Los Angeles herald., 1891-08-02
The Lyceum Company the
Next Event.
'Qualific atiOns Of an Actor in a
RepertOry Company.
Mrs. Stowe and Her Royalty from
Uncle Toms Cabin.
Another Society Actress-Miss Elsie De
Wolf to Try the Elevating the
Stage Act-Notes and
Gossip.

open on Ine 1lCn IOr Cne Lyceum COM
pany. 1t has been two years since this
company visited us and on this occasion
they will present their entire repertoire
beginning with their greatest success,
The Charity Bail, to be followed by The
Idler, The Wife, Nerves, Old Heads and
Young hearts and Sweet Lavender. The
company includes all the old favorites:
Herbert Kelsey, Nelson Wheatcraft, W.
j. LIE Moyne, George Cayvan, Henri
eta Crossman, Mrs. Whiffen and others.
REPERToRY COMPANIES.
Numerous "repertory" companies, as
they are called in the theatrical bust
ness, are neither known nor heard of in
the great cities, says the World. Their
routes are laid through towns and vii
lagos. If the woods are not full of them,
at least the clearings are frequented by
them. 1t is amusing to 60 into dra-
matte agency OF the minor grade and
catch bit of dialogue between the man
ager of such an enterprise an d candi-
date for employment. "What is your
line of business % is asked. Juveniles
and light comedy is replied by fell
low who can look romantic hero, at
least, though not able to enact him.
''What instruments?" ''VioIin in or
chestra and snare drum in the band"
well, III give you ten and board
If you'll do props. too" what
about costumes?'' "Well, you'll have
to do three OF four roles, but they're
modern, and you'll only need to supply
dress suit. a good street rig and two
1, nka kc ,r1% -
This conversation, being interpreted,
means that the good-looking young fel..
low was poor actor, and so had to ac-
cept a place in a cross roads company;
that besides acting in several dramas
constituting the repertory of the con-
Germ, he would play violin in the or.
chestral music usually given on bal
cony outside the hall or opera house be-
fore the show, and beat drum in the
street parade on entering each village;
that on the stage and in transit he would
take charge of the props or articles
other than dress and furniture used in
the plays; and, that his remuneration
should be ten dollars week and his
board, the management paying his
travelling expenses. Such is modern
transforming
UNCLE TOMS CABIN.
Last season may have been the last
one for unauthorized performances of
Uncle Toms Cabin, says an exchange.
Numerous travelling companies used the
play last autumn, winter and spring in
tents, town halls, village opera houses,
and occasionally in the theaters OF the
big cities. Not one of these bands paid
a cent to Harriet Beecher Stowe, the
authoress of the story nor has she ever
received since the original stage version
of her book by the Howards in Troy,
N. Y, any of the great profits made by
the impersonators Of the characters
which she created. At first she could
not have prevented the actors from ap-
propriating her property. The copy
right law at that time did not defend a
a published book against dramatization.
Another reason was that she sold
the manuscript outright to the
publisher, and to him belonged any pos
sible state rights. A third reason was
that she was religiously condemnatory
OF theatricals, and, if she could have
controlled the matter at all, would have
prohibited the performances instead OF
drawing revenue from them. 1t is less
than ten years since she consented to
witness a stage representation of Uncle
Toms Cabin, Then her brother, Henry
Ward Beecher, induced her to do it. Her
anti-theatrical doctrines had been much
modified by that time, and she was
pleased and entertained. Not long after
that she declined in mentality. She lives
at her old home in Hartford, in fair
physical health for so cd woman, but
quite irrational. Her close neiglbor is
Mark Twain, the grounds of whose oddly
handsome residence touch corners
with her garden. 1t is the humor-
ist, famous for his success in turn
( ing his comicality into cash. who is
resolved to secure to Mrs. Stowe and her
heirs all the future value in Uncle Toms
Cabin as play. Itshould be explained
lest his enemies construe his interest as
selfish, that he has no notion of sharing
in the income which may result from
his action. A bill has been prepared
for introduction in congress at his re-
quest, and the substance of it is that
hereafter any old book of American au-
thorship may, through process of re-
copyrighting, acquire the same protec-
tion that new work can obtain. 1t is
said that Twain got the promise OF ad-
vocacy for this measure by influential
senators and congressman, and
that it may become law
in time to be operative next
winter. This news will strike terror to
the Uncle Tommers, as the players of
Uncle Toms Cabin are nicknamed. 1t
is expected that most of them will pay
moderate royalty, and so stick to the
time-worn but still potent drama, thus
yielding fair fortune to Mrs. Stowe.
She could not, being of unsound mind,
make will which could not be broken
but the understanding is that her wish,
which is to found memorial charity
with the money, would be carried out
by her relatives. Hardly another play
than Uncle Toms Cabin would be af-
fected by the proposed legislation, but
the Uncle Tommers will be distracted
by apprehensions of disaster in going
out again on their tours.
ANOTHER SOCIETY ACTRESS.
One. of the theatrical episodes to be
reached next autumn, or early in the