New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-01-09
SELECTIONS FROM THE NAIL.
EFFECTS OF THE STAGE.
I.EEITS OF THE SIANf.
THE PEOPLE. NOT THE MANAGERS, ARE AT


TIE PEOPLE. NOT THE MANAGERS, ARE AT
FAULT.
To the Editor OF The Tribune
Sir: Your dramatic critic In his article pubiished
IN Sundays Tribune upon Mr.. irylngs last appear
ance In and departure from New-YorH. makes GER
tain structures upon our local stage. which, I'M
fortunately are only too well justified by the facts
but cannot help fcoling that. in placing the blame
for the dcpcrable condition Of things which now
prevails upon the managers, he Is not onv very
wide OF the truth. but also IL very unjust No man
ager. however intelligent or however ambitious, can
establish and maintain In this community theatre
OF the highest class. even though he should be able
continually to present to the public plays as wei
done In every particular are those Mr.. irving
gives To prove this. it Il only necessary 10 cite
M. Irvlngs own experience here. In London tnat
manager can run Henry VIII" with grea; profit
10 himself for entire and he can also IRE
qucntly revive 1t with equal profit Here he cannot
get profitable houses that play for more than ten
DAYS. 'Becl,et" which neary 200 nights In Lon
don. exhausted itself here in fortnight The same
Is OF al the other plays in the Irving roper
tory. Mr. Irving. changing his bill frequently, has
never been able to remain in NewYOrk longer than
eight weeks at u time 1t must be remembered
moreover that Mr.. Irving and Miss Terry dnde-
pendenty Of their great merit as artists are, 70
Americans also huge cur!osities. No two people III
the English speaking world have been half as much
talked about. discussed. advertised and written
up they Nothing which the most ingenious OF
ADVERTISING could do to bring about TINS result mas
left undone. until the- names are house.
ronlzed Many people want 70 see them as indi.
vduals more than as artists ana II Is sase 10 san ay
their nightly audiences are drawn to me theatre 1y
this desire Behind all tails Is the reputation equally
great and equally we'll built up by advertising
methods. Of ine I.yceum company ana me l.ySeu.
popular success, the greatest manager
and the greatest company in the ;nglish eaEing
world. doing all the plays IN their reper,SSry' can
only maintain themselves for TWO onths az
lime in the American metropolis, how could an
mad up Of simple. everyday American actors and
actresses after season? Mr.. irving can ar:
ford to spend $4,000 production OF Henry
VIII" because he knows he can get II back from
prolonged and r@muneratve run @i tna pay o ire
thu Merchant OF Venice" Or 'R' cket' win equal
f h Of gNp S msrean sup
posing he could vie with Mr. irving from an arustlc
Pi oc & I prSGc GGu In York becaus
would be staring him in the face q crr'anty %, or
ibc reazons have Hitherto adduced hui also by the
experience OF his predecessors in American manage
before Mr. Irving established himself at the I.yeeun
Theatre. We all know tina, they resulted in imam
Gus times In his career. undertook these productions
and always With disastrous r's dt , s rs last Io oss
Mr.. Wallhck. but great ,nort'iicat;cn ana sTiet
ai ~ gi T Win litter cast with one exception
than even Mr. Irving could furnish that play WITH
f ihs inbl,c nerlertei it. ana showed the
erin manager mat they dil 10; want any good all
around production OF "A classic play AT In" hdnds
OF even Mnlllck's company.
II is a thing to b.. de=ir ii. readily grant.
that we should have In the metropolis Or America
a theatre of the first class. where only works OF the
hlglrs, order should be- presented, and where the
art OF acting might 10 fostered end preserved But
II IL utterly out OF the power IF any one manager
to establish In the present state OF pubic taste
BEFORE II can he done either orr best people must
GO; over their fonlness for "A Trip to Chinatown
.'ii9e and things Of that Xix. or else there must be
found wealth. men who are WILLING to stand behind
\ well-dIrected effort 70 establish such theatre
and 10 run regardless Of public patronage Mean
while do not blame the managers. VINO, IKE the
newspap.r proprietors Of the present day. have 70
follow where the people lead. lloEAllo
N.,c York Ian. !. lNI.