The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-07-05
Grand Success of the Duke Of Meining-
ems Company in Berlin.
The Drama-LOving Duke and His
Blind Actor, Weilenbeck.
TEE THURIrJGIA THEATRES
Misfcrtunes of the Vienna Comic
Opera Troupe.
FRANKFORT, June 8, 1874.

FRANKFORT, June 8, 1874.
Some four weeks ago there arrived in Berlin q
compact, well organized theatrical company be-
longing to the Ducal Court Of SAKE Menngen, In
They went thither with the intention
OF giving series OF representations, mostly Of
classic pieces With the exception of single In
divdull, none Of the members had any great fame
outside OF Thuringa. Yet the result OF their per-
in Berlin has been successful to a de-
gree certainly not anticipated by the Melningen
troupe before it went Berlinwards. Every
seat In the Frederick Wnhelmstadt Theatre
was sold night after night. The aristocracy |
and the Kaiser, and all the members OF
the Imperial family, honored the "guests''
by their presence, and the Berlin public gave |
them unrestrained welcome and applause. Their |
chief pieces were Shakespeare's Julius Cesar,n !
"As you like it," Minding's "Pope SiXtus," and |
Lndner's "Buthochzelt." Julius Caesar" was |
given seventeen times within four weeks. "Pope
sixtus" surprised Berlin audiences as much by the
grand assembly scenes as by its internal worth.
The success OF the performances Of the Melnlngen
Troupe is considered to be q
SIGNAL DEFEAT OF THE BERLIN ROYAL THEATRE,
run by General Intendant Won Huelsen. While
the Royal theatre has excellent individual actors
like Doering, Kahle Frieb- Bumauer, Ernartt the
Meningen troupe has only one star Herr
Barney, while the rest are actors Of middle Ca
pacity. But, what then is the reason OF their un-
exampled successY Why do the audience desert
Won Huesen for the new guests Fer very
simple reason. Under the direction OF the reigning
Duke of Meiningen this court company have been
trained Ia a manner which would please even Ed
ward Devrient or Richard Wagner. They consider
themselves, as actors, to be there on the stage on
account of the play, not that the play Is put the
Tho ,1n
well organized body. There are no "stars;' the
scenery and costumes are scrupulously historically
correct, and the success achieved is unheard OF IN
the annals OF the Berlin theatres When caesar"
was given few days ago, and the last act finished
the house called enthusiastically the entire COM
pany before the curtain, and the Emperor William
rose from his seat, stepped to the front of his box
and gracefully acknowledged the pleasure the
actors had given him. "Such thing" said a Ber-
lin citizen, mas never occurred to Won Huesen
tor the last ten years p
TEE BERLIN CRITICS
were as a whole very friendly disposed toward
the guests. Paul Lindau, however, the editor OF
the Gegen,cGrL wrote foolish article against
them. And what, think you, offended this WISE
crticp That the richness and grandeur OF the
costumes the surprisingly brilliant pictorial
| effects thereby produced, took the attention from
| with such trumperyr' exclaims the indignant
| Berlin critic. Is it not pity that such persons
| can exert any influence at all, entertaining as
they do such absurd ideas? The value OF historical
accuracy In costumes Is too little appreciated by
| theatrical directors in Germany and elsewhere
! The teaching of the visit Of the Meiningen com
pany to Berlin Ia that theatrical company o.
moderate capacity, but well organized and filled
with the true mission of their calling, can
compete with and surpass, measured by
the success achieved, a court theatrical company,
| composed OF numerous eminent actors, who, how
ever, are not schooled, who do not work together
for the good OF the drama, but for their own per-
| sOna applause,
DUcAL DRAMATIsT.
The Meiningen performances were undertak en-
| by the Duke himself who bore all risks. The men,
] bers of the troupe received double pay. The per-
sonnet numbered hfty-fve persons, iorty-six being
actors. Nine freight wagons were necessary In
order to transport the decorations and scenic ar
rangements to and from Berlin. To show how faith
fully the Meiningen deal with hist orcal SUBJ
jects 1t Is worthy of mention that the tables and
seats In the tragedy. Between Two Batties,' -
treating of ancient Swedish history, are made OF
rude cumps of wood, corresponding to the fur.
niture Of the era in which the drama plays. The
drawings Tor all decorations are made by the Duke
| himself.
| BLIND ACTOR.
most remarkable fact connected with the
Meningen court company is that one OF The prin
clpal players, Herr Weienoeck, who took the part
OF Pope Sixtus, has been perfectly blind for the
last three years. Few people VINO attended the
performances ever imagined for q moment how
ever that the actor who moved with such ease
and precision on the stage before them did moi
see the scenes around him. Fortunately for hin
his afiiiction did not come upon him Rtil he haC
been for some years member OF the Meininger
| troupe, 80 that he knew the boards by heart when
blindness came upon him. His colleagues are very
devoted to him. whenever new piece is to be
given they undertake many rehearsals in orde
to make the blind actor feel at home
in his new role The drama of "Pope Sixtus'
was quite new to him; and critic who knew o
his afiction wrote how he trembled for lear o
the actor making false step. But he moved
about and assembled the throne with safety ant
dignity. "Snce my eyes died." said the actor to
this critic, ~ see everything clearer with the
nerves OF the brain. Life concentrates itself in m
head undsturbed by the external world. whic
for me no longer exists" Weilenbeck is a man O
intellect having enjoyed q scholarly education II
his youth. lie is the son of an Austrian councillor
now deceased, and mas always moved in the high
est society. His father died only few years ago
without knowing OF the sid afiction that hat
overtaken his son, whO by means of a mechanical
arrangement and the assistance OF q servant,
wrote letters to him up to his death. The Duk
of Meningen settled pension on this remarkabl
actor some years ago, 80 that mis- future is Pre-
vided for.
THE THURINGIAN COURT THEATRES
The prominence given just now to the Menngel
troupe calls pubic attention to the state OF othe
Thuringan court theatrical companies. When il
Do a fpw I w a N n
formances by the Court Theatre Company ror