The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-04-10

An Enterprise That Insenas - n~ss,r~-
Moth In n RvfvatA TheaSrA

AAAoAH Ant AND Lr1ERATURR
An naterprise That IssenAs - n.es,r>~.
both In n Private Theatre.
A theatrical enterprise Of q character q.
tirely new to Niis country IL 10 be started n
this city In October. Its object Is not to make
money. but to encourage paywritine and the,
atrical art generally. Some OF the protectors
are theatrical managers and some are actorA
out literary men and men Of business who Arc
associated with them outnumber the tnembers
OF the theatrical profession. No play is to be
presented second time. and there is to be
only one performance month during the sss-
son-perhaps seven or eight performances
during the year. The intention Is to produce
American plays almost exclusively. Occasion.
ally an imported play may be produced, but
only under unusual conditions and for its 6ru1
appearance in this country.
1t Is proposed to show the highest artists
merits OF each play regardless OF cost. The
costuming and scenery are TO be Of the best
and the most talented actors are to be a.
gagged. The most unusual feature OF the q.
terprise is that the general public 10 not to b
admitted. The tickets are to DO distributes
among q certain number OF subscribers, Who
In return will guarantee to make up the OF.
penses OF each performance among them.
selves. These subscribers are to be chiefly
men Of wealth and society. thus securing for
the enterprise. in addition to the funds. Q
fashionable and apprecative audience.
This idea OF a trial theatre for new plays 10
not now. although new here. The Theatre
1.ibre in Paris is such an institution. 30 Is the
Independent Theatre in London. Tho plan
has never been tried here. although It has
been considered. 1t was for years the pet prp.
ject OF the late Lawrence Barrett. but his plans
went much further and contemp plated mar.
nihcent theatre on tho subsidized plan OF tho
metropolitan lOpera House. where the nnese
plays should BIO produced in the most elab.
orate manner by n company nude up Of The
greatest stnrs in the world.
The present project is to be started in a very
modest way. Some time ago Franklin H. Ssr.
geant leased the Berkeley Lyceum at Forty.
fourth street and Madison avenue for tsrn
offlve years. No one' knew Mt the time what
that meant, but 1t is understood now that the
Berkeley Lyceum Is to be tho new trial thea.
tire. The programme for the first performance
in October is partly arranged. DR.. Holmes
has boon asked to write the prologue. He has
not yet decided whether to do 30 or not. II hs
declines another as we'll known as no will
be asked to write 1t. Three one.act plays will
follow. The first is to 10 Contrast" W.l
Howells has signed q contract to write tile
second play. Frank Stockton will write the
third. Brander Matthews hns engaged to
stage Of tic Berkeley Lyceim is to be put into
2 condition to present these plays tn u manner
becoming the PURPOSES OF tho now entcrrrise.
nation OF a regular company. Nelson Wheat.
croft has been engaged as leading man. and
void and John Malone. 81 course. these reg.
as w pps ths ctIss wSrk
engagement Of other stars for Individual per-
rho chief spirit in tho enterprise. as far as
active work is concerned. is n. c. Mcdowell
DowelI. He Has been Interested in thea theatres res
In San FIanci.eo, and Is interested now IN the
LyGeum Theatre here, Heis iindependent ilnan.
magazines as q writer on the subject. ,, He is
n IS sensrn arector and
has haEs Of the and
that It will not be for several months 10 come:
Al recent dinner given by Mr.. Mcdowell. at
DAILY. George Parsons Lathrop. Daniel Froh-
man. W. p. Hpwells. Laurence Hutton. Bran.
p %es warne1 sr.
Hsss Ss.s. ?ss
&E M efh a and n T"ts aSnsxs
lie now IbTOJecL WIS ulbcuSSeu entNuslhStls
caily. The men present are only few Of those
spirits. and by them the character OF the en-.
terprise may lie Judged.
Franklin H. sargennt describing the a1fer.
prise. said recently: This undertaking 10
wholly for. the purpose OF encouraging art.
Nobody will make any money ont OF 1t. and
nobody wants t.. The rich men who will back
1t up and sec 1t through financially will be
called upon to pay rathor heavily perhaps. but
they will get their return in witnessing per.
formances OF an exceptionally high character
as well Us in tho consciousness that they arc
have not decided what me we will call our enter:
and Literature has been suggested among
others. We have now few regular subscribers.
but We have received assurances which mako
success certain. The greut theatrical man
agcrs. such as A. NJ Palmer, Augustin DAILY.
and the Frohmans, arc heart and soul In tho
thing. for it will enable them to Judge OF new
plays which they may produce afterward. One
plan is to encourage pnywriting by ordering
plays from plnywrights OF sterling ability: pay.
Ing for them for one production only. and that
the best that can be given. We will not acquire
production. The writer car. then dispose Of
AS best he may. We will also make II careful
examination of such other American plays as
arc offered to us; no matter who writes them,
and produce such as come up to the standard
without expense to tho author We hope IN
this way to encourage young and talented
writer's" The Berkeley Lyceum will cent
about 500 persons. What the thing may lead
to in tho far future is too much to prophecy.
now. but If we arc successful we may have
great theatre Of our own some day.