The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-05-16
Our Theatrical season-Tho Lesson OF
the Benefits.

Our Theatrical seasoD-The Lesson or
the Benefits.
Our readers have, no doubt, observed the
great success that has attended the benefits
given to some of our favorite actors at our
leading theatres. Their receipts have far ex-
ceeded those ever obtained by former theatre
cal entertainments. The reason is that the
managers in arranging them contrive to pre-
sent large share of theatrical perfection.
One of the mistakes of our theatres is that
they do not present the majority of their
plays with vitality or force enough. man.
ager will present good play with a company
containing one or two good actors. The piece
will attract popular attention and run for one
hundred or two hundred nights. The result
of this is that our managers are constantly on
the alert for sensation, for great runs, and
they rest their success upon one OF two actors
and one or two plays. Consequently at the
end of a long run there is a period of ex-
haustion Mr.. Boucicaults "Shaughraun'
was the attraction of q long and brilliant
season at Wallack's. Since its close the
theatre has simply retained its ordinary bust
ness. The reason of the great success of
"The Shaughraun' was, first, that it was an
exceedingly good play; second, that there
were exceedingly good actors to play it. This
is the reason of the success Of these benefits.
On benefit night the manager presents what
are considered unusual attractions, and, con-
sequently, he has unusual success.
The ,oo5o1 t,aa I've of tho f,Jtrra will ha TINT
which produces every night the unusual at
fractions which we find at benefits. If the
appearance of three good actors on the stage
will draw q crowded house on one night it
will do so for hundred nights. Instead Of
long runs, exhausting the players and the
pIay-going public, and, in time, driving the at-
tention away from bond fde theatre, it
would be wise for our managers to begin
their season by strong company, alternating
their pieces as the musical man
ayers do their operas. Instead of
"Henry Y" for hundred succeeding
nights why not have added 'King John" and
Macbeth and ''Othello'' and two or three
Shakespearian parts played by the same COM
pany and presented with the same wealth Of
decoration and scenery? The result would
have been that, instead of Booths Theatre ex-
hausting itself on one play and running into
stars and all manner of make-shitt entertain
ments for the balance of the season, we should
have had a steady progress of success from
the beginning TO the end. The lesson of this
success OF Henry "" demonstrates this.
Mr.. Boucicault once said that Shakespeare
meant bankruptcy, but Shakespeare never yet
bankrupted a manager who did not first bank
rupt Shakespeare. The trouble with Shake
spearian plays is, too frequently, thatthey are
tumbled on the stage, badly mounted, simply
TO give an opportunity to one or two actors;
for there is no writer that needs so many
good actors to interpret his thoughts as
Shakespeare. "Henry "" illustrated this, aud
the success Of that play was due to the fact that
it was played up to its highest capacity, and
presented an unusual wealth OF decoration.
Now and then an actor like Mr.. Savini will
produce a wondrous effect in some one part
like Othello, an effect depending solely upon
the possession of exalted genius. But we only
have men like Salvini once in O generation.
We have had no such man on the English
stage since the day Of the elder Kean. Our
theatrical managers should, therefore, adopt
the plan Of Mr.. Wallack in playing the
ssShaughraun, and Of the managers of Booths
Theatre in presenting "Henry W We are
to have Mr. Barry Sullivan here in a few
months-an actor who comes with great
reputation. II will be mistake to play Mr.
Sullivan in the old fashion through series
of Shakespearian parts badly supported and
badly mounted. Mr.. Rignold, who is by no
means as good an actor as Mr. Sullivan, has
attained success which the coming TRACE
dian may well covet because he has been
enabled TO play Shakespeare in q manner
worthy of Shakespeare's genius.
The lesson Of the benefits is that il our
theatrical managers will present attractions on
the stage people will go to see them. Let MS
have "bencft night every night. Mr..
Wallacks success in making his theatre the
first in America, and among the first in the
world, has been solely because he followed
out this principle. II three or four attractive
actors can put four thousand dollars into a
house for . matinee there is no reason why,
by repeating, the performances on the same
scale and with the same cast, there should not
be more money than any manager ever dreamed
Of during well sustained season.