The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-03-21
AMONG TIE PLAYER-f0LK
What Has Been and Will Be 10 Our
Local Theaters.
GOSSIP or STAGE FAVORITES
Paragraphs Of News and Comment Con.
csrniug the Inhabitsats Of the Mimic
WorId-Auuouncsmsn Of Coming
Attractions Theatrical TidingA

What. writes Lyman B. Glover in the
Times Herald. are the leading charac-
teristics of Mansfield's genius? ORR
ginality, boldness and grasp Of tech
nical detail. Whether you accept his
impersonations as in harmony with
adopted views or reject them as at
variance, you cannot deny their bril-
liancy and fascination. He has been
the subject-or the victim-of good
deal of comment which has not in
variably risen superior to personal ami
mostly. I have yet to read a line in
ridicule Of his judgment as a player or
producer. Even where his role Is re-
pugnant, it has an authority. Alma
Tadema has said that 'Irving's eye for
scenic effect is the eye Of painter"
1t is more than that. 1t is the eye Of
an architect and dramatist. The Ly-
ceum productions are not only splendid
spectacles, but they are also historical
tableaux, accurate to the last and min
utest detail. The spectator gets the
benefit of two-fold appeal to eye and
spirit. All this, of course, Is so much
truism as to Irving 1t would be idle
to pretend that Mansfield has any such
record as u play-producer. But his
presentation of "Richard II1' In Lon
don nearly five years ago-which
marked his greatest personal triumph
was mounted with an intelligence,
scholarship. taste and superb Opulence
not whit below the standard of the
English actor-manager who sits upon
the throne of European dramatic art.
\ II
That experience beggared him. load
ed him with a debt which four years
of toll have scarcely availed to pay and
transformed him into a cynic. a pessi-
mist and an egoist of the most aggra-
waited type. There is a large body of
"Mansfieldian eccentricities. Many
of them are authenticated: many more
are apocryphal. All are stubborn facts
to the imagination of the multitude
upon whose favor theatrical reputation
depends. They are obstinate obstruc-
tions in his path. He rails-like TimOn
at his countrymen for not accepting
him at his own valuation and on his
own terms. The penalty of q mercur-
ial temepr and q volatile temperament
he has paid SO often that the wonder
is he has any faith left in his stars.
Only q firm conviction that he stands
always in American theatricals for the
purity and the dignity of the stage and
q thorough going respect for his tall
ents have kept the public, whose ap-
plause is as the breath of his nostrils,
from kissing the man whom they ad-
mire supremely as the artist. In the
opinion of those whoknow him best and
think the best of him. Mr.. Mansfield
has himself to blame for the Difficult
ties" in his path. He has mastered his
profession; he has not mastered him.
self
\ \ H
Al Hayman, in discussign the alliance
of the Hayman and Frohman, Nixon
and Zimmerman, Klaw and Erlanger
Rich and Harris interests, has this to
say: "There is no syndicate or trust
We are owners, lessees or are interested
in theatrical property throughout the
United States representing in value
over SO. .000. 900. and have made an alli.
ance to protect our interests and im-