The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-04-29
FROM1HE PROMPT SID"
The Direful Slump Of the Theatre Of
Arts and Letters.
ARqPLENqY, BUT MONEY GAVEOUY
Why tho Theatrical Kindergarten Did
Not Pay-soms Conclusions That Can
he Drawn From the Resuit-Mrs.
Frank Leslie's Search for Fame.

the disciples OF Mr.. Howells to learn the
truth. 1t started out with great flourish
of trumpets and nothing was too good
for 1t. An admirable company was Gu
gaged-a large one, COMPOSED OF
some of the best available peo-
pie Ia the profession. High
salaries prevailed, and there was often
verv little for the majority OF the artists
TO do but draw their salaries which they
did with neatness and dispatch while the
money lasted. The fund subscribed by
he enthusiasts who took Mr.. MacDow-
ell's project seriously was expended In
tour Of several cities in which the busi-
ness (shameful 1t is that "busi-
ness" should be associated with
snSshing snS The SO .aSscrD,on ariss was nishss
had been relied upon to harvest u
goodly crop of faddists who were wi ling
TO give up good round sum TO aid In
the movement for dramatic millennium,
but the suckers" as an irreverent
theatrical man would say, didn't bite.
-.
The whole principle was wrong. Mud
pie cookery and toy tea-set house keep
lug are all right as amusements for
lie Is a business aud should De conducted
on business principles. The theatre is
not u lib airy but place to interest,
amuse,-instruot IL you will, the theatre
Poer. The ostensible purpose OF the
Theatre Of Arts and Letters was to give
hearing To plays that other mana lers
would not produce, else why should 1t
exist for there are theatres enough and
companies enou IN, aud besides the The
atre Of Arts and Letters did deign to play
in every day playhouses. IL the man-
ayers would not produce the
PLAYS that they accepted it was
think the public wanted them. Ii there
was another class large enough to make
these plays artistically successful. the
managers did not believe it. The
theatre with the high-sounding name has
found out that the managers we're right.
-.
The upshot OF it all is that the money
10 not only gone. but the enterprise is in
debt. In New York week before last the
audiences were ridiculonsly small. AS
each performance cosG 500 an the re-
ceipts fell in some instances below $50
the end is not strange. The artistic re-
suits have not met anticipations. One or
J~o OF the plays lave oeen praised as
fine literary productions, but literary
pays are oftentimes no more adapted To
the stage than would be series OF 3x6
inch elcnings for exhibition as a cyclic
rama.
-.
O1e instance OF the business manage
ment, and will wipe the Il. OF A. aud
i. OF my books forever. 'B ue Jeans"
was sent to Providence Holy Week
in order to give the fad theatre another
week at the Hollis in Boston.
~.
The T. of A. and L. paid big guarantee
to the "Blue Jeans" company aud lost
money here and In Boston. when a
represent ative OF the Il. OF A. and L., an
actor VINO was not In the cast, was sent
TO. this city to count up the house, the
business manager wanted TO give
hlm 500 for expenses. As he
has TO he IN this city but few hours he
could not see the necessity OF such SUN
aad did not take IL although pressed
do you wonder at the failuref don't
was very sorry to read mat on the
opening night OF Mrs Frank Leslie's ver-
81 IN OF Dumas "Demi- Monde Actor
Jo oseph Haworth was, AS the New York
papers express it, drunk during the
first act" 1t now turns out that there
was good excuse Tor 1t and that Mr..
Howarth Is not to be so much blamed for
the occurrence as one would think. The
company came direct from the wllds of
Kansas and Mr.. Haworth had eaten but
a couple of quinine pills that day. Before
making Lp" he took braeer In the
shape of good nip of Royal Reserve
and the consequences was well developed
and second acts He pulled bimself to-
gether ia the third.
His condition. however, prevented n
call before the curtaln for tue adapter
who was in box yearning for one. Mrs.
Frank has proved herself capable
business woman. but Of late her head APP
pears to hav- been turned by desii for
notoriety. Gotham has been lau hing
good naturedly during the week over the
nerve" OF this clever lady, in advertis-
ing her show by putting out b hundreds of
her photographs over the city.
~.
Who says that sons of men who make
successes are failures? Edwin Booth is
by many consiGe cred TO have been Us good
an actor as his father. Ed Sothern Is ten
times the actor that his father was and
j. X. Emmett has made more'money this
season than his father ever did in a SINH
lar time.
Thomas w. Keene will try his Shake
speareau art. III the Japanese taste is like
that OF the Chinese as evidenced by their
theatrical productions Mr.. Keene Will
have bowling success. His methods
are pronounced enough to suit from the
grou- q up.
This is the newest on John Stetson
During tne rehearsal of 1.-The Crust OF
Society" at the Boston Globe lately, Mr..
kellart and ths stage manager were
arguing as to the right pronuL citation OF
exam pla-ry. Mr.. Stetson listened for
some time, and when kellard. who is a
very loud talker, grew excited, he rushed
in between the ortifoep sts aud shouie ed,
Stop that de- noise and speak that
word just as it Is In the manuscript"
The argument stopped short aud the re-
hearsal proceeded.
Francis Wilson has purchased the IA
nous comic opera "Erninie," and will
revive IL in Ne" York next season. Ii
was as the u ore timUrous OF the two
thieves that he made his first big hit in
comic opera IL will be interesting 10
note how the part which will be
foil to bis role, the stately
Ravennes, will be cut down so
as TO not bring it into too much prom
inence, for Mr.. Wilson, since his starring
began, has never given strong parts To
others. Not that he fears con parison,
but Lecause the public want Nils n-the