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' • MADAME SANS GEJNE.'' preparing it for the stage, the scenery and AMERICAN playwrights make but a poor costumes both being of unusual magni- showing on our stage this season. The iicence even in these days of costly spec French and English writers have it all tacles. Abroad, the receipts from the play their own way. Henry Arthur Jones, for have amounted already to more than half instance, has three of his pieces playing a million dollars. here simultaneously. So had Sardou, before We present a portrait of Kathryn Kidder, " A Woman's Silence'' was taken oflf. Fanny taken in one of the costly gowns she wears Davenport is filling the Fifth Avenue as Madame Sans Gine. Miss Kidder will Theater nightly with his "Gismonda," be remembered as one of the impersonators while the Pitou production of his great Na of Dearest, in "Little Lord Fauntleroy." poleon play, "Madame Sans G^ne," has Earlier yet she appeared in romantic plays had clear time reserved for it to the end of with the late Frank Mayo. For the past the season at New York's big Broadway year or two she has not been acting. She Theater. Over |2o,ooo has been spent in has spent a good deal of time in Paris, f^i % '''-sWiSW^Sj'S'iJflC''.-.'^-'- -•••• ' ;•• L-" '•• ^4.^^iiiSi:--^^~ > '*« w-srss^^u^f.^ff^SS^ >h r '^?••• -,* .•! " •' •«j m: -:-xx •• Kathryn Kidder as " Madame Sans Gene.' From a photograph i'J Sarony, New York. PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED THE STAGE. 531 '»'.' 4 I # •*'^? Amy Busby. studying "Madame Sans GSne " in close more than that. The fire and spirit she consultation with Sardou himself. threw into lier rendering of Louka in "Arms and the Man," showed that she is AMY BUSBY'S RUSE. iitted for other work than the light society PRBTTY Amy Busby is a Rochester girl, parts she played while with Crane. Mr. although for two years she was able to Mansfield paid her a notable compliment spend only one week at her home. We say when he complained that Charles Frohman '' pretty '' Amy Busby, but she is much at once took her away from him. The lead- PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED 532 THE STAGE. ing role in " The Fatal Card," at Palmer's lion to rank with the "Carmen" of last year, lias been assigned to her. and the '' Faust'' of the year before. A Rather a romantic story attaches to her novelty, however, is the Saturday night first appearance. Her family were much performance at popular prices. On these opposed to her going on the stage. But she occasions the five dollar orchestra chairs be come I2.50. The real music , lovers, whose purses as a rule j are slender, gladly welcome ; these opportunities to hear the best at reasonable cost, but the masses—that element on whom the management relies for reimbursement in recognition of its liberality— look askance on these '' pop ular nights." "There'll be nobody worth seeing in the boxes," they say. "I'd rather go less of ten, and be present on one of the brilliant occasions." The present company boasts five American prime donne, among the new ones this year being Lucille Hill, whose por trait we give. She studied in Paris under Marchesi. Then she went to London, and sang the leading part in Sullivan's '' Ivanhoe,'' which procured her an engagement with Sir Augustus Harris, for grand opera at Covent Garden. The roles in which she has been most successful are Marguer ite, Nedda in "Pagliacci," and Michaela in " Carmen." "THE MASQUERADERS." } ( "A ^ IT is stated that Charles '.. Tj Frohman was very nervous ;*,m on the night of the first pro •• -%••:-!.u duction, at the Empire Thea • ill ter, of Henry Arthur Jones' '^ 4I- nmcli talked of play. He is I reported as saying to Henry 1 "".>* ' i r , Miller, at the close of the second act, '' The fate of the Lucille Hil!. piece is now in your hands. From a photograph by ElUs, London. It rests with you and Miss Allen and Mr. Faversham to managed to procure an engagement before make the night's triumph or " she was out of short frocks, b}^ donning a But Mr. Frohman's agitation was uncalled train and putting her hair on the top of her for. The very considerable sum he had head. The star with whom she had signed already spent on " The Masqueraders " will was much surprised to find that she had a be returned to him many times over before girl instead of a woman on her hands. the play loses its drawing powers. Its sub ject matter is unpleasant, it is true, but the THE OPERA SEASON. first act contains a most effective stage UP to the time of writing, grand opera at picture, a lively scene when the impromptu the Metropolitan has provided no new sensa - auction takes place, and a most touching PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED THE STAGE. 533 Stephen Grattan. "curtain," ^liere Dulcie runs back to im Daly. He remained with this manager four print a kiss on her discarded lover's fore years, gaining in that time an experience head. The second act is slow from the of waiting that is not uncommon with those standpoint of action, but it is very far from who have cast in their fortunes with the being uninteresting, while in act third Thirtieth Street house. occurs the great scene where the husband "During the first year," he told the and the lover cut the cards to see who will writer, "I had a part with a single line. It win the wife. The last act is rather weak, was in 'She Would and She Wouldn't,' I but contains some strong situations. think, and ran something like, ' My lord, '' The Masqueraders " may be set down as the horses are ready.' Well do I remember the leading dramatic attraction of the winter. the first night I said it, with James L,ewis standing behind me and whispering, ' Now, FROM COl^LEGB TO STAGE. now.' Another memorable episode of my STEPHEN GKATTAN, the new accession Daly experience was carrying Charles to the Lyceum stock company, went direct Fisher off the stage in a buck basket. That from the Jesiiit college at Fordham to Mr. was in the ' Merry Wives.' " PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED 534 THE STAGE. \ I Annie Russell. From a photo<rraph by Savony, Neyi York. Mr. Grattan was for some time identified sources of power than those of the purely with the leading role in "The Ensign." idyllic school of acting with which she used His work thus far with Mr. Frohman has to charm us. been highly meritorious. He is a most con Miss Russell comes of theatrical people. scientious actor, throwing his whole soul Her mother was an actress, and her brother into liis art. is the Tommy Russell of " Fauntleroy" fame. She appeared first as a child in '' Miss THE OK.IGINAI< ESMERAI<DA. Multon," with Clara Morris in Montreal, ANNIE RUSSEI^E'S return to the stage, and later -^as Josephine in a juvenile Pina after years of absence due to illness, has fore production in New York. Then she been one of the pleasantest episodes of the and her brother went with a company to winter in the theatrical world. Her re- . the West Indies. On her return she found entrance was effected in "The New that Mr. Palmer was contemplating bring Woman" at Palmer's, and as Margery she ing out "Esmeralda" at the Madison showed that she had at her command other Square Theater. She went to him and ap- PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED THE STAGE. 535 ^. Olga Nethersole. From a photugraph hy Sarony, New York. plied for the part, But slie was only a girl in that part, and I am so sorry for the poor of sixteen, with her hair down her back, girl." and short frocks; and there were eleven This was the wish that Olga Nethersole other applicants for the role. The list soon was wont to put in words, not so very long dwindled down to three, of which she was ago either, for she is but twenty five now, one; and from these three she was finally and it was her Camille that captured Amer selected. Her impersonation was a triumph, ica for her after she had without any great and the play ran for three hundred and success tried to charm it with a less hack fifty nights. Then she appeared at the same neyed piece. There have been few triumphs theater in "Elaine." It was during the more devoid of artificial props. Passed run of this idyll that she fell ill. As many on from one manager to another, Miss doubtless know, Miss Russell is the wife of Nethersole's name was not considered to Eugene W. Presbrey, Mr. Palmer's stage contain the letters that spell success till, as manager. a sort of makeshift after the failure of '' The Transgres.sor,'' Dumas' perennial OI,GA NETHKRSOLE. story of the sickly woman was put on. " SoMB day I want to play Camille. In Then New York realized that a genius was imagination I have died a hundred times its guest, and made haste to do her homage. PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED 536 THE STAGE. ;<^} Bessie Tyree. '. a photoijraph by Marru(m, G/iicaf/o The secret of this young Englishwoman's her brother. She is to play a return engage power is her thorough sincerity.