DRAMATIC NOTES.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 11501, 6 February 1903, Page 9

DRAMATIC NOTES.

"Weekly Press and Referee."

A singular experiment has been made by the American manager, Mr W. A. Brady, in a version of "Peg Woffington" played by hie wife, Miss Grace George. It consists of converting the audience for a time into actors. As history has recorded, Garrick'e treatment of the Clever, impulsive octrees wae no credit to him, and it led finally to the most painful event of her oareer—when ehe wae hissed and insulted by a Drury Lane audience in May, 1757, at a benefit for a French dancer, in which she had consented to appear. The recorded story ie that Peg fell, fainting and heartbroken, as she attempted to speak the closing lines of the epilogue from "Aβ You Like It." This picture of torment and lawlessness, with Peg oe ite central figure, is the climax of the new play. The scene on the stage is tihe foyer of Drury Lane, filled with, gallante, wite ; and the populace. The talk of the chtiractere gives an inkling that the big Drury Lane is crowded to overflowing, and that the curtain hue been rung up on the benefit. The audience, therefore, oan form a definite picture in the imagination of exactly what is happening in the story, but out of view. Suddenly the theatre beeomos dark. It lasts only a minute, and then the lights flash up again to disclose the stage net for a scene of "Aβ You Like It." Peg, as ita central ligure, is speaking the epilogue. AU at once a derisive shout is raised from the real audience, and the people, looking about them, find the boxes, front eeate, and porta of the balcony and gallexy occupied by the actor folk. Garrick's rival, bent upon undoing ±*eg in the moment of her triumph, shouts insulting reproaches to her, in whdeh others from all parts of the house join. Gamck'e friends come to the rescue, pounce upon the offenders, and, struggling, drag them from the theatre. There ia confusion all over the house. Then, as suddenly as before, darkness comes again," and with the return of light a moment afterward all the octore have disappeared and are back in their proper places, while Peg, trembling and fainting, struggles with the epilogue until she falls exhausted in Garrick'e arms. This strange commingling of audience and stage produces a very curious effect. It funuslwj audiences with a great surprise while it lasts. Ite fault, of course, is that it takes the play out of its proper frame, and it ie a question bow New York will receive it. But "on the rood" it ie causing a great deal of interest.

According to the Rome correspondent of a London paper an energetic campaign is being carried on against the practice of ladies wearing large hats in theatres. At Bologna, while Flavio Audo ; the wellknown actor, was reciting in the Duse Theatre, a noisy demonstration was organised against ladies whose headgear prevented the other spectators from seeing the stage. Many of the ladies left in confusion, while others submitted with a good tfrace to the imposition of the majority. For fear of giving rise to similar hostile manifestations ladies are now beginning to discard their hats when in the theatre.