fellow-players, who, because almost his entire career was asso ciated with Boston, risked in familiarity some honor, and passed the sooner from limited favor to partial oblivion.

It was in the play that opens this series — " The Rivals "— that William Warren made his debut in Boston, though it was neither on the stage that knew him best, nor in the part with which we associate him. On July 4, 1846, he first appeared in Boston at the Howard Athenæum, then the smart theatre, as Sir Lucius O'Trig ger, having, at the request of Henry Crisp-father of the Harry Crisp remembered best here, and of Speaker Crisp-changed parts with him, relinquishing Bob Acres for the Irish gentleman, O'Trig ger. In the season of 1848 William Warren first played Bob Acres, and at the Museum, where for a whole generation he was a favorite.

"The Rivals" has had a very interesting history. Written by Richard Brinsley Sheridan (son of Garrick's friend, Tom Sheridan) it was produced at Covent Garden, London, Jan. 17, 1775, when its author was in his twenty-fourth year. Written rapidly, with all the exuberance of spirit of such an age, it originally contained material enough for two plays, and even when manager Harris had cut it ruthlessly it was still too long. At its first production it was a failure, owing to the bad acting of Mr. Lee as Sir Lucius, but its second hearing, with Dr. Tom Sheridan's friend Mr. Clinch as the Irish gentleman, reversed the decision; and ever since The Ri vals" has held a high rank among the old comedies.

"The Rivals" was first performed in America at the John Stree Theatre, New York, June 9, 1786, for the benefit of Mrs. Harper. The Harpers were the first regular actors to come to Boston. On Aug. 10, 1792, they opened the Board Alley Theatre, just off what is now Hawley Street, and there, Nov. 14, 1792, they produced "The Rivals." Since that time the comedy has been constantly given in Boston. It was first given at the Museum, Feb. 18, 1846. Since its first production audiences have undergone a radical change of spirits and taste, and this play has altered accordingly. Origi nally the sentimental scenes of Faulkland and his Julia moved audiences to tears, while the comedy of Bob Acres, and the intrigues of Lydia and Jack were barely tolerated. To the taste of to-day :he Faulkland episode is tedious enough, and has been curtailed accordingly, while in the Jefferson version Julia disappears utterly.

Since 1880 Joseph Jefferson has made many productions of this play, more notable for strong names in the casts than for strong acting. These productions culminated in May, 1896, in what was known as the " great all-star cast," a combination of stars that toured the country one month, travelling in palatial palace cars, on board of which they lived, and appearing as a rule but once in each big city. The venture was more remarkable for its financial success than artistic achievement. The receipts averaged six thousand dollars a performance, which the uninitiated may be interested to know exceeds what is considered a great week's business by successful shows.

In preparing a good acting version, it has been considered wise to preserve the play in just the shape in which it was known before Joseph Jefferson reduced it to three acts, and called forth from William Warren the mot that it was an interesting performance "with Sheridan twenty miles away."

In the Jefferson version the first curtain falls on the exit of Sir Anthony in rage with his son. The second descends on Bob Acres's direction to Captain Absolute to tell Sir Lucius, “I kill a man a week." The final curtain is brought down on the rhymed tag introduced here, and which is the only thing in this edition borrowed from the Jefferson version.

Such an edition of plays as is thus inaugurated is as interesting to students as to actors, for it contains the very best evidence of what actors do for the success of plays, while to embryo playmakers it is a practical lesson.

BOSTON, June, 1896.

M. A.

1

COSTUMES.

the

THE original costumes were of course of the period of 1775, cocked hat, knee breeches, and hooped skirt epoch. This dress has been curiously altered since the original production. At the first performance Acres was the only one who made a decided change of costume in the play, a substitution of riding-boots for buckled shoes, or the addition of a mantilla and hat constituting the other principal changes. But in these days of fine toilets in the theatre, when an actress's dress plays such an important part in theatrical productions, it is not unusual to see Lydia and Mrs. Malaprop make three changes of toilet.

For the assistance of players it may not be uninteresting to preserve the original costumes, although actors in these days usually study up their dress for a part from contemporary plates, and stage-managers and playproducers decide on combinations of colors. As but five hours are supposed to elapse between the meeting of Fag and Thomas on the street, and the interrupted duel at King's Mead Field, the original method of no change, save the donning of an outside garment, is rational.

SIR ANTHONY ABSOLUTE. - Light brown cloth suit, lined with crimson silk, and gold buttons. A brown great coat, black silk plush cuffs and collar, and gold vellum button-holes; cocked hat, gold loop and cockade; white silk stockings, square-toed shoes, and buckles.

CAPTAIN ABSOLUTE. Scarlet regimental full dress coat, white breeches, silk stockings, and cocked hat.

SIR LUCIUS O'TRIGGER.

- Fashionable blue dress coat, lined with white silk, and gilt buttons; white waistcoat, black silk breeches and stockings, and cocked hat.

FAULKLAND. Full dress black coat, white waistcoat, black breeches, and black stockings.

ACRES. First dress: Brown riding frock, buff waistcoat, and white cord breeches. Second dress: An orange cloth coat, white waistcoat, with a scarlet satin under, buff stocking pantaloons, trimmed with light blue braid, white silk stockings, and cocked hat.

FAG.- Dark livery frock, buff waistcoat and breeches, glazed hat with cockade, silver band, and top boots.

DAVID.

Sky blue coat, red waistcoat, leather breeches, striped stockings, shoes and buckles, wig, and white neckcloth.

COACHMAN.

JULIA.

Blue livery.

- First dress: White leno and ditto scarf, trimmed with lace. Second dress: White satin.

LYDIA LANGUISH. White crape frock, festooned up at the bottom, with pink silk cord and tassels.

MRS. MALAPROP.

satin ribbon.

Crimson satin dress, trimmed with white lace and

LUCY. Light colored gown and apron, trimmed with ribbon.

6

THE RIVALS.

ACT I.

Scene I. A street in Bath, in first grooves.

Enter COACHMAN, L. I E., FAG following, and calling after him. COACHMAN has coach-whip in hand, and FAG a riding-whip.

FAG (L.). What! Thomas! Sure, 'tis he! What, Thomas! Thomas!

COACH. (R.). Hey?
Hey? Odds life-
Odds life Mr. Fag!
your hand, my old fellow-servant.

Give us

FAG. Excuse my glove, Thomas; I'm devilish glad to see you, my lad! Why, my prince of charioteers, you look as hearty-but who the deuce thought of seeing you in Bath?

COACH. Sure, master, madam Julia, Harry, Mrs. Kate, and the postillion, be all come.

FAG. Indeed!

COACH. Ay; master thought another fit of the gout was coming to make him a visit, so he'd a mind to gi't the slip an' whip! we were all off at an hour's warning.

FAG. Ay, ay; hasty in every thing, or it would not be Sir Anthony Absolute.

COACH. But tell us, Mr. Fag, how does young master? Odds! Sir Anthony will stare to see the captain here! FAG. I do not serve Captain Absolute now.

COACH. Why, sure!

FAG. At present, I am employed by Ensign Beverley. COACH. I doubt, Mr. Fag, you ha'n't changed for the better.

FAG. I have not changed, Thomas.

COACH. NO! Why, didn't you say you had left young master?

7

FAG. No. Well, honest Thomas, I must puzzle you no further. Briefly, then, Captain Absolute and Ensign Beverley are one and the same person.

COACH. The devil they are! Do tell us, Mr. Fag, the meaning on't.

FAG. Why, then, the cause of all this is love— love, Thomas, who has been a masquerader ever since the days of Jupiter.

COACH. But, pray, why does your master pass only for ensign? Now, if he had shammed general, indeed

FAG. Ah, Thomas! there lays the mystery of the matter. Hark ye, Thomas; my master is in love with a lady of a very singular taste · a lady, who likes him better as a halfpay ensign, than if she knew he was son and heir to Sir Anthony Absolute, a baronet of three thousand a-year.

COACH. That is an odd taste, indeed! But has she got the stuff, Mr. Fag? Is she rich, eh?

FAG. Rich! why, I believe she owns half the stocks! Zounds, Thomas, she could pay the national debt as easily as I could my washerwoman! She has a lap-dog that eats out of gold, she feeds her parrot with small pearls, and all her thread-papers are made of bank-notes!

COACH. Bravo, faith! Odd! I warrant she has a set of thousands, at least! But does she draw kindly with the captain?

FAG. As loving fond as cooing pigeons.

COACH. May one hear her name?

FAG. Miss Lydia Languish; but there is an old, tough aunt in the way- though, by-the-bye, she has never seen my master, for he got acquainted with miss while on a visit to Gloucestershire.

COACH. Well, I wish they were once harnessed together in matrimony. But pray, Mr. Fag, what kind of a place is this Bath? I ha' heard a great deal of it. Here's a mort o' merry-making, eh?

FAG. Pretty well, Thomas, pretty well; 'tis a good lounge -but damn the place, I'm tired of it; their regular hours stupefy me-not a fiddle or a card after eleven! However, Mr. Faulkland's gentleman and I keep it up a little in private parties. I'll introduce you there, Thomas; you'll like him much. But, Thomas, you must polish a little indeed, you must. Here, now, this wig; what the devil do you do with a wig, Thomas? None of the London whips, of any degree of ton, wear wigs now.