The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-04-10
rsneoial Corrcspondence.l

NEW YORK, April G-Ihe German
actress. Adele Sandrock, who mas Dcen
playin0 at the Academy OF MUSIC - a."
artist Of unouestioned power ana vers''lF
itv She ia not imposing in appearance
.nd did not at once strike the eye eiihcr
With her beauty or her grace but 1t was
mo, lone before her art began to tell with
tic observers. have on many occasions
eiven n as my opinion that the German
oc,ors are the best artists that are now iur-
,-fsbo3 to rs | remember when Ristori
aud Tauauschek were playing simuita-
neously in this city and giving us pretty
much the same classical repertory, how
surely the German actress rose IN the gen
eral critical estimate above her Italian con
temporary, who had all the advantage OF
prestige and advertising l remember
Sonnentbal. and-well, who can forget
possart's magnificent Interpretation Of
Sbvlock after Mr.. Henry Irying's pictorial
representations
/ think the best German actors have
more conscience than either the French
or the Italian They do their work with
deeper sense Of obligation TO an art Sand
rock appeared the other night in Dumas
"Clemenceau Case" one Of the most pow
erfnl Of dramas with distinctly ethical
basis, and was pleased to see that when
she played the piece the ethical spirit OF 1T
was made apparent.
This play was done here in English at
the Standard theatre a year ago. The
adapter and manager saw nothing but
sensation in it. The scheme calls for an
artists studio with live model half
hot f.af
all their hopes Of success. A woman YVES
engaged TO exhibit herself. The press fell
upon the play, the vulgar public exuited
and the scheme was pushed into a feverish
and unwholesome vogue. From that day
70 this the public verdict has been ayerse
TO the "Clemenceau Case" But when
Sandrock played it the other night there
was nothing objectionable, and the moral
which Dumas endeavored to paint was
made obvious to all.
These performances in German are not
patronized by the American theater goers
to any great extent. The audiences are al
most entirely German, and are quite I'M
like any other in their patience, their in
sight and their intolerance Of mere sensa-
ton. They do not care for gaudy scenery.
II
poblest interpretations of Schiller, Goethe
and Shakespeare at Amberg's theater
without thinking of the setting, and have
gone from that house to lrving's perform
ances to see Shakespeare buried IN mana
gerial splendors You will doubtless re-
member that when Ristori and Salvini
first came here they brought their scenery
with them, painted on thin paper, and very
shabby it was. They deliberately kept the
mise en- scene down to low tone and put
their dependence on the acting.
The German colony in New York is a
large one-quite as large as the population
Of several German cities-and it has its
own theatrical ideas, one of which is an
ingrained dislike for "hoompug."
"Geoifrey Middleton" is the name Of
play written by Martha Morton and pro
duced by Mr. Pitou's company at the
Union Square 1t came very near being
brilliant success, but, falling in that, it
failed in all There is a great deal of
thoughtfully good work in what Martha
Morton does, but il scarcely reaches the
point of novelty. 1t is always more or less
familiar. The deciding merit of any play
with an audience is not goodness abstract
ly, but interest concretely.
The manager always asks, "Will they
come AGAIN." and not, "Will they speak
well Of it," That will always be so until
theatrical success ceases to depend on a
popular vote
l found myself commencing this play.
IL was ingenious and clever, but had no
fresh depths. So l do not find myself go
ing back TO get a second good look at some
thing that was new. Miss Seligman was
largely in it, in just the same cyclonic de-
gree that she is in anything else, with sup
pressed anxiety waiting for her opportunity
to spring, tigresslike, at climax and bite
it in the neck. She is always explosive,
and when she is she wakes the echoes; ali
the jungles of the gallery answer her.
Twenty years ago Miss Seligman would
have been what they called scene chew
err" In our time she is suppressed httle
by the material and by the Pitou. She re-
minds me somewhat of man who has
been CRYING "Old clothesW on one note and
when he takes to lecturing betrays that
note. II she could take course in Am
berg's theater for year, what an admir-
able equalization might be brought about.
II she were TO ask my advice / should say,
600 and see Sandrock, who, without your
sepsuous voice and rich southern blood,
manages TO do great deal more with her
material"
Miss Jane Stuart, who is really the com
ing woman of Mr.. Pitou's company, made
another hit in the role of a strong minded
girl. This promising young actress has
already attracted attention, and / really do
not know of another youthful aspirant"
who has kept pace with her.
The opponents Of tho Actors Fund fair,
which is to be held at the Madison Square
garden, have shown their hand. Their
real animus is Mr.. A. NJ. Palmer, and
ought 10 explain here that there are two
theatrical sets in New York-the Palmer
and the anti Palmer. Each of them has
theatrical organ. 1t is generally under
stood that Mr.. Daily and Mr.. j. NJ. Hill are
anti Palmer, and il is declared by the anti
Palmer sheet that the fair is Palmer
move TO celebrate Palmer. You will OBJ
serve that MIR. Days company is not in
the fair and that Mr.. Palmer's is.
The scheme. however, has got too much
momentum now to be seriously impeded
by inside jealouses.
Two of the favorite metropolitan lead
ing men threaten next season To go into
the starring business. Mr. Maurice Barry
more leaves Mr.. Palmer's company TO re-
turn to Nine Modjeska's. That will bring
him once more TO the attention OF Ottawa
and Pascack and Slumpsdale. He was
the favorite once in that lady's company
when she was younger and not so indolen'
-, l. Ice. ....s