Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-05-21
THE NEW o R STAGE.
Miss Adelaide LennOx ON the ORA
matte Prof. ssiOD-AmateuP stars
bind Starving Artists.

Miss Adelaide LennOx on the ORA
matte Prof. ssiOn-Amateur stars
and starving Artists.
New York Herald, 1Sth.l
Miss Adelaide Lennox spoke last even.
ing at Steinway Hall concerning the
New York stage as it is. She called her
discourse a Dramatic Monologue." 1t
was certainly a monologue in the deriva.
tive sense OF that term, and was also
dramatic in the double sense that it's de-
livery was not quite free Of dramatic i'm
port. During her connection with the
theatrical profession Miss Lennox does
not appear to have always trodden upon
roses. and the distempers OF an u%upleas
ant personal experience gave a strong
color 10 her outspoken hostility to thcat.
rical management and things theatrical
generally. Her auditors were not nun.
circus. Among them we're a few actors
and actresses, who, not being engaged in
illustrating what the New York stage
actually is in their respective theaters,
had an excellent opportunity of hearing
what it ought not to be. Miss Lennox's
discourse was vigorously aud tersely
written, and as it contained q goodly
complement of denunciation, complaint,
pathos. indignation, appeal, sarcasm,
etc the lady had wide scope for the ex
ercise of her powers as a platform
speaker, supplemented BY q certain de-
gree OF histnonism which cannot be
always separated from The stage.
CLASSIFICATION OF ACTORS.
After some preliminary g~eneralities,
and having consecrated a few moments
to Retrospective regrets, Miss Lennox
csme to the subject proper Of her mono.
logue or lecture. Mr. Edwin Booth she set
down as the first actor on the stage. he
was, she said, the representative of the
intellectual in art, and ought to be
classed as the great artist of his time.
Mr.. Lester WallAck came next, and was
the great representative Of polite com.
edy, although in comedy proper Jefer-
son held higher rank. Boucicault, what.
ever his claims as a dramstist. was GER
tainly the foremost Irish comedian Of his
day, while j. S. Clarke, Sothern, Ray
mond, Florence, all deserved a kind Of
recognition for making a great deal out
Of very little. But she doubted if after
their day had passed even Booth would
be long remembered. Whatever the
cause, be was not appreciated. The
cause vas certainly not in his acting but
more likely in the fact that be was not or
would not consent to be properly sup
ported.
SOCIETY N%EoPHYTEs.
Passing to another theme Miss Len.
nox dealt unspsringly with the system
of society ladies purchasing their way
into "star" positions to the exclusion OF
artists. With money, it #ss always pos.
sible, she said. to effect this purpose.
Anybody could get a star engagement
by providing the salary Of the company,
paying the rent Of the thester and secur
ing a profit TO the manager. She could
give innumerable instances, she said, of
the success of these neophytes in driving
actresses out of the profession. This
thing was not done in secret nor with
the sense of shame which should be IS.
ISOLATED with it. One Of these ladies
paid $1,000 for the opportunity of play
lug in the Grand Opera House. As an
artist she was not successful, but accord
ing to her own story every manager in
New York was ready to place his theater
at her disposal. Whenever a benefit
occurred she was impsrtuned to read a
part on the same terms - 800 for the
opportunity. Actors and actresses, said
Miss Lennox, we're not wanted when
they made a livizg By their profession,
and when they brought to the theater
only their art.
AN OLD WOMAN IN A NEW PLAY.
After %puncluring the rudeness of the.
strical managers, of which, she said, the
stage ~doorkeeper and the call. boy caught
the coBtagiou, Miss Lennox gave special
vent to her indignation against q lady
who was announced as a lady OF fashion
and society in Mobile, and whe was billed
to play in the National theater. Save
the mark she said, the leader Of fashion
and society was the matron of the in.
Urinary, who had a son too old to begin
a dramatic career. She miss Lennox)
had a play to sell in which the heroine
was a young girl susceptible to emotion
aud suffering and this old woman thought
she could play it. An old woman in a
new play for $l000l And for a few hun.
dred dollars she was to place this play at
her disposal, while she herself was to be
used to push in the furniture and soothe
her when the orchestra struck.
Next, she charged the theatrical pro.
fession with ell manner of jeslousies,
rings, cliques, narrowness and bigotry,
and denounced much Of what was known
as its professional goodness as claptrap.
An artist whose place was not fixed
should not act too we'll; for such a one
to show talent in his profession was q
mortal sin. Miss Lenhox spoke in strains
of vigorous emphasis on vacious other
topics, more especially OF brazen vice
playing virtue as its own reward, while
modest merit vas left to penury, rags,
obscuriiy and death, As The audience
left the theater the reflective portion oil
it doubtless came to the conclusion that
the theatrical profession will not pursue
Miss Lennox with protestations Of re.
gard, aud that managers will not be in
cumulative haste to lay engagements at
her feet.