramatic fervor and unusual vocal power and training.

Herr Fischer made a most noble King Marke, while Herr Robinson's personation of Kurwenal, the trusty servant of Tristan, was excellent. The devotion to his master, so pure and sincere, was in striking contrast to the passionate love of Isolde, and was as intense in its way. The rendition of the song, "Herr Morold zog zu Mur," in the first act, was very effective, although he labored under the disadvantage of standing some sixty feet from the footlights. In the beautiful appeal to Isolde following, he was heard to much better advantage.

The minor parts, Milot, Herr Von Wilde, a Shepherd, Herr Kemlitz, a Sailor, Herr Alvary, and a Helmsman, Herr Sanger, were all given with great taste, and showed what a wonderful help toward the completion of the picture the conscientious rendition of the lesser roles will ever afford.

That the audience were appreciative was shown from the fact that they recalled the leading artists before the curtain eight times after the close of the first act, and the conductor, Herr Seidl, who was loudly called for, also appeared. To this virtuoso are we indebted for the faithful performance of the orchestral portion, which he led through all the tangled intricacies of the score, which, to be appreciated, must be studied.

In conclusion, it is well worth while to call the attention to the fact that the time is fast approaching when Americans can pursue their studies at home as well as abroad. Years ago they naturally sought those educational advantages in Germany, France and Italy, which they failed to find at home. We have had for some time a large number of teachers of the first rank living in this country; still, many went to Europe because they could hear works there which never were performed in this country.