The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-08-07
DRAMATIC ANDLYRIC.
Colonel Sim on the Old Stock
System.
THE ECKERT OPERA FIAsCo
Nellie McHenrS's New skit-Johu Drew's
Plan-lydia Thompson and
Janauschek-Notes.

/ OOADACA ~ Il. OAnU, VIII BD6Qb lev
days in Salt Lake during the past week, il
the fourth oldest living manager in TIL
United States. He has been director o
theatres for over thirty-two years, and il
connection with Leonard Grover, wa
manager of Ford's Opera house in Wash
ington when President Lincoln was assas
sinated there. Colonel Sim is library O.
dramatic "reminiscences, and his views OF
the contemporary stage are as progressive
and active as those of the youngest man
ager going. Speaking TO the writer Of the
decadence of the old stock system, Colone
Sim said he did not think it would ever
come into vogue again, except in few the
aires in the largest cities. To his mind
there was every reason why il
should not. "a have had long en-
perience with both the stock and
the combination system" said Colonel
Sim, land | can say that the performances
given the public under the com bination
system are vastly superior to those given
Dy stock companies. In the old DAYS, too.
an actor was simply worked to death. The
actors Of the present day don't know what
work is by comparison. For instance, |
would get WORD that Edwin Booth was
coming this week with certain repertoire,
E. L. Davenport the next week with an
other repertoire, Charlotte Cushman the
next week with still another list of plays,
and so on. The parts would be distributed
TO the company only a short time in ad-
vance. Monday morning Mr. Booth would
call rehearsal of Hamlet and every
actor had to be up in his part for perform
ance that night. Tuesday morning 1t
would be 'Richelleu' and performance
at night. And so it went through the
whole week. Often my company has given
eight different plays during a week. No
wonder that the prompter was the princi-
pal member of the company, and that such
a thing as smooth frat night was un-
known. BY and by such stars as Booth
began TO weary of the eternal work of re-
nearsing in every city they went to, and
they formed companies of their own. Sc
Letting their actors with view 10 their
fitness for the parts and making the
rehearsal OF the first week suffice for the
whole season, That sounded the kneil
OF the stock system, and combinations
sprang up everywhere. Now" said Col
onel Sim, "a manager with play has the
whole country to pick his characters from,
and not mere company OF twenty-five or
thirty which may or may not possess the
especial talent he needs. Take Mr.. Royles'
play OF Friends II he had had to cast
that in the narrow limits of a stock
company, he would have failed:
profession of the United States to
pick from. he gets up an ideal cast, and
gives smooth performance on his first
night-the night when all the criticisms
are written and the estimates for good or
bad made up.n
Speaking of Friends" Colonel Sim
said had he seen the play before it was
sold, he would surely have been bidder
for it. He has long been on the lookout for
just such play for his wife. Cora Tanner
who In addition TO her accomplishments as
an actress and q beautiful woman, combines
that Of an excellent singer.
We notice that the Dramatic Nous is set
ting aside a certain amount of its space in
the futile endesvor 10 rouse sympathy for
Lydia Thompson, whose venture was one
OF the many barks that went to pieces on
the shoals of bad business last season
and left their wrecked crews high
and dry on a friendess shore. The
attempt is futile because LYDIA THOMPSON
had no business to start out on the road
without sufficient backing to see her
through. She ought TO have known, she is
surely old enough, that the public regards
her as back number of the earliest date
and if she IS so infatuated with the stage
as to be unable to leave it when the public
has told her plainly enough that it no
longer wants her, there ought to be- lit
lie sympathy wasted when the inevitable
Overtakes her. Rather let commiseration
De EXTENDED to the unfortunate members
0f her company, who are TO-DAY
counting ties and reckoning the amount Of
their unpaid salaries
In this same connection it may be said
hat Janauschek has repented of her de-
to retire ana is out with fam
ng announcements of new season in the
legitimate, to open this fall We are not
aware that the country is calling for Mad
anne Janauschek in any excited tones, and
We think her very foolish old lady for
imagining that it is. 1t is more in
sorrow than in any thing else that we ask
Ter 10 think over the tale the box Office has
old her for several seasons past, and to
accept the inevitable. She has too grand |
past to risk a ridiculous failure now. and |
allure is what awaits her if she persists |
q shutting her eyes to what everyone |
Inows is the truth. That truth is simplv |
hat the procession has moved past her. |
lropped her out and closed up its ranks.
Summer opera does not go IN Salt Lake
yesterdays matinee performance of 'sPina-
ore' was given before desolate handful
+ people, and the receipts for the entire
eason will not reach $3.50. The managers
ound out from their experience with ''The
1hime5 of Normandy that IL would not
o to tempt the Salt Lake public too far. so
'Olivette' was shelved and "Pinafore' re-
eated last night. The audience was but
title better than before.
Should John Drew go to Europe for a
est, as it is now announced, he will 90 be-
ore beginning his starring tour under
,harles Frohmsn's management. His sea-
on will not begin in Chicago in Septem-
er, as originally announced, but at Palm
RS theatre. New York, in October. Made
dams, who leaves the Frohman stock
ompany to become his leading lady, win
1en remain with the stock organization
EEK longer than she originally expected.
peaking OF Maude Adams, Photographer
ohnson has succeeded in transferring soma
cry speaking lkenesses of her face to the
ard in his window.
The engagement of Charles Frohman,s
JOCK company in 1.-THE Lost Paradise'i ne ,
zn ia San Francisco when the troubles al ,
homestead we're at their height. The labor :
lestion as treated in the play had striking
gnitcance with the audiences. Mr.. Clark
1vance manager of The Lost Psradisa,,
in the city preparing for the return visit
that fsvorite organization On the 18th
ld nth He brings the undertaking story
disappointing business on the coast !
Tough The Lost Paradise" company had
SIS reason than others to complain.
Nelly McHenry viii present her circo-
medy, "a Night at tue Circus" for the
st time in this city next Friday and Sat-
day evenings. It is mixture of song,
nee and fun in the usual way, but in ad. b
tion TO the compound, includes gro i
sque side view of life among the per- g
rmers in the white tents There ia more
49,, - f&-otF -. II