The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-12-03
An Us EN- ENTS.
Three Great Changes In ThestricaIs some
of the Nuisances.

| great wealth, two or three are men OF positive
culture In q broad sense, and all of them en-
| titled to popular respect and confidence. As a
| rule the entertainments provided are clean aud
interesting. Taking an era of ten years together.
| ma that tue plane OF attraction has risen. the
managers have made money, and the actors are
az competent as their predecessors. The three
distinguishing features OF the present time are
I. The frequent presentation Of French society
| plays
2. Improved stage facilities and exquisite
| mountings; aud
Q. Long runs" OF 100 nights and upward.
II fair to assume that the caterers provide
| the kind OF entertainm ent they believe best
| pleases their patrons. That grant d, long
| vista OF slge suggestion as to the social temper
ature OF a people who crave sensation, morbid-
| ", and spiced situations Ia opened up. Let II
| open. don't propose discussing II. l simply
report a fact. Now and then Booth comes here,
plays Hamlet pisssblv, Richeisu eraudly. and
Bertuceio dramatically, but what other Shake
spearian success can be quoted2 Henry the
Fifthf" Nonsense. Jarrett and Palmer spent
| heaven only knows how much on the pasesntry
| Of the piece, and contributed to the gallery OF
spectacle superb picture, the central nguro OF
which was q fat Brton whose makeup vas
beauty itself-but where does the love OF Shake
speare come INF 1t WAS the setting, the martial
atmosphere, the gorgeous groupings In the spec
| tacunr Kaleidoscope. the rush OF armed men,
the brilli mt scenes OF camp ana field, and tho
courtly presence of the Prince ON a real white
horse-these constituted the charm and made
the hit.
The great successes are English ndaptations
ap ND French ,rensatlons. Neal recall them.
Ise s =, ugh, FSISidden T$g'5s Win
Henry the Ffth,i to which can fairly be add d
the lndlvidul ttlum0hs OF YIN nd as Col.
care to make ;te point, wbicn needs but these
illustr ,tions 10 be clear to the due.t eve. aud
tnen pass to the second featnre, VIZ: our i'm
proved stage facilities aud exquisite mountings.
The PLAYERS OF oden times would tie lost
10 such a libyrinth as the scenes of
Niblo's Garden or Booths Theatre, where
the appliances Of art are the out work
OF science and long experience, procured by
| the ~ Greet lberanty OF uni ling wealth. The
stages OF all our nrst-class theatres are marvels
OF ingenuity and skilful car,.entry. he man
| aeenent OF lient effects alone Is an art-a dis
tinct and well-cut art Take the wonderful
transformation scenes of the Black Crook"
"wnite Fewn," and u, ba"-what magnitude
| OF undertaking, what though full blending Of
color, what suDero effect of light aud shade
| hen, again, recall the sets In "sar an palus."
Was the e ever anything to equal them How
that ereminste y uth would have enjoyed SUCH
| ascene as that preceding tue deatniy palor Of
the ruined city Walack. In other days, was
the only manager WHO even pretended to pay
attention to scenic details. nut In the presence
| OF such exquisite mounts as ne now provides.
how tnsigoihcant and unworthy do the old beau
ties seem. At the Union square, shook &
i liner have disclosed for sever wears a series
Of interiors so cnastc, so picturesQ re, so costly,
| and So pertinent to tne golden streets through
| which their ptocessions OF comedy pass, that
| press and public unite to h mn their VI ise.
| Memoir ble among tneir scenes are the Snow
| ST. IN the " orphans" the Garden Set In the
| same ulny AN interior in " Coincidence" and Que
| In Miss Multon." At the fInn Avenue ne.
| atre mtgnincence and extr ,vagsnce nive run
riot. Fair specimens OF DAYS craft IN this line
| NAV he seen now In the reviv.l Of 'As You Like
It." the Forest az Arden being perhaps the most
| bewisching scene Of the day.
| No wonder. then, that these two features
| sensation Il plays aud magnificent ~tage pictures
nave brought about tue third feature Of the
present Inc, VIZ: long runs Of lOJ pights md
upward. There are several normal sequences to
long runs. ne managers make money. he
actors-even the best-uecome weary. grow In:
uinerent take hoertles with the audience, aud
| FORGET what Is Que To the puulc from whom
they get their bread and outer. Inc gu lie
take fancies to this or that artist and n the part
Is good toe artist Is made. Made artists " are
| a nuisance, for no sooner are they assured OF
their completion and perfection than they be-
coue extensively ex ictine with the management,
| supercious u their fellows, aud last as well
IA worst-deyelnp symptoms OF a desire to cru
city the puohc ana become stars. A successful
| star Ia delight to the uncerstandirs. buts IL
| q. M hafsr IA worse than the sdrcOptes hOmfnis-
| I'D We all know, by hearsay. nov Uad tnaI Is.
| NOTABLY among tue runs" were those of the
Black Crook" "frou Frou" Henry ""
| Inc Shaughraun," he N,ighty Dolla'," Tine
| Gllded Age aud Led AstrAy." The " Two
| Orpnans seems likol, to hold puniic f.yor tue
| longest and .or obvious reasons. Nearly ever
part even the suOurdin. lie part, Ia very struLg.
| Several ottneul, In cant phrase play themselves.
/
| tunes, ami nndl trumphs Of Two young girls.
on whom sympathy fastens at once. and doesn't
| let 90 TIL the curt In fails upon the taOleau
| Of reunion. All phases Of ME are crowded, us
creetly, into the castandfrom the nrst ehtr nee,
| through tue entire action, healthy interest en-
cnains tire eve ana e. to theyery hnish. Inc
| piece has Oeen plaved thousands OF times In
Parts AID the United states, and never to poor
| audiences. II was eiven last uikht--nd will be
| all tuis week at the BROOKLYN Ihealre-at the
union square rnsstre w'tn stIa Je~etI' Maud
| ONeil. ma Studiey in the cast, ana could easily
| bold the Doards iii spring. sucn stupenao.s
| successes as these make N snagers r. h. kicnes
| make sensible man gers ~ Use ana liberal Aud
| liberal ma ayers are IKE generous sewers; tney
| reap sometimes nifty, nd often Ahuuuieufoid.
| present Is better tnan the past2
| In IN these .espec.s. decldeuly yes.
| But ia everything Lowell, Does the theatrical
| bird roost so very hign mat n" snot OF disap-
| proval n reach hinf Are there nuisances
| whateverf
| Yes, Indeed. and many Of them.
| my no means include the ticket speculator.
II ne has rignt To buy Ere stock OF Irsn puta-
| toes on II rise. he has tue right 10 buy theatre
tickets. IL newsin n Is sue aimed IA getting up
at IN the morning hat he NAV guy 1000 SUNS
| at Sl.J hundrcu, wnicn lie sells a. & "A nuu-
| or.u. tnen specul,tur who anticipates a rush
ana buys 100 seats At <l.5l eacn, watch he sells
| at e. seat, - equally 1u,ln bic. ine nui ance
| 1. IN tine buI once, ~here tney redeem tue un
solI tickets. as no with tne spec. ,lator. At
| the Academy toe books tn'opeia" boys .rs
| "A CRYING nuisance. so is |, G old fclloA VINO 81 s
| III II on the uiddlo aisle ana kindly whistles an
In tate, snap tncir les mats to WITH rusn, And
| ROLL A c ree-s eye over tue people In the uuxos.
| Inc peoplD in the oOXos
Here Ia nuisance.
The iauies ana gents" who. as a rule, occupy
| boxes the AGA envy. ana | regret to .dd IN
N ny OF our best theatres, are vast ana eprawliug
nuisance. Iney come ~ late. uisrnDe ustenta-
| tiouslV, make ag eat fuss about sea =, uourisl
| boua iets stare Il over the house ana lueu ue-
gin 10 jahber. had French Is sufficiently enter
tanning, grant. out when | 20 u the opera. |
go 20 tue opera aud prefer 10 liza uluugrel
Italian the sage rather thdn society pdtnts m
the boxes. Lazt week | went to kOSdtiId
| st near the prOscenium boxes. Ia uus "
them were a party Of The most boOrish people
ever met. Diamonds oY tue peck, lace by the
Nard, ien-buttun gloves ana hall a dozen seal
SKIN sacques, with mother Of peari operA glasses
and more lrIlls than "A French anclug master
IN talked ana ! ugned aud iluDefed .nd
| gi1gled till they interrupted the ctors, annoyed
| the audience ana III closed themselves. An
actor Of spirit "a sht EASILY pat sucn people
| down. A significant glance, "A mOmenLary {. use
world he apt To effect "A cure. II those failed
tue audience would endorse aud applaud 4
| direct II c ,urteous rebuke.
| Try II. FIsner.
| Lester wall ick Is a monumental martyr u
that sort OF thtug. why won, ne nv to ~ ~ II
| Some men may IKE Ia ST. behind "a Olg woman
on folded shawl, with IA tall tower hot and
feather. hut / cont, and yet the theatres are
fun OF em.
The man who has seen the play before. fre
Queutlv slts near me, aud II he knew now tnur
0ughlV enjoy his explanations, MS eItlana-
| tiin and MS fUretelnuR Of what IL TO ndppen
| perhaps he'd be pie ised.
Then there's tue youth who knows what Miss