Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-09-14


as produced by Mr.. Arthur Rehan is the sort of
right to expect. The play was given in a style
not quite ambitious, but certainly as artistic,
at Harris Theater two years ago. 1t has hith-
erto been pleasu e to note the advent of an
enterprise under the management of Mr..
Arthur Rehan, but If the great Augustin
Daly's secondhand aud altogether disagreea.
BILE melodramas. played and staged in a slip
shod fashion, are what he proposes to infiict
upon Pittsburg we shall have to regard him
and all his works with suspicion.
*sr
Although he does not prove anything in par
ticular, Mr.. William Archer is very entertain.
ing in an article in this weeks dramatic MFR
ror entitled THE Old Criticism and the New"
A definition of the conditions and causes of the
battle now raging between one party led by the
novelist Howells, and another led by no one,
but numbering nearly all the newspaper critics
of any prominence In the United States, is
given by Mr.. Archer. He says: "Let me try to
put the debate in nutshell. There can surely
be no doubt that character is more important
factor than incident. not only in drama, but In
all literature. 1t has hitherto been main
tanned by dramatic theorists Tin this century,
at any rate) that complex framework of art
fully-arranged incident technically known as
intrigue, is necessary in order that character
may be successfully presented on the stage:
for otherwise the attention Of a theatrical au-
dience cannot be attracted and maintained
The new school, on the other hand-among
whom am proud to rank myself with Mr..
Howells-argues that by dint of earnest and
subtle art we may almost indefinitely dimin-
lsh the mechanical element of the intrigue
without sacrificing one jot of the attractive
ness, and, in short, of the truly dramatic quail
ity of the drama"
ic hat N l1,-
pretty careful to protect themselves should so
often sign contracts which contain the two
weeks notice clause. Miss Mazda Craigen is
the latest TO discover the insecurity of such
contracts. She engaged at a salary of SIOO a
week as leading lady in Margaret Mathers COM
pany. When Arthur B. Chase, later on ac-
Quired the management OF Miss Mather, he
looked on Miss Craigen's contract with disfa-
yor. He saw that her salary amounted to SOS
a week more than she received last season wit b
the Booth-Barrett company. Thereupon Mr.
Chase sent word from Germany to Mr.. Will
loughby hat he would not keep Miss Craigen
through the season at the figure contracted for.
He wished to run things on an economical
basis.
So things went on until Margaret Mather
opened on September at Montreal
Then Mr.. Chase discharged Miss Craigen under
the two weeks notice clause. This leaves a
clever young woman out of place at the
beginning Of the season. This case is instanced
here to illustrate the thorniness of the actors
path.
But the theatrical contract is not abused by
the managers alone. A great many actors and
still more actresses decline to recognize apy
binding force in contract unless it suits them
to live up to it. Contract-breaking is favorite
amusement with some actors. There is one
very pretty comic opera singer with big sal.
ary who boasts that she has broken 20 contracts
in five years. In fact, the manager of a light
opera troupe esteems himself lucky if he GERS
through season without having to sue his
leading lady and a comedian or two for breach
of contract. The usual reason for the frac-
ture of agreements is that some other manager
offers the actor more money. Managers do mot
deserve as much sympathy as they might. be-
cause they frequently steal each others em-
ployes in this way.
There is a delightful naiyete about the rea.
sons given by, w. j. Ferguson, in letter to =.
d. Price, for breaking his contract with Mrs
Carter. You didn't give me time to think il
over" he wrote, Tor to know what was doing.
l was travelling and knew nothing of the noto-
riety of your star. If had would not have
risked my reputation by making a contract as
did"
A very venerable actor has passed AWAY
during the past week in the person of Old Ben
Baker. He died from stroke of paralysis
rather suddenly, almost at his post of duty as
Assistant Secretary to the Actors Fund in New
York Mr.. Baker was one of the remaining
relics of the great past in the history of the
American stage. He was one of the landmarks
of the profession in New York and every one
who knew him loved him. The Mirror gives the
following facts about his career: BENJAMIN
Archibald Baker was born in New York CITY on
April 4 1878. 1t is said that when a boy he ran
away from home and shipped to New Orleans