The morning times., 1896-08-16
GreenroOm and Foyer.

0ASSAA VOAGA esAA0 W O4e
HESE are the very dog days OF the
theater There IL pifcn gloom on tile
\ local horizon, from the standpoint. Of
course, OF the frequcnter who SPENDS
! hisevening or twoIh tue '0rcEsslra 0r
snug against TIE balcony ra-L Otherwise
tie thcaters are in the hustle OF prepa rt-
;ians. Two OF our tEeaters washed Their
faces with nc W coats OF paintiast week: the
charwomen are busy within. dust rag and
broom in hand. Tie scenic artist Is touch
ing UP faded spots on Juiiet's garden and
Cani.ie's boudoT. Tie managers are swell
tering at their desks n heaps OF cor respond
ence and booking worE.
But. asnay be se = q by giimpses atsapient
Cans Gene, they are making ready for US
III New York. AS if presaged by 1.-The dogs
40 bark tie actors are coming to Man.
haitian town. ReEearsals are crowdiny
every theater and hall in New York. The
results will he brought 10 US in another
month.
fsefore the end of this mnoth couple
of our tleatcrs Will be open, and before the
middle of September there VIII not Ike a
slark house in Town, save the new COlum-
bia, which will not be finished. The coming
seasnn will, or ought to be, memorable in
Washington. There is to be an aIlround
fight for patronage among the managers.
Eouse with clear field.
The Lafayette Square and the New
Columbia Will work hand In hand under
the supposedly powerful Influence OF the
new syndicate circuit. The New Ma
tionai continues its Independent career,
and not many believe that it VIII be
worsted. The Possibilities or the theatefs
in and out Of the graded circuit, are treated
expertly below in Il talk by Mr.. Byrne
The popular priced houses have q time e,
eoruered light on. Heretofore the Acade-
my has had a monopoly. This year the
Grand Opera House enters the list with
il, and the Hiou opens its books to the
suIne class. Thus tne list nom which the
Academy had an undivided pick, Is this year
bid for by three houses. The result is evil
dent, The companies will command big
percentages, anu the public. which nicely
filled one house, will divide against itself
in three. Somebody is going TO loose. IL
won't be the public.
So there we are, with the summer season
memory and the coming theatrical cam
paign an unguessahlc possibility. There
is plenty of uncertainty for tie man with
sporty blood, who likes to lay his wager
biindly.
HE Empire Theater Stock, which We
have enjoyed SO often in Liberty
Hail., -'Gutig cons, Sow1ns the
| Wlnt ana Il lie sicSQutthueiS 10
again on tour. and at this writingis
about TO openin SanFrancisco, whichseems
to be the haven of all things theatrical
but The point is that Henry Miller is no
longer one OF them. How 10 must lie for
Viola Alien to be no more afraid OF tue
wiles of Willie Favershan, but instead to
love hin; desperately for four acts andmarry
him N the end. Conversion from the tanks
of rakes and social mountebanks To tie
hierarchy of virtue I'd heroisu and tie alb
s,Iute center of the stage must be not
little Eovei for Faversham himself. And
Miller: Poor Henry. he felt that the stock
had its limitations for so pr oInising young
n,ap as he and believed there were other
leading woman 10 love than Miss AL
len. So he decided TO tranch out. To
this end lie resigned last spring from
the Empire Stock. That appears TO
be cas- far as lie has gotten in his
new career. Stay. lie and Mason Mitchell
are taking a dranatic company to Halifax.
with subsequent visits To Montreal AID
Toronto hope Henry won't iuse the nice
dividend he declared. IN his salary at the
Empire. bat he stacking hardnut. Those
towns won't even go to see the best in
season. What would attract them to Henry
Miller out of season? He s not known out
of the native big cities. The public in
Richmond. Terre Haute, Saginaw and
Topeka never heard OF Henry Miller.
much less up in Canada. where the Empire
Company has never even thought OF going
Miller may succeed, his ambition is CON-
nendable, but il appears TO have run away
with his Judgment He is not known. he is
not a great actor he is not even in many
critics estimation and the opinion OF
large part of the playing public a fine
actor. He does well enough as part of n
picture u the subdued harn,cuies of a stock
company, but he cannot stare the calcium.
Without Viola Alien. Nay Robesou, VII
liam Faversham. j. E. DoS,sOn and old
Mr. Compton, what will Henry Miller be:
IL verify looks as il he had sliced himself
a piece OF pie whereof the proportions are
enormous and the apples are immature
green.
HARLES ALFRED BYRNE is one OF the
\ wellkBown men of the Profession