The sun., 1897-11-07
The Independent Theatre.

Ten days from tomorrow an event Of pro-
found interest to students Of the drama
will positively occur, If the world
docs not break down in tho mean
time from the stress of waiting.
Our esteemed contemporary, the Cri-
fcrion, which has been imported from
Missouri at great expense for the purpose
of diffusing along Broadway the white
light of some of the finest minds of East
Aurora and Paris, Maine, has already over
turned the English language and set up q
tongue which appears to be composed
in unequal parts of Assyrian, Canadian
French and early Swinburnese. Now the
English drama is to be overturned by
the same finest minds. The plans of the
Criterion Independent Theatre, devised
and conducted by the finest minds, are
moving steadily towards a first perform
ance that shall not only be an artistic pro
duction, but shall awaken a very lively in
terest in all quarters where the New and
Bold are in favor" BOLD" seem to be
misprint for "bald," as the first
play at the Criterion Independent will
be Mr.. IBsEN's Johann Gabriel Bork.
mann" work not thrillingly new, but,
new to the American stage, which has
found new and bald works enough without
making incursions into Scandinavia.
The interest in this first performance.
however, arises not from the play but from
the programme which the reformers are
preparing. At this point the stormy up
heaved sea of Master IBsEN's whiskers sinks
beneath the horizon, and Mr.. PERoIvAL
POLLARD comes up, treading words with
undaunted feet.
evidence of the strictly artistic and novel man.
ner In which this enterprise will be conducted will DO
shown In the programmes for the first performance.
With cover design by noted artist, and illustrated
throughout, this programme will be q amall hand
book for such players somewhat unfamiliar
with the writing OF those foreign moderns whom II
intended to Introduce to America under those
pices. The comprehensive stan OF the Criterion
will contribute original articles to this programme
which VIII contain no extraneous advertisements. 1t
win be pamphlet to cherish. No charge win be
made for IL In the theatre"
work to cherish why, it will be work
to love. No charge will be made for it. for
1T will be invaluable. And there will
be no extraneous advertisements, be-
cause the comprehensive staff will take
up all the space with Its own. For
the sake of breaking down the re-
firing disposition of the members of
the comprehensive staff, every one of
them ID bound to mention himself and
every other member at least thirteen
times in every issue. The bashfulness
still continuing, it was resolved to estab-
lish the independent programme, in
which each member of the comprehen-
sive staff will be entitled to salute
himself and his brethren not less
than thirteen hundred times. On the pro-
duction of that programme the comprehen-
sive stafr is now engaged for the good of
the country, but not without labor and
strain. "Oh, why" cries one laborer wildly.
"oh, why must We brain workers earn
our bread by the sweat of our brains r
Because the public yearns to see the COM
prehensive staff on exhibition. The "brain
workers" must stick to their majestic task.
The theatre must be reformed by means
of the circus.
Ii anything could add to the anxiety with