St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-12-22
THEATRICAL DEPRESSION.
INTERVIEW WITH JACOB LIT, or THE
GRAND OPERA HOUSE,
ON RETURN FROM NEW YORK.

en- Theatrical Companies on the
J Road = Five Thousand Idle
Actors in New York-Chicago
Theaters Doing Starvation
Business-''in Old Kentucky,
80 Manager Jacob Lift, of the Grand
opera house, arrived in the city yester-
day, having come direct from New York
to be on hand at the opening perform
ance Of his latest success, I'm Old Ken
lucky" here Sunday night. Mr. Lift
of his summer stock season III July. In
speaking OF the depression in the the
atrical trade, Mr.. Lift said:
Never in the history of the show
business has there been such depreS-
sion. Companies have been closing and
coming into New York steadily for the
past two months, and it is estimated
that there are 5000 idle actors in New
York today. Things may brighten
after the holidays. but L very much
doubt it. There is too much distress
and destitution in the country, and the
people haven't money to spend for
amusements. Only the new and
stronger attractions seem to be
holding their own. Business in
st. Paul is no worse than anywhere else
in the country. In Chicago the theaters
are doing nothing; they are starving, to
use an expressive term. and in New
York only two or three shows are doing
anything. have been very fortunate
with my ventures, particularly those
which were first given to the public in
st. Paul. There IS, therefore, a very
soft spot in my heart for this city.
The Ensign is doing well everywhere,
and In Old Kentucky is unquestiOn-
ab ly the greatest dramatic hit of the
year. L may say without eXaggeratlon
that no American play was eyer re-
ceived with greater favor in New York.
1t packed the Academy of Music, the
biggest theater in New York, for ten
consecutive weeks, and in Washington,
Baltimore, Pittsburg, Brooklyn and
other Eastern cities it was capacity
night after night. This proves to me
that the public wants new plays-and
good ones. Fake dramas have seen
their day."
How did you happen to hit upon In
Old Kentucky%"
was year ago last August. My stock
company was playing here in repertoire.
We were TO put on oliver Twist The
scenery was all prepared, the printing
ready and the company IN rehearsal,
when the manuscript of In Old Ken
lucky was submitted to me. read it,
as also did Mr.. Bibxy. We thought we
saw III 1t some germs of genius. and
decided to try it. l wired Mr.. Darcy,
the author. and he came on in couple
of days. We began rehearsals at once,
and put it on in five days, without, of
course, any special scenery. 1t seemed
crude state, and l was so satisfied that it
would be go that l bought it.
L suggested a number of changes
in plot and character, and MIR. Darcy
went to work upon it. He worked all
winter whipping it into shape, and the
result was a success from the opening
night in PittSburg. LII the original
st. Paul cast were several strong favor
ties here. Louis James played the Ken
lucky colonel, splendidly drawn and
original character. Frank L0see played
the moonshiner; Julia Arthur, who has
since become great metropolitan ia
vorite. was the Barbara George Edieson
played the old negro. before-the-wa
servant, filled with the traditions of the
past, and Marion Gilmore created the
role of Madge. the heroine, who appears
IN one scene as a jockey, and who is
now personated by Laura Burt. Miss
Burt has made the hit OF her life in the
part.
'Mr. Darcy made fame and fortune in
night-that first night in ST. Paul.
That is where Darcy is like the i'm
mortal Byron. He is now collaborating
with Oscar Weil-not Wilde-on an
opera for the BoStonians, is writing a
play for Charles Frohman, and is also
at work OH new one for me, which |
can best describe as a society melo-
drama, dealing with subject and a
phase of life which have hitherto been
untouched by the dramatist. 1 shall
make a big production of this piece and
put it on next season.
One of the novel features Of "In Old
Kentucky" is the pickaninny band of
little colored boys, who may be said to
have become nearly as famous as Mr.
Darcy in New York, and lot of trouble,
worry and expense they cost me. l
nearly deSpaired of finding them, but I
| on tour through the South on a pick
aninny hunt. He spent two months in
Dixie and travelled through every South
ern state. He finally got-together this
band. They are black as night, small,
| play on musical instruments and act.
They are only an incident in the pro-
duction of this play, which is powerful
domestic drama, but they give color to
this admirable picture of Southern life.
Mr.. DingwalFs sojourn among South
ern colored gentlemen did not make
him black, but he how talks with the
pure negro dialect.
II shall not have a stock company
here next summer. lost $4,000 on the
big company had here last summer,
and that is very expensive amusement
for manager. No, next summer |
shall take rest the first J. shall have
had since | have been in the business
and go to Europe. By the way, there is
a strong probability that shall produce
'ln Old Kentucky at the Princess
theater, London. Overtures have al
ready been made to me, and l shaII;look
into matters more thoroughly when l go
| over. A ST. Paul production in London
is.not bad, is it?"
Mr.. Lift is in particular good spirits
and health and will remain for about
4a,, do, t,a