ART, LITERARY AND DRAMATIC GOSSIP.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1954, 29 May 1880, Page 2

ART, LITERARY AND DRAMATIC GOSSIP.

[From English Files.! Miss Rhoda Broughton has a new novel, in two volumes, in the press. Miss Ada Ward (Mrs Fisher) has been specially engaged to play Lady Isabel Yana in East Lynne at the Connaught Theatre, London. “ La Livre” announces the discovery in the Treves Library of a Frerch poem entitled Sainte-Norma et eon Fils Saint Devy,” composed by Eiobard Cosur de Lion during his captivity in Tyrol. Mr Stephen Massett (Jeemes Pipes, of Pipesville) was, on February 18tb, at East London, South Africa, giving his readings with his usual success. Mr and Miss Rosa Towers, who were under engagement to Captain Roebuck, have been performing in the same colony with much success. Mr Sothern says that, although his new comedy, by Gilbert, has cost him 30C0 guineas, he would not take 6000 guineas for it now. It is a piece of the wildest absurdity over perpetrated, and all the parts are immense. On the 26th of February M. Victor Hugo reached his seventy-eighth birthday. In honour of the occasion Mr S«irburne wrote a birthday ode, of some five hundred lines in length, which will be published immediately. An incident occurred at the Theatre Royal Manchester, on Mor day, which shows to what wanton insult ladi-s of the theatrical profession are liable from blackguards with a little money in their pockets. In the scene where Miss Kata Lawier and Mias Alice May are the only occupants of the stage, two contemptible snobs, who occupied one of the omnibus boxes, took the opportunity when Miss Lawler was near of s lying loud enough to be heard, “Have a drink, Kilty.” Miss Lawler indignantly moved from the vicinity of the box, and cleverly altering the words of her part to suit the occasion, replied, “ Ask those cads in that box.” Of course, the management promptly and ignominioualy ejected the fellows, and contemptuously returned their money. The audience showed their appreciation by loudly cheering the management, and hissing the cads as they disappeared. The failure of Sardou’s play, “Daniel Roonat,” which was tb- atrically “ damned” on the first night, was a very serious piece of business for the Theatre Fraacaia as well for him. It was rehearsed, with much teasing and “worriting” from him, sixty-seven times. He is near-sighted, and insists that the scenery and effects shall seem as fine to any one standing right in front of them as to the audience at a distance. The stage manager and scene painter made a tour through Switzerland in order to get the local colour, yisiting Voltaire’s chateau, where the scene opens, and the Baroness Rothschild's sumptuous residence on the Lake of Geneva, in order to reproduce its splendid drawing room in the second act. Through the drawing-room windows was a view of the lake and of pleasure y&cbts. In other scenes there was much msg'dfio nt furniture, including a fourpost bed, copied from a drawing of a honeymoon chamber at a Saratoga hotel “ in all the glory of white satin and rose colored fringe and tassels.” All of which made a serious inroad upon the treasury of the theatre, which it will take several successes to equalise; and as the actors largely depend for their salaries upon the dividends of the theatre, it is not a pleasing prospect for them.