Los Angeles herald., 1891-05-17
PLAYS AND PLAYERS.
THE DEcADENcE OF THE LITER
AIRY QUALITY OF PLAYS.
Be Remodeled-News Notes and Per-
sonal Gossip.

Has it not come to pass that dramat.
lists are extinct and none but play
wrights now exist? Dramatic construc-
ton probably never was so we'll under
stood as now, but never did plays
contain so little innate literary quality.
People, do read sometimes, for the
pleasure resultant, Hamlet, AS You
Like 1t, The Lady of Lyons,
She Stoops to Conquer, and
the like. But who reads play of to-
day? The Wife, The Henrietta, Shenan-
doah, Hazel Kirk, take any produc-
ton of the last two decades,
or three for that matter, and
you will find none that has any vitality
off the stage. They are little more than
vehicles for certain finished actors to
display their individual powers amidst
the most complete scenic surroundings.
The lines are the very smallest feature OF
a dramatic production today. But
while the play itself has be-
come a secondary matter, playing has
reached an unexampled height of COM
pleteness. There can be little question
but what the average quality OF talent
demanded in actors is much higher than
ever before, and the stage managers
work now knows no impossible
ties. The art and the science
of stage productions have developed
faster than the art of composition.
The success of the Belasco-De Mile
partnership was due more to Mr.. Bel
asco's perfect knowledge OF the mechan-
ical requirements and the absolute neees-
10 10 q
literary ability.
The great American dramatist is like
the great American novelist coming,
and when he does arrive he will have to
advance at Tenny speed to overtake
his rival, the stage educated playwright.
LORD FAUNTLERoY.
The, next company at the Los Angeles
theater will be Little Lord Fauntleroy,
the title role to be played by George
Cooper, little girl who is said to be
equal to any of the youngsters who have
won favor in the past. The engagement
will commence on Thursday and con-
tinue through the week.
THE BERNsTEIN-HAYMAN CORRESPONDENTS.
The following correspondence passed
between Manager JEFF Bernstein of the
Jarbeau company and Manager Dave
Hayman of the Shenandoah company
during the past week.
TUESDAY NIGHT.
DEAR JEFF: send over four or five
hundred people who cannot get into
Shenandoah. They will look like an
audience in your empty house.
HAYMAN.
DEAR DAVE: Why don't you feed
that horse of Sheridan's. L hear he
staggers from weakness when he goes
across the stage. That's horse on you.
JEFF.
DEAR JEFF: This afternoon gave
that bunch of passes you asked me to
distribute, to the Salvation army. You
will have house tonight, sure.
DEAR DAVE: I'll back Micky Bralli-
gan to rout your horse, foot and artil-
ierv, and win the battle of Cedar Greek
by himself. JEFF.
DEAR JEFF: You surely can't see
your audience by Starlight. Turn on
the calcium and see if any one is in the
house. DAVE.
DEAR DAVE: knuckle. l send over
our ushersso help yours. We have no
use for them. JEFF.
IMPROVEMENTS AT THE GRAND.
Immediately after the engagement OF
the Lyceum company in August the
Grand will be closed for three weeks,
during which time the mechanics and
decorators will hold sway day and night
until the work of remodeling is COM
pleted. The interior will be redeco-
rated in pure white and gold, and over
700 incandescent lights will be put in.
The lobby will be laid with marble and
the house will be newly carpeted
throughout. Steam heating apparatus
will be put in, and when completed the
Grand will be one of the handsomest
and most comfortable temples OF Thes-
peus on the coast. The contemplated i'm
provements will cost between ten and
twelve thousand dollars.
NOTES.
Frauk Burbeck and Nannette Com
stock, who were here last week with
Shenandoah, have been engaged to sup
port w. T. Scanlan next season.
Miss Bettina Padelford advertises that
she will hereafter be known as Bettina
Gerard. She was at one time prima
donna of the Wyatt English Opera COM
pany.
II
engagement in New York, last week. on
account of nervous prostration. Her su-
perb' production of Cleopatra is said to
more than equal Bernhardt's. She
comes to the coast next season, and will
be seen in this city before the first of
the year.
Chas. Frohman has succeeded in en-
eaging John Drew, Mr.. Daly's leading
man. He will furnish him several new
PLAYS, which will be put on in New
York. He will annually visit San Fran
cisco and Los Angeles
Barney Pagan, who was here with
Cleveland's minstrels, will next season
play Grammercy Park in the High
Roller.
w. A. Brady's Thou Shalt Not, which
was stopped by the authorities in New
York, is out on the road doing an I'M
mense business. 1t is play OF the
sClemenceau Case style.
G. w. Couldock will be seen next
year in Effie Ellsler's company in his
old part of Dunstan Kirke. Miss
Ellsler plays Hazel. as she has for how
long?
W. T. Carleton will not bring out q
big concert company as he intended.
He will therefore bring his opera. COM
pany to the coast. All the old fayorltes
have been retained and several new
ones. His repertoire is entirely new.
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