Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1893-05-11

But TO sum 1t all up the Theater OF Arts
and Letters was on its face an improbable
ity. On its record it is an absurdity It is q
h1deous excrescence on the body dramatic,
not because of the poor judgment displayed
In the selection of most of its plays, nor
because of the fact that it is not managed
by theatrical man, but because it has
used the elevation of the drama" as a
stepping stone to exploiting several plays
which no one cared to see and one of which
at least brought repeated roars of laughter,
although it was intended by the author to
be positively grewsome in its seriousness
Such things bring the stage into contempt.
They elevate" it downward.
Let us see how the Theater of Arts and
Letters has lived'up to it's promises. Broad
ly stated, at the outset of it's career it cited
as an excuse for it's existence the well
known fact that scores of meritorious plays
are annually passed around from one pro-
fessional manager to another only to be de-
clined. In other words, theatrical specula-
tors, as q rule, do not care in this country
to try new material They prefer to ex-
plot foreign successes" which, by the way,
generally prove failures, rather than trust
themselves to select an apparently valuable
play by o new or unknown author. This
looks ike BOOu, SaIe BUSINESS uleUuOu TO
the layman, but it isn't.
The foreign plays generally don't seem to
exactly suit American audiences. Never
theless this timidity of the managers made
1t practically impossible for any resident of
the United States outside of the few dram
atists with established regulations to
have his own play produced. This was
very discouraging condition for the develop
ment of the native drama, and 1t was nomi-
nally to correct this evil that the Theater of
Arts and Letters was founded. But the
pieces which have been produced are in
nearly every case the work of men and
women who already have national reputa-
lions in the world of letters, and at least
one of the plays was written by q dramatist
whose work is in great demand, and who
therefore scarcely needed start from any
body.
All in all, outside of affording good deal
of merriment by foundering about in water
much too deep for it, the Theater of Arts
and Letters has done nothing except to dis
courage liberal minded patrons from con-
tributing in the future to something which
might really prove stepping stone to fame
for young dramatists. 1.-The burnt child
breads the fire." and it will be a long time
before any similar enterprise will find the
necessary backing.
Rose and Charles Coghlan and their ex-
cellent company have revived MASKS and
Faces" otherwise Peg Wellington" at
the Fifth Avenue theater. The production
has been received with favor, Diplomacy"
having about run itself out. The fact that
the latter play was particularly successful
owing to the magnificent cast and elegant
mounting when it was resurrected at the
Star theater, added to its enthusiastic re-
ception on the road, perhaps had the effect
Of inducing the Coghlans to keep 1t on the
boards even after it had becomea little less
potent as a drawing card, and in conse-
quence business at the Fifth Avenue the
ater since Diplomacy" came back to New
York has not been as good as 1t might have
been. For this reason peg Wellington"
Is said to have been rushed on rather hur-
riedly, and yet every one who has seen it
seems to have been pleased with the pro-
duction and the work of the actors who ap-
pear in it. Miss Coghlan has been espe-
cially commended, as has also Mr. Frederic
Robinson.
Mile. Rose Pompon, the latest importa-
ton from France for 1.-THE Black Crook"
Is gyrating into the very core OF the heart
of New York dudedom. This vivacious
little "chanteuse excentrique' is very much
like others of her class except that she is
considered more clever than majority OF
them. She has made big hit, and that Is
saving a great deal when it is considered
how many French quadrille dancers we
have had lately. Pompon, as hear 1t, Is to
dance and MARBLE in Chicago under her