The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-12-04
THE FoRnIGN STAGE IN NEW YoRK.

enterprise has the slightest chance Of success
| unless supported by American born citiarns.
! IRISH clog dancing and Irish songs form the
only exception. These seem 10 bc entirely scf-
supporting. Any other entertainment is sure
TO langu sh. unless the American theatre ,ocrs
take tuncy to 1t. Even the German population
enormous though it H. does not seem disposed
| permanently to sustain any German entertain
| mcnt unless. indeed, it be mixed with lager
h""r. Their theatre in Fourteenth street would
hc utterly unable to keep it's door, open all the
year round and IL kept in existence only
through the Efforts Of ah exceptionally cconom-
ical aud husiness-likc management.
There arc thousands upon thousands Of
! Span'arls aud Cuhans I'm this city. but no at-
! t"mIt has over been made TO establish Il Span
ish theatre. Yet some Of their Zarsueias arc
enjoyable even TO people not very we'll acIuaint-
ed with their language. They are frequently
| Whittier and brighter than most OF the French
and German farccs.
Until now all attempts to establhh French
theatre have ended in failure. The French
opera houfrc cannot bc taken into considera-
| ton here. for 1t Is patronzrd for It's music, its
| kicking and its naughtinoss. But even this
Kind of diversion would never have had any
material success had not the Americans taken
| freely 60 it. Three four;hs II the French Dor.
ton Of the attendance at opera boufTe per-
mai to rely on the patronage NJ the French pop
uation alone. her receipts would not be- large
enough 10 pay f1r the gas and the play bills.
The reasons for this state Of Affairs are mani
! fold To begin with. foreigners coming to this
country ARE. with very few exceptions. poor and
mean. They don't come here for pleasure. but
Tor money max and live from day To day in
the hope Of reaching u competency and return.
in- home for rest and enjoyment OF good things
| Ia NJ. 80 l..,..
OF these dreams. but that does not make any
difference; they dream. nevertheless. Then
again. the foreigner settled here looks upon an
his countrymen who arrive subsequently rs
| upon noNic's bound to treat him. lie claims "A
certain right OF primog' niture. on the strength
| OF which he expects that every new artist Of his
country landing On iho- Shores should enter
tain him AMI his family free Of charge
All this bears Us influence. not only on the
prosperity Of the foreign theatrical entertain
m"n'- but on The WY nature OF their artistic
management too. II. for instance "a French
theatre wcr" pntroni2ed here by the French. the
pie 'es produced wou.d br able To- stand a certain
run. Upon tn same prln pie which makes II
possible Tor nm Am rlcan To see any first rnte
and well-lroduccd English piece several times
in tn" same season. the Trcnchman goes 10 see
play Of Nardou, B,rri6rc. or Angler az often
as he Inns leisure But he cannot be expected 10
| <" 70 SEQ lhc Shaughraun' or The Mighty
Dollar, Tor the language Of the piece il not
iamllinr enough 10 him. and its spirit is even
| NOR" foreign. Tho same reason makes an
Amer an even II he is thoroughly cony.rsant
with the French language. shrink from seein.,
| iWi'r even su h pie'c. a. LIS Faux Bonhom-
mes and L. Grndre DE Monsieur PORTER"
Now, since 1t Is Americans understanding
French who are the main supporters Il the
| fron'h comedy and drama IN this city. and
since their number Is very limited and none
oi them care o. 500 the same piece twice. tho
m"ra.;e has 90 change It's hlll almost every
night Consequently the actors seldom know
lh"lr parts. n'vrr have time To- rehcarsc tho
pie''s the costumes and scenery are left 10
take care Of themselves. and Very freau,ntly an
actress who has unyrd p0issarie tonight
has to appear in the role Of the baroness in
Maiemoische de- la Seigllero" tomorrow, or
nm motor pcrsOnating u villain one day is
pcrc uoble the next
IoeNpeH good pcrformNn rs under such cir
cum>tances is 10 ask more than could be OBJ
ained even If the stock companies OF the
Theatre Francois had been brought over from
Paris entire Yet there is evidently desire TO
have French theatre hero for NJ Durand was
able 10 rails" 10y subscription some eight thou
sand dollars long before he opened the doors Of
his little theatre Ia TYenty-third street In
looking oNor the list Of sub, riders we find IL
composed almost entirely of Americans with
the addition OF one or two Greeks and few
Cubans. Mr. Delmonico figures in IT for six
orchestra chairs. and has paid some $3.50 for the
accommodation of such Of his patrons as might
be DESTROYS 10 see a good French comedy after
u good French dinner. II Ia, therefore evident
that there Is no want u desire on tho part OF tina
moro educated portion Of New York society to
support From h theatre. and we hear. moro
over. that Boston and New Orleans are still
more liberal in this respect. But tho great
difficulty remains the same: how to manage a
th"A'r" Intended Tor hut a limited circle of
patrons, none OF whom are disposed TO 500 "A
piece moro than once How limited this circle
is can be Judged from tho fact that eyon the
best works produced at thu Twenty third Street
ih'Nre proved unable 10 run oyer three nights
On the fourth the house is invariably empty.
All this being taken into consideration. il
must be- acknowledged that NJ. Durand has
achieved considerable success He a con
s'enilous. rainstakinE manager. and deserves
every encouragement In less than sixty days
no ms produced more pieces than any Partisan
theatre would have been able t. bring out with
the same mems in six months time. None Of
tho plays were now in themselves. but they
were new 10 the audience. To- several Of the
actors. 10 the stage manager HuI 10 everybody
concerned with them He has given us LES
fauN u 'hhoinnlc1, l." Irpccs Neauradl lux
Le Gendre de Monsieur PORTER" La Vie de
Bohome." MHdemoiselo dc la seigliarc."
lie Chapeau de Paie dltalie." Les DON'T
nos Roses Les Petits Oiscaux." and some
half dozen other pieces from the repertoire Of
both high andlow comedy. Every one Of them
was produced creditably. while some gave
real pleasure 10 tho audience NJ. Chamonin
ana NJ. Marital arc hrst-cass comic actors. NJ
Neniat will make q very good jelne premier
when he acquires more freedom in his action
With tho ladies NJ. Durand has not been SO
lucky. His stur. Mime. lieyman. did not take
with the public. and one or two other ladies' re-
Qulre new set Of teeth. But with these ex-
captions tho troupe IL as good as one could
possibly expect To- ind at distance Of some
three thousand miles ot ocean travel from the
country whose stage thoy roprosent
NJ Dnrandn troupe plays three times woek
on Tuesday Thursday, and Saturday. and gives
this week three NOR, pieces. which have not
been produced yet: Les Memories du Diablo,"
Les Tros Epiciers." and Sardou's celebrated
comedy, Les Vieux Garcons.