Los Angeles herald., 1891-03-23

expectant or falling tear may be inter-
cepted by smile or laugh.
The sad and emotional parts OF the
story should always be relieved by, q
glimmer of humor. Too great a strain
should not be made upon the feelings
Of the audience. They attend the the
ater to be entertained, and rarely enjoy
desperate pull at the heart strings.
"Very littleis gained by attempting
to hold the audience SO intently that
they lean forward in their seats as if
about to gasp from the suspense OF the
situation"
What r. M. Field thinks of it:
at is somewhat difficult to say what
form of production is found most profit
able and popular-standard comedy,
modern society play, melodrama and
farce-comedy sharing perhaps equally
in the credit due for well-recognized
success.
"The runs in each instance are long,
and even the standard tragedies and
plays ESQ called) of former generations
are occasionally produced with results
perfectly satisfactory.
The Boston Museum Dramatic COM
pany is organized to meet the require
ments of all the aforementioned, and
it's work has been so kindly received in
each instance that am glad to receive
any good play, comedy, drama or farce,
and am hardly prepared to say in which
direction the most encouragement
should be given"
s'What I want" says T. Henry
French, sis high-class piece like
Diplomacy. A play to suit me must
have great love interest, good moral
tone, so that it will suit young and old; /;
it must be exciting, and what is known
as full dress piece.
SAT present I do not care for melo-
drama. l do like farce-comedy, which
| demand to be of the best class. would
like strong character play; the public
seems to like performance in which
the principal character has peculiar
and powerful personality.
81 do not in the least care for histori-
cal plays. There is tonight being played
at one of my theaters, the Garden, a
historical play which do no like at all.
1t is talky and disconnected. | allude
to Cleopatra"
"What plays do I want, as mana
ager?" says j. M. HILL well, if in
connection with my business l had no
one to consult but myself, it would be
an easy matter for me to decide. Unfor-
tunately, however, the manager is left
almost entirely out of the question, and
cannot consult his likes and dislikes in
selecting a play.
81 like Pendragon, written by William
Young, very much--much better than
the public did. Reckless Temple read
well, and was magnificent play from a
literary standpoint; the public did not
want it.
"The brainiest men we have in the
country today, the best educated men,
are writing simply to suit the public.
Mr.. Paul Potter, for instance, writes
The Fakir. / do not believe Mr.. Paul
Potter thought OF himself when he wrote
The Fakir. He probably cast his eye
around the country, selected the most
capable people, and then furnished
lines where they could introduce their
specialties.
II don't believe the public want great
plays. l think the ideas in the last
twenty years have completely changed.
l can recollect when the theater, like
the school, was looked upon as an educa-
tional institution. When a boy, my
parents selected the plays that should
witness.
1T is no longer that way. Rent day
comes so often now that we cannot
afford to educate the public, and
manager is only a merchant, not an in
structor. He must consider what his
patrons desire, and furnish it. If the
manager will do this, his life will be
made easy.
"Do think that the public taste will
always be as it is now? Do think that
in five or six years there will be change
for the better? That is the thing we
cannot afford to consider. 1t is what
the public want now; it is simply
this-the manager of the present time
cannot afford to live for posterity.
"What errors are the young play
wrights most likely to fall into? The
present playwright knows nothing of
stage business, as a rule, and leaves
nothing to the imagination, and there
is very much more in pantomime than
in dialogue. His speeches are too long,
and he makes use of dialogue instead of
pantomime.
'sFarce-comedy has never been as pop
ular as it is today. Instead OF wearing
out, it seems to have taken a stronger
hold on the public
This is the way the latest New York
papers speak of the Booth Barrett en-
gagement in that city day or two prior
to the death of Barrett:
Edwin Booth and Lawrence Barrett
are nearing the end of their successful
engagement at the Broadway theater.
They make their final appearance this
season on Saturday evening, March 28th.
During the past week the tragedians
have been enthusiastically received at
every performance by large and fashion
able audiences, and the demand for
seats indicates that the last fortnight of
their stay will be most prosperous.
Tomorrow night Richelieu will be pre-.
sented with Mr.. Booth as the Cardinal
and Mr.. Barrett as De Mauprat. This
bill will be repeated on Tuesday and
Wednesday nights and at the Saturday
matinee. On Thursday and Friday
evenings Macbeth will be given, with
Mr.. Booth as Macbeth and Mr. Barrett
as Macduff. On Saturday night there
will be double bill, including tragedy
and comedy, with Mr.. Barrett in
Yorick's Love, and David Garrick.
Theatrical managers are all at sea over
the enormous business that has been
done at the New Park theater, New
York, by James 7. Powers and company
in "a Straight Tip" 1t has been SO
great that it has upset the calculations
l%1 ~ I