Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1895-12-08

race Of actors who are manifestly de-
void of versatility. This is of course
a condition OF affairs which is greatly
to be regretted. Some of the Old plays
which are almost classic-in fact, most
Of the-are flippantly referred to by
the present generation Of players as
"chestnuts' and back numbers
This may be smart. and perhaps even
q trife funny. although 1 question its
possession of either attribute, but it is,
to an actress who has seen and eXper-
fenced the now sneered at condition of
q few years ago. decidedly sad. Hun
dreds Of plays which the repertory
companies were in the habit Of pre-
senting are worthy to live forever. and
they viii too. Long after their pres
ent light headed detraCtOrS shall have
been forgotten the objects of their ridi-
Guile Will be deGghting generations as
yet unborn. 1t must not be supposed
either that I am delying into ancient
history. I am not. and furthermore,
I should be mOrtally offended if any
one should be tempted to intimate that
I will be a yetern in the matter of years
ar the end of another decade or two.
The travelling stock company was 1our-
fishing i'm this country q half dozen
years ago. and at Just about that period
began it's deCadence. which has since
continued relentlessly and unlnterrEpt-
eddy.
As on evidence of what was expected
and required of the members of re-
pertory company. l might cite my own
case. I was the leading lady of one Of
those organizations which visited a GER
tain tOwn-nOw very large town eli
ther-tO play an engagement Of three
weeks. We gave Wednesday and Sat
urday matinees. and the company re-
turned for another week. having made
a great hit with the theatre going peo-
pie of the place, from the highest to
the lowest. These were the pieces we
presented i'm the four weeks: Ca
mile" Lady of Lyons, Two Or
Dhans." "Pygmalion and Galatea.
"NIiss Mutton. Lady Audly's Secret -
The Honeymoon" Leah, the FOrsa-
ken" "The Irishmau's Heart" Col
leen Bawn. " "Arrah-Na-PogUe." CYAN
ity Fair "athleen Mavourneen," East
Lynne" "The Long Strike, Uncle
Toms Cabin" ireland As It Is" a
play made famous by the celebrated
Barney Williams; The Bonnie Fish
wife" "The Marble Heart Richard
Ill "Othello." "FrOu-Frou. " Josh
ua WhitcOmb." "A Serious Family"
''The Hunchback of Notre Dame Our
BOYS" 'Inshavogue' and the peren-
NAL and inevitable Ten Nights In a
BarrOOm.'
Just inspect that list carefully. II
is much more significant than appears
ON the surface. 1t is not so much the
large number of plays as the wide
rance or work which they demand that
( wish to impress upon the attention OF
the reader Think of having to play
little ToDsy AT one performance and an
important role i'm "FrOU-trOu' at the
next. That's what tests an actress
versatility and ability TOO. That
was the sort Of training that developed
thorough actors. who were something
more than parrots. able only. like q
phoDOgranh. TO eLude q part after IL
had been talked into them. having been
frsP thought out and elaborated by
somebody with brains. Would IL be
p0sible TO get together accompany now
that would, with fourteen people, give
the plays have just mentioned IN such
am accountable manner as 10 warrant the
MANAGEMENT of The theatre IN offering
guarantee for q return engagement
almost Immediately? I think not. un-
less. of course. one were willing TO en-
D1ov only actors with great regulations
eXvect to have some fellow bob uI
,,.ftI Tho -ra~tlir- announcement that
7 am mistaken. and that the repIeJory
comuanv is not @ thing OF the past 10y
a~v means. and then he viii probably
7-occad to name several. Neverthe-
less shall stick to my original state
rer+ There are. It is true. few com
Douios which have o repertory OF tho
Iii 0l9vs which they present with more
or less ability. bUt these people carry
vsrv dubious actors and play the very
obo,D houses ordinarily, whereas in
+,a a9vs of which I speaA we were well
comed nj the best houses IN the places
M. visited and we visited the largest
,i-ies I'm the west at that. But We al
,-,,-s bo6 q GOOD company. Il was 1X-
led and woe betide the Organiz7-
-.,-, which imposed upOn comUuni-
~. ,~i+b q lot Of iucompetents. It was
+,ors~fter condemned TO perpetual iso-
Teton mt least so far as that town wa.
concerned.
Tho manager of the repertory com
,anv was as jealous OF his reputation
/ tbsD as the bediamOned director OF null
| t;farious theatrical enterprises is no.
r. vas not q. case Of sentiment with hi