New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-07-29
THE LONDON STAGE.
MRS PATRICK CAMPBELLs APPEARANCE
AT THE HAYMARKET THEATRE
NEXT AUTUMN AS FEDORA
WHY FEDORA. AND WHERE
ARE THE ENGLISH
DRAMATISTS?

WHY FEDORA. AND WHERE
ARE THE ENGLISH
DRAMATIsTS?
Eondon, July a.
The leading lady Of the future at the ST
James's Theatre is Miss Evelyn Mlllard. from
the Grand Theatre. Islington. She is to replace
Mrs Patrick Campbell in Dulcie Lar)no'e, in the
very ignobe and very successful play by Mr..
Henry Arthur Jones entitled The Masquerade
ers" Mrs Patrick Campbell goes to the Hay
market. where she is TO pay Fedora. under MT
Iseerbohm Trees management. II Mr.. Tree Is to
be the Loris Ipanoff. there will be double IN
terest and curiosity in the production But why
Fedora? l ask the question: not with reference
to Mrs Campbell but with reference to the Eng
fish playwright; or, If any one thinks IL more
civil dramatist.
Mrs. Campbell IS an actress for whom the best
Of this ambitious band might be eager to wri'e
a part. Nobody yet knows quite what she can
do. nor within what limits her art and her tenn
permanent would find complete development.
The criticisms on her performance in THE Mas
oueraders' have had little or no effect on her
nublic reputation. Mr.. Clement Scott. believe
imagines that he has Mrs Campbells scalp SAFE
under his belt. That he u4ed his tomahawK Is
not denied but the trophies of victory seem 10
me to rest with the actress ana not WIN tue
critic In other words the public Is inclined to
think that the actress does as much can fairly
be done with part which IS feeble III cohcep-
ton. which goes to pieces as the play progresses,
which is radically inconsistent with itser' ana
which denies 10 the actress the opportunities
which are offered somewhat lavishy 10 others
whenever she is the stage. If the public has
definite opinion on the matter. IL is that Mrs
Cambbelrs part is unworthy Of her powers, or OF
any good actresses powers.
The writer's of plays moreover. are as Keen 10
see their plays well cast as actors and actresses
are to secure good parts. Why then, ask again.
has Mrs. Campbell TO fall back on FeGora lor
her first appearance at the Haymarket' MI
Tree Is an enterprsing and even ADVENTUROUS
manager Nobody would welcome a good play
more gladly But where is the good play Where
are these modern Shakespeares and Sheridans'
of whom we heard 50 mu'h when Lady W'huer-
mere's Fan burst upon delighted world anu
still more when The Second Mrs Tanqueray'
revealed to a dazzed public new era OF ora
matte authorship which was 10 wither the laureis
of the play writer's Of Elizabeth.
Let us try to imagine the converse Of this state
of things. and conceive of Nine Sarah Bernhardt
as reduced 10 bring out in Paris French YER
sion Of Mr. Pinero's masterpiece and to essay IN
her own manner the character which Mrs Pat
rick Campbell created. Can you conceive II!
Can YOU suppose the fountains OF dramatic ART
in Paris dried up? NJ Alexandra Dumas Is not
in these days a fertile author. but he does con-
trive from time TO time to provide the lhe"'re
Francois with a work which is not only
called but IS masterpiece. NJ. Pailleron Is still
at work and much more productive. NJ Sardous
machine grinds out sensational dramas just as
tngeniously constructed as ever. NJ. Rchepn' NJ.
Jules Lemaitre. NJ Meilhac. and dozen others
all In ho
powers which all In different ways reiid'hd-
BILE OF sterilty there is no sign
rut Of ANYTHING else than steriiy among the
English writers for the stage Is there any sign?
Mr. Henry Arthur Jones may naturally be eX-
nected 10 rake a reasonable time to recover from
those pangs Of childbirth amid which THE Mas
oueraders" was ushered into the world. Two
such plays In one year would be against the oruer
~ nature and might prove. II not fatal to the
author too agonizing TO the public. But MI.
P,nero Is silent Mr.. Oscar Wilde ses ms content
with the emission Of few pages OF erouc verse
Mr. Robert Buchanan's recent experiments have
not been Of kind to make managers eager ior
more Mr.. Sydney Grundy. whose Bench Of Nio-
let's has done well at the Haymarket seems 10
prefer at present, adaptation to original work.
for aught know he may be adapting Fedora
Have the lugubrious miscarriages Ike those at
tina Carrick THE Jew" first and then Mrs. Les
sngham." discouraged authors and managers
and artists alike? Mr.. Hare fell back on
money" Other managers fell back on o'her
uieces by authors TO whom they were ophged
10 nav no ROYALTY or other form Of remuneration
knew Of at least case where theatrical
nrnprietor deliberately mangled In rehearsal
niece written for him and for his CHIEF actress
When the Justly indignant author had With
drawn IT. the theatrical proprietor INDUCED the
,,lo, h,yo dpra RI ed
considerable celebrity.
Mrs John Oliver Hobbies Is believed TO be busy
with an irnportant work which is not yet ready.
Tho brilliant success Of the brilliant little proverb
"Journevs End In Lovers Meeting. may en-
couraee her TO a serious effort, which need not
be the less brilliant for being serious. But as
vet she Is hardly 10 be reckoned among those u
whom the manager in distress might thlnK MINI
self entitled 10 apply with the certainty that a
successful play in three or four acts wouiu De
written 10 order. Indeed so dire Is his dilemma
that he would be content with a prOodoli'y
There are failures even in France. There are
successes in London which would be failures WIN
q hotter trained public. Mr.. Comyns Carr Is per
h.ns c,,u occupied with his king Arthur" which
A. Irving "a TO produce at the Lyceum in the
autumn need not stretch out the catalogue
n, names Many of those which have omitted
uouId mean nothing to an American audience
and even here would not be recognized as guar
or,ees Of prosperity to any theatre whatever
We come back, therefore. after long ana
roundabout and not very profitable journey 10
the question with which we set out; why re-
dora at the Haymarket for MIS- fa'iich camp
hell? There can be no answer except the iraNh
.an,,ss,on that Mr. Tree produces version OF
c.rdou because he neither has nor can get from
.rv English writer whomsoever play with
GOOD promise Of prosperity or good part lot
the very original and Interesting actress VINO
3oins his company in September or October such
an accession to the already well filled ranks OF
the Havmarket Company is. OF course an I'M