Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-07-25
BETWEEN SEASONS.
Theatrical Plans and Dramas for the
Future.
NEW YORK-LONDON TRADE.
Henry Irving to Come to New York and DAILY
to Go to London-Business Methods in The
atricals-A Comic Opera Prima Donna as q
Seaside Attraction.
Correspondence of The Evening Star.

vogue In London has not diminished, but his
income has dwindled. His last season has moi
mad great success, measured pecuniarily
and he seems to have deemed it good sense tc
give his English public asurcease of his genius.
Augustin DAILY has had the same experience
here in New York. This is no disparagement
OF either of those successful managers. Theat-
rical audiences like changes. SO Irving and
DAILY have agreed to swap theaters for the
| whole of season after next.
With Irving as a New York manager may we
not fondly hope to acquire a dramatic taste
| which shall recommend us to British considera-
| ton? The serious and significant point is that
| the companies of New York and London
| theater may be interchanged without much
! risk of displeasing the audiences of either
house. Nor is DAILY the only one of our stocks
| that could De used in that way with credit.
those OF Daniel and Charles Frohman would he
| acceptable over there. and will the A. NJ.
Palmer party as reorganized for next season.
But 1T Is NOT 30 WITH DRAMAS.
What succeeds on one side of the Atlantic
often fails on the other. Bronson Howard has
| just had that fact enforced upon him. 1.-The
! Henrietta" was one of the notable triumphs of
recent years in this country, enriching Robson
and Crane and making great deal OF money
for its author. But it has failed ignominiously
i'll London on account OF its humor being SO
| thoroughly American. A London audience sat
In solemn silence through happenings which
had made us laugh. London fun sometimes
fails here for the same reason, but not SO fire.
quently, as we know more about Londoners
than they do of us, and they are too stolid to
learn readily. :
BUSINESS METHODS IN THEATRICALs.
The news of Irvings coming to New York
season after next reads like prophecy we'll
ahead but the business Of theatricals is getting
into careful, well-considered methods. Bron-
son Howard has been year choosing a theme
Tor new play and gathering the material, and
now he has begun another years work in the
writing of it. Howard is noted for care and
slowness, yet other dramatists of tho first rank
are hardly less painstaking, as it behooves them
to be when the difficulties OF making a success
ful drama are considered. Within few months
Charles Frohman has contracted for three i'm
portant pieces. One is the forthcoming work
by Bronson Howard, upon which the author
Will have spent fully two years. A second is by
Sardou, and it will have consumed about year
Of his time when completed third is by
David Belasco and new collaboration whose
name has not been given out.
PROFITS OF THE AUTHORS
Now, figures generally lie in the show bust
ness, but through a man concerned in the
drawing up of the contract papers know for a
certainty that Belasco and his new partner are
TO get one-half the profits OF their plav, be-
sides 81, 600 of advance money and a certainty
III the way OF percentage of the gross receipts
More than year will be devoted to the work
OF course David Belasco is exceptional Be-
sides his talent a play writer he is a genius
In dramatic construction and stage manage
ment.
The man who succeeds Henry C. De Mile as
BelascO's partner is described as a literary
worker and fictionist who. it is said, was Jointly
chosen by Frohman and Belasco. and who has
had to give up lucrative interests to accept the
present commission. OF course there are
plenty of playwrights who will rattle off IA play
In few weeks on the sudden demand OF a star
and who are quite content with $500 cash down
and royalty of SIS per night until an ulti-
matum OF 900 has been reached. Their work
Is remarkably good, too. under the circum-
stances, Some OF the London playmakers are
also quick and comparatively cheap. But How
ard, Sardou and Belasco will not hurry their
work, and for it they receive from Charles
Frohman, in the instances that have CHANGED to
come to my positive knowledge, compensation
that seems quite princely.
GOOD SENSE OF AN AMATEUR.
More and more the profession Of the stage is
being brough. closer to sound business princi-
Piles and legitimate enterprise. There Is even
a display OF good sense on the part Of such a
petted society amateur as Elsie Anderson de
Wolfe. She succeeded Mrs. James Brown Pot
ter as an actress Of leading roles on occasions
OF Understandable benevolence. It was said
after the death of her father a. year ago that
she would follow Mrs. Potters example and 20
starring professionally. But she won't. She
has hired out i'll a stock COMPANY and her first
role will be one for which she has been coached
for months assiduously in Paris. She has put
her foot on the lower round of that oft-men-
tened ladder and will try to mount to dra-
matte fame in the usual way. She is no better
for being New York society belle. and it is no
worse for her to have to work for success than
1t Is for any Sally from an alley but it is a good
sign, surely, when such pampered creature
submits sensibly to reasonable conditions.
PREPARATIONS For THE SEASON.
Meanwhile the town is dull as to theatrical
performances and lively as to preparations.
August will be full of new productions here and
in other cities. The number of farce-comedies
will be fully as great as last seasons success in
that line portended. In September they will
reach their most multitudinous DEVELOPMENT.
but by October they will begin to thin out. and
ere the holidays are reached a good deal of
these dramatized variety shows will have ceased
Entertainments of loftier aim are not to be
crowded out of the field, however even at the
outset of the new season, and on the whole the
outlook Is excellent for both amusement and
art.
PRIMA DONNA AZ A SEASIDE ATTRACTION.
1t had been noised along a certain section Of
the New Jersey coast that comic opera prima
donna of world-famed beauty had taken a cot
tage there for the summer. The spot is a some
what barren one and is not enlivened by the
presence OF a big summer hotel. When the
few real estate owners heard that the actress in
question had determined to spend the hot
season with them an idea struck them all
simultaneously. A meeting was called and it
was generally agreed that If the presence of
the great beauty were to be properly managed
and advertised she might be made such an at
traction that the place would at once become
the resort of crowds Of curious people. 1t was
resolved that the opportunity must be taken
advantage OF, and the meeting came to
the conclusion that the report must be widely
circulated that the beauteous prima donna
would be on view there for several months
One of the party astute enough to suggest
that a committee had better wait upon the
actress before advertising her and ask il she had
any objection to being used rs n decoy. This
seemed an eminently wise idea, and a commit
tee of three was elected, after a sharp contest.
to make the proposition to the lady. In their
Sunday clothes the three went to New York on
the following morning and presented them
selves at the house of the actress The leader
OF the detachment, a small, bald man of sixty,
who wore no cravat, bore a bunch of lilacs,
which he tremendously extended to the aston
ished and amused prima donna, and after this
was done he addressed her with senatorial dig
nifty in tones that were rather asthmatic.
NEW JERSEY SPEECH.
Madam, o--er-rather, Maddymysell." he
said, I'VE come here this morning to say that
we are proud Of living in the salubrious section
~.