Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-12-04

The theatrical business does not make
many millionaires. 1t is too precarious, and
actors and managers have to take so many
chances. Dramatic authors are coming to
the front as money makers. When o play
IL successful royalties pile up very quickly.
! should think that Charles H. Hoyt, the
author OF "a Trip to Chinatown" is getting
wealthy faster than any other writer for the
stage. He reaps the largest rewards, be.
cause he manages and produces, his own
plays. II he is not q millionaire now he
soon should be, although he spends money
like water. and told me not long ago that he
was not half as successful at investing
money as making it.
Talking OF authors fortunes Helen
Dauvray, who has returned from Europe,
said the other day; 81 think w. S. Gilbert
is the richest playwright in the Yorld-not
even excepting Sardou. He Is worth over q
million dollars. Strange to say. he never
goes to any nrstnight or other representa-
lions of his OWE works. In fact, after the
final dress rehearsal he never goes near the
theatre where his play or opera 10 being per-
formed. Mrs. Gilbert, though, q charming
little woman, always occupies q box with
friends on the frst night OF Gilbert pro-
duction, while the author himself PLAYS
whist at his club, or takes long ride
through the park"
Alter ali we shail not see Mrs Bernard
Beere, the noted English actress, for she will
return to London shortly, abandoning her
American tour. II she had begun with
dreadful drama, "As in Looking Glass,
which Mrs. Lanstry perpetrated first here,
Mrs. Beere might have Jared better. As 1t
was, her reception in New York was so cold
that she couldn't stand it. Last week she
played Bernhardts great role and won very
warm praise. one critic saying of her
Adrienne: Her rendition stamped her as q
leading actress, and both she and her mana
hat m
debut was not made in the part.
The only notable novelty in New ork last
week was Augustin Daly's production OF
"The hunchback." The hit OF the perform.
ance was as usual made by Ada Rehan, who
as the country bred maid, whose head is SO
turned by town life as to nearly lose her
happiness and her lover, was seen at her
best
Frederick warde tells me that his success
with Louis james this season in classical
drama will enable him to carry out his
Carleton, the author of "1he Lions Mouth, /"
entitled "Memnon,"a magnificent setting.
It is another hobby of Mr.. Warde's to put
"Virginius" in a frame historically accarate,
showing, for example. the Roman forum as
it eally was, the market place and popular
rendezvous of great city.
Theatrfcals are booming in New York, es-
pecially at the bigh-priced theaters. The
chief successes appear to be "The Fencing
Master" at the Casino, "AriGtocracy" at
Palmer's, Nat Goodwin and John Drew at
the Fifth Avenue and the Standard respect.
lively. These successes seem to be meriied
aIso-a very unusual thing in New York,
Lillian Russell is advertised by hundreds
of people who do not care so much for her
as they do for the various wares they sell
under her name. The photographers and
those who deal in photographs always set
out her pictures when she comes to town,
the cigar dealers put her lithogra D his adver-
tising brands OF cigars and cigarett es in the
foreground, and the grocers DO the same
with the signs bearing her lovely face. The
consequence is that it looks la Pittsburg as
if everybody were interested in booming
the American Beauty.
Forrest Robinson has made a very favor.
able impression here as Reuben Warner in
"The Lost Paradise" and notice that the
press elsewhere has praised him. The Dra-
Duluth AeiDs tribune the declaration that
Mr.. Robinson mas gland historic future
in prospect" gifted, as he is. with "a heroic,
noble character, pliabie to the artistic
conceptions OF the intellect"
The manager OF u certain company which
was in the city recently, testified to the
value put in theatrical circles upon mater
nal care by renarking to me: "Yes, sir;
ours is model company-Why, we have
no less than three mothers with TT three,
think of itr'
Stuart Robson writes to Sslena Fetter
anent her recent marriage TO Edwin Milton
Royle. Would be more than pleased to
meet the man who won you, ii only 10 sec if
you have really selected man as handsome
hope you have caught one OF u.s."
Onoe more the value Of generous dealing
ana scrupulous honesty has been demon
strated in dollars shd cents to the Hanlons
"Fantasmah played to great business last
week and pleased everybody.
The newspaper reports IRON Chicago of
Adonis Dixey's latest venture, "Mr Dobbs,
OF Chicago" do not indicate that he has
found in the reconstructed comic opera,
"Polly Middles." which Annie PiXley tried
last summer, a second "Adonis." When
Dixey was here IL was painfully noticea BILE
Inat he had lost much or his old snap and
delicacy. Success WAS not wholesome in
Dixey's case, fear.
Heie's u point that the managers might
study: Mr. HoyJ's farces are purely Ameri-
can. A Trip TO Chinatown is as purely an
Amel1can llay As anything that has been
ritten. 1t deals with the rapider side o(
Lie in an American city, the people are ali
Ia niliar types exaggerated, Uf course, but
American, tile jokes are American the
humor is the humor OF Bill Nye andSAIark
Twain aud Ar,emus Ward, and certainly
nothing hut American, and from first to last
the Language Is automatically Ameri-
can. 1t is prodigiously amusing and
as successful as entertaining. In New \ York
the piece has been running for years, /
might say and PIttsburs e.joyed il on It's
second visit better ,nAn on lts first. Why,
then, do the managers wap deal in plays
employ men 10 translate from The French
the GBrIpan, the En- glish.-nO, not tho En-
glish-uni or, uuately They neglect TO trans
iatc from the Eug lisI. and oifer the results
as lHrces 10 ;tnhsc Americans? Look nc the
list OF half or wholly unsuccPssfGl iarces OBJ
tained n onl foreign sources that have bored
the American public for two seasons past.