The St. Johns herald., 1893-09-21
MONARCHS AT THE PLAY.
Some Who Are Ford Of Theatrical
 Entertainments
Queen Victoria Has Private Performances at Windsor and Emperor William Likes to Act as Dra-
 ma9ic Critic.


 crowned heads of Europe for the drama. Even Queen Victoria, who from the death of the prince consort up to year or two ago was believed to regard theatergoing in the light of a sin and the drama as a device of the devil, has now blossomed forth into an enthusiastic patron of the stage. 1n- deed, in proportion as her British majesty grows older in years she ap- pears to become mere youthful in her tastes, and there are few things more strange than the extraordinary inter- est which this septuagenarian sover- eign has suddenly and at so late period in life developed for theatrical affairs.
 One of the London companies after another has been called upon to trans port itself bag and baggage to Wind sor for the purpose of giving perform ances in the presence of the queen and her court on temporary but yet elab- crate stage erected for the occasion in the superb hall known as the Waterloo gallery. The queen, according to the New York World, has even gone so far as to order one of the metropolitan troops up to Balnoral at an enormous expense for a single performance.
 In the early days of her married life the queen was quite familiar figure at the various leading thcaters and was especially fond of the opera, which she would attend with a considerable amount of state, yeomcn of the guard, or ''beef eaters, arrayed in their pie turesque medieval costume, being sta tioned not only at the entrance of the royal box, but also on the stage in front of the latter. The lords and gen. tlemen in waiting in attendance on the queen and her husband on such oc- casions as these were arrayed in uni form and were required to remain standing in the rear of the royal box throughout the entire performance.
 The queen witnesses these perform ances with every possible comfort to herself. She usually enters the ball where the stage has been set up after all the others have taken their places and sits in a comforta- ble crimson velvet and gllt armchair
 
 the audience, with a small table by her side, on which are placed her pink satin and gold lettered programme, her fan, her handkerchief, etc. The orchestra is almost concealed by bank of flow CTS and foliage. Flowers indeed abound everywhere. No applause is permitted save when initiated and led by the queen, who i3, however, very liberal in her manifestations of appreci. ation, as well as generous in her gifts of jewclry to the artists who have especially pleased her.
 Queen Victoria is the only European sovereign now living except the sultan of Turkey who adopts this method of having the theater brought to her at comparatively large expense instead of going to it. The Turkish monarch maintains as part of his enormous household an entire troupe of French and Belgian actors, whose principal duty is to perform the farccs and dramas composed by the sultan. He does not write them himself, it is truo, but contents himself with communieat- ing his ideas of the projected piece and the character of the plot-if there is one-to the chief of the troupe, who thereupon writes the play in accord ance with his imperial masters instruc- tions. It is on the strength of this that the present commander of the faith fur' lays claim to be considered as quite remarkable playwright.
 Emperor William, of Germany, on the other hand, who is quite as pas sionately fond of the drama as his fel- low monarchs, is frequent visitor to the various theaters of his capital. The manager usually only receives mo- tice of his coming a few hours before hand. The emperor is very demonstra- tive in his manifestations of applause, as well as of dissatisfaction, and makes a practice of summoning the actors to the royal box between the acts for the purpose of communicating to them his criticism of the performance and his instructions as to how they should act their parts. Another feature of Emperor William's visits to the theater is the supper which he invariably par takes of during the wait previous to the last act.
 The emperor of Austria is likewise a constant attendant at the Viennese theaters and rarely makes use of the royal box, preferring in lien thereof one of the lower stage boxes. King Humbert of Italy is seldom seen at the theaters; his wife, Queen Marguerite, attends dramatic performances at least two or three times a week during the Roman season. The ear is exceeding 1y fond of French vaudevilies He, too, prefers going to the theater instead of having the latter brought to him in the shape of dramatic performances at the palace.
 Al snuirrel Rntter.