The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-03-10

atrical clearing house. where managers
mny safely intrust the details of their
small productions to experienced hands,
simply giving general directions as to
their wishes and the amount desired to BIO
expended. Such an enterprise, properly
conducted, would enable tho producer to
got everything cheaper than at present.
owing to the large volume Of work, and
1t would also have the effect of inducing
writers to try thoir plays at special matt
nees, contamination deyoutly to be
wished.
A great many now we'll known foreign
writer's for the stage were started on the
road to success In this manner An oppor-
tunity would thus be afforded to Judge of
the aotability Of a play, and tho "pig in
poke" element which now pervades the
purchase of untricd dramas would be to
great extent eliminated. Theirs is no use
to say that corporation will stranglo the
native drama. That which deserves to sur
vive will do so. despite novel conditions,
and the only wonder Is that the present
status has not been reached sooner 1t
ought to provo a boon to struggling au-
thoPs who at present arc unable to get a
hearing.
Sydney Rosenfeld's Genius.
In this connection tho persistence of
Sydney Rosenfeld Is worthy of mention.
The syndicate which bears his name Is to
produce the plays of American authors
Mr.. Rosenfcld's efforts will naturally get
the first hearing, and this man, who Is, in
my opinion and that of many competent
judges, ono of the brightest writers tho
American stage hns ever had, will at last
be given the opportunity to get proper
setting for his work. OF course Rosen-
field Is not beginner. Ho has written sue
cessful comedies, comic operas and farces,
but for some reason which no ono appears
TO be able to explain ho has latterly lost
his grip and it had begun to look as
though he Ind Como into permanent eclipse.
That he has not is Il good thing for tho
American stage, because Roscnfcld is a
conscientious author, who does not believe
In fnkery and writes only what no con-
ceives To be worthy. Such men arc unhnp-
PLY too few i'll tho field Of dramatic au-
thorship. He nado a fortune out Of "rhe
Senator" which no and Lloyd wrote for
Crane. and it is said that Roscnfeld then
spent all that ho had made In trying to con-
vince managers that The Stopping Stone"
was tho play tho New York public wanted.
And 1t was worthy effort, too, but it
was play which could not by any posi-
bllity become very popular. Mr.. Roscn-
fold, however, showed his faith by his
deeds, rs he always docs and the result
demonstrated that he was mistaken. Now
he has one Of his works which has been
tried and proved successful, and with this
as stepping stone he ought to DO ablo
To put himself in n comfortable position
again.
Mao Lcay's Success Abroad.
Tho latest numbers OF the London H.
Illustrated wcoklics, just to hand, are full
of pictures of Franklin Mac Lcay and &C
counts Of tho phenomenal success he has
scored Mt the Lyric thcatcr, in that city, as
the dcspicab!o tyranS Nero in Wilson Bar,
rctt's religious drama, "The Sign of tho
Cross" This nows should provo particu-
inrly gratifying to persons on this side of
tho water, innsmuch rs Mr.. Mac Leay Is
| not nh Englishman, but "ono of us" He
| is very young man, too, and the fact
that ho has never been under the manage
mcnt OF but one man, Wilson Barrett,
during his experience of several years on
tho stage, speaks volumes for his deter
| mlnation to work regularly up the ladder
to tho top. know that no was offered q
| large salary last year TO star here this sea-
| son III Dad melodrama. The temptation
to young actor to SEQ his nnme on tho
DIS IN largo type ard incidentally to re-
.cclvo hebdomadnl stipend of plethorio
proportions is very great, but Mac Leay
| resisted, Glheit not without a struggle
md tho wisdom of his determination has
now been amply demonstrated. He has
been Wilson Bnrrctts leading man for
some time. and rs ho has made % hit in
London and is u hard student, without
any OF tho widely prevalent big head,
though with full appreciation of his own
| worth, he onght TO bo heard from before
long In still more prominent position.
| Another gratifying feature of Mac Leay's
RI
was the favorite pupil of that excellent