The sun., 1896-10-31
NOTES OF THE THEATRES.
THE QUESTION OF STOCK COM
,,,STEs AND SPECIAL CISTS.

,vn., , Leading Actor Says on That sub-
icct The Vaudeville Jokers Are o"t 'or
ao,rd Moncy-How Plays Are MannEeo
on the Stage OF the German honse'
r,o sv,,em of engaging actors for certain
,,.ys. and In this way occurring those who are
n.c,.llv well suited to the parts, has boon
n,sd for many years in London. There STOCK
.o,rnonv IN the strictest sense of tn" word does
n,,.exist Sir Henry Irving. who mas LOT
long time retained the services OF certain aotors'
onpnres for every production at MS theatre
others who are capable of PLAYING particularly
vel. certain roles, and the personnel oi mis- Or
pantzntion changes from time to time' lhero
ia no other company in London any more per
name at in the makeup, and the popular ACTORS
mass from one theatre to another TO take part
IN the production OF the various new plays.
In New York this system has not yet become
M well established, although there Is already
n feeling that more adequate performances
ors sometimes obtained by engaging actors for
roles to which they may be physically adapted
or able bythcir talents to properly peesent. THE
suS printed not long ago Eugene W. Presorey's
views on the subject. drawn particularly from
the production of "Trilby," which was an ex-
centlonal case as there are few plays which de-
mAnd so .trenuously physical peculiarities In
their interpreters. An actor who has been tor
,.verol ycars at the head of a metropolitan
ntDCk company gave u u cIN icpoitci tho ic-
sults OF his experience in direction some
what similar to that discussed by Mr.. Pres
brey:
III tho presenta, IN OF a play may suffer-"
he said from having the two leading roles al
ways intrus;ed to the same man and woman,
what do you suppose are the difficulties that
those two actors have to struggle against In
being put before audiences always in the same
two parts. Very ltte changed IN one play or
Th,. n
company always called upon TO represent
the same emotions. to be the same personaEes.
only little changed from time to time. and to
bear on their shoulders always the same SYM
pathies and interest OF the audience. No
other actOrs In company are 80 limited In
thsir opportunities to do different kinds of work.
The other lines of parts admit OF more Varin-
tion, and occSsonaaify as eyery actor n In COM I
an opportunity to rlay character role some
thing in which there is n chance to disguise his
or her personality. But not 80 with the lead
Ing man. The author never says to him. as he
does to the other actors In the company, Hero
Is n mask tor you.' The leading man must al
ways look like himself. act In nearly every
play the same characters with the same emo
tions al:ered only in slight degree. His per,
to change He is paid a large salary. and
whether or not the character suits him he acts
accused of monotony ana the charge of
sameness of method Is MADE against him as
sort OF roles with such persistency II the
play is better acted when the performers are
selected for their Qualtncatfons in certain
parts, what must the opportunity Of the actors
be who are thus chosen avowedly for what
they can best do? Compare that experience
always the same role with little variations,
always in tho same surroundings and always
called upon to represent the same types of
the hardest thing in the world for an actor TO
do and one that Is likely to do his reputation
most damage. People are bound to get tired
Of him and resent his presence, invariably do
ing the same thing in every play-always In
ally getting his girl at the end Of the play.
The plan Of particular enEagements for Ger
reputation and makes him far less subject to
unfavorable criticism"
Ordinarily variety show wits steer clear
Of political jokes, or else frame such souibs
30 that the Joker will: mot seem tn.take sides,
but this year tho joking has all been at the e1-
pense of the white metal and its advocates, and
the joker that poses on the fence is an excep-
tion. In the person of John j. Burke he Is
now At ,Keith's Union Square. and he states
that he is for silver because he doesn't under
stand the question Of money standards. Then
he adds that gag" that for q year has been
unfailing laugh winner In vaudeville,
There. ARE Others" and passes to other topics.
Another contributor to this bill has a speciality
of .piano and organ playing. Standing with
her hands behind her back-not tied-she
before it, and another sample of her skill con-
asts in picking out an air with her nose and
playing an accompaniment with one hand, the
other hand being left disengaged In sight
Just to prove that there Is no deception. ice,
or other lessen!ng OF her skill. The Grandest
Of her feats. however. comes when she plays
Yankee Doodle" with the left hand, The
Fishers Hornpipe" with the right,and whistles
Home. Sweet Home" all at ope and the same
time. Ears accustomed to the tones of Jig
dances that forever arguing in that
they are scntting sand in some leaty bower, or
that are hardened 10 the vocal efforts OF sis
ters" whose family likeness lies in their make
MP tox, are not disturbed BY tlis perform
Ance. and ore man las been heard to declare
that he could pick out the three airs, one at o
time. Some unusual singing comes from Eu-
gene Geary. choir boy, who sings in a clear
plice and black cassock and drop curtain
especially pref ared for his speciality suggests
the surroundings, OF choir loft. His first
selection Is suited TO this environment, but
then the curtain is changed. and the boy sings
sentimental ballad about one Flossie O'Grady.
After this two more songs are demanded. and
each is OF the sort that In music halls is sung
by ho- t-skirted ana risky damsels In the
responses 10 them there is no sign that any
one is shocked AT the contrast between the lads
selections. or at his singing about the girl that
prtdess ne, herteIt on being one Of the boys: In
At Auustin DAILY AN unusual target for the
specialtst's wit. II" tells Of an actor present.
door, with the que-y. DO you pass the pro-
fession. Mr.. Day?" The reply is, "Did yon
over rec me STOP ana speak 10 any or tnelnF'
The credit for the admirable stage manage
ment OF the Irving Place Theatre does not rest
entirely. with Heinrich Conreid, as the actors
In the company frequently act as producers,
and their work is quite as capable as that of
their director. Arthur EgGcling superin-
tends the presentation of many of the
old ald classical plays. Max Bra WAS
responsible for the production OF His Late
II,.l..
programme rs stage director OF Paul Lin
dau's play acted on Thursday night. So the
actors OF the company more versatile than
even their frequent changes of part show.
Paul Lindau has written many plays, and it
is-rather late 10 accuse him now of a lack of
etagecraft. But that element was la.king
in his latest play. 1t could scarcely have
been egarded as a problem play, for Herr
Iindau had treated the story not as prob
lem, but as q situation that might arise In the
life OF any man whose wife had become In
sane. Its manner VAS theatric. and It's as
nNHttn nf ,tnI ,lt