The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-02-27

atrical clearing house, whero managers
may safely intrust tho details OF their
small productions TO experienced hands,
simply giving general directions rs to
their wishes and the amount desired TO be
expended. Such an enterprise, properly
conducted. would enable the producer to
get everything cheaper than at present,
owing TO the large volume of work, and
IL would also have tho effect Of inducing
writer's to try their plays at special natl
ncos, u consummation dovoutly to be
wished.
A great many now well known foreign
writer's for tho stage were started on tho
road 20 success In this manner. An oppor-
tunity would thus bo afforded TO judge of
the aotab.lity OF play and the "pig in
a poke" element which now pervades the
purchase OF untriod dramas would be to q
great extent eliminated. There Is no use
Co say that cooperation will strangle the
nativo drama That which deserves 70 sur
vive will do so, despite novel conditions,
and tho only wonder Is that the present
status has not boon reached sooner. 1t
ought To prove boon TO struggling au-
thors who at present arc unable to get a
hearing.
Sydney RosenfeIds Genius.
In this connection the persistence OF
Sydney Rosenfeld is worthy of mention.
The syndicate which bears his name is to
produce the plays of American authors.
Mr.. Rosonfeld's efforts will naturally get
the first hearing, and this man, who Is, In
my opinion and that Of many competent
judges, one Of the brightest writers the
American stage has over had, will at last
DO given tho opportunity TO get proper
setting for his work. or course Rosen-
field Is not q beginner. He has written sue
cessful comedies, comic operas and faroes,
but for some reason which no ono appears
to be able to explain he has latterly lost
his grip, and 1t had begun to look as
though he had gone into permanent eclipse.
Tint be has not is good thing for the
American stage, because Rosenfold Is n
conscientious author, who does not believe
in fakery and writes only what he con-
ceives to bo worthy. Such men are unhap-
PLY too fow In the field of dramatic au-
thorship. Hc made a fortune out of "The
Senator" which no and Lloyd wrote for
Crane, and IL IL said that Rosenfeld then
spent all that no had made In trying to con-
vince managers that "Tho Stepping Stone
was the play the Now York public wanted.
And IL was worthy effort, too, but IL
bility become very popular Mr. Roson-
field, however, showed his faith by his
deeds, as hc always docs, and tho result
demonstrated that he was mistaken. Now
he has one of his works which has beon
tried and proved successful, and with this
as stepping stono'i huought to be able
to put himself In a comfortable position
again.
Mac Leay's Success Abroad.
Tho latest numbers Of tho LONDON IL
lustrated woeklics, just to hand, arc full
of pictures OF Franklin Mac Leay and 40
counts Of tho phenomenal success he has
scored at tho Lyric thcatcr, in that city, as
tho dospicablo tyrant Nero in Wilson Bar
rett's religious drama, "Tho Sign Of tho
Gross" This nows should prove particu-
larly gratifying TO persons on this side OF
the water, inasmuch as Mr.. Mac Leay Is
not an Englishman, but "ono of u.s." He
Is n very young man, too, and the fact
that he has never been under the manage
mont Of but one man, Wilson Barrett,
during his experience of several years on
tho stage, speaks volumes for his deter
mination TO work regularly up tho ladder
10 the top know that he was offered
large salary last year to star hero this son
son In n bod molodrama. Tho temptation
90 young actor 60 SEQ his name on tho
bills In large type and incidentally TO re-
coivo "a bobdomadal stipend Of plothoric
proportions Is very great, but Mac Lcay
resisted, albeit not without a struggle,
and the wisdom Of his determination has
now been amply demonstrated. Ilo has
been Wilson Barrett's leading man for
some time, and as be has made hit In
London and Is a hard student, without
any OF the widely prevalent big head
though with full appreciation of his own
worth, he ought % be heard from before
long In still more prominent position.
Another gratifying feature OF Mac Leay's
success, 20 Americans, is the fact that he
was the favorits pupil of that excellent
player, the idoI of many matlnoe glri OF
the last generation, that sterling tragcdinn
and representative actor, james ;. Muir.
doch.
Comic Opera Not Dead.
While II ls reported and Is possibly truo
that Della Fox will next season abandon