The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-01-03


season-let US hope that 1t may be
properly designated, his annual en-
gagement-at the KnickerbQcker, On
this occasion he will be seen In a role
entirely new to his New York admir-
ers. that of Mr.. Spencer Jermyn. in
Pinero's comedy, The Hobby Horse"
a play that shocked all England wbsn
eade ago. But tnat was a long, long
time ago, and-well, theater- goegs both
of London and New York don't care
quite so much for conventionality now
as they did in 1886. They have seen.
there's no use in itemiZing what
they've seen, but in the list you would
undoubtedly find many situations much
more unconventional than that of a
poor young clergyman proposing mar
riage to young married woman with
whom he has quite innocently fallen In
| love. That is the situation in THE
| Hobby Horse" that shocked the Lon
dOners. Just how New Workers will
| like the play remains to be seen, but
! it's safe to say they'll find no fault
| with that incident as being beyond
anything they have heretofore wit
messed on the local stage.
Humanity" the sensat ional melo-
drama, will be seen in this city at an
early date The old-fashioned English
| fox hunting scene, with its baying pack
| of thoroughbreds and it's gay patrician
crowd would be enough to carry the
ordinary melodrama, but Sutton Vane,
the author, has thrown in a most eX-
citing broadsword combat in the midst
! of a battle in the TransVaal, start
ling bomb explosion and whole string
Of exciting incidents. Manager Will
lam A. Brady has mounted the play.
mimic comedy, which the Brothers
Byrne are responsible for. will follow
| Black PATHS Troubalours at the
Grand. The new "EightEBells' is said
to show great Improvement over its
predecessor. 1t is not to the lines OF
! the play, but to the clever gymnastic
work Of the brothers, who are the life
of the performance, that its success Is
attributable. From the rise Of the first
to the fall of the last curtain. every
! body is working, and working hard.
The Manager wish I could attract
more ladies to our matinees.
The Merchant-Why don't you mark
down the seats from 81 to 50 cents?
|
In speaking of his audience at Hooley' S
the other day, Mr.. Sothern said: There is
no audience in the world equal to an assem-
| blage of Americans. They the most po-
lite as we'll as the most critical, in the world.
| In London the public never hesitates to let
an actor know what 1t thinks of him. l re
call personal incident that will illustrate
! this truth. Years ago played very small
part in drama called Hope at the Stand
ard theater in London. One of my lines was:
! My God! don't know how to act Well,
sir, had no sooner spoken these lines on the
first night than l greeted with such a
chorus Of obs and abs from the gallery gods.
The next night, when It came to the same
scene, | said: My God, l don't know what
! to do and everything all right. An
American would never insult an actor in that
way. If he does not like the piece he will get
| up and go out, but never will be impoite.
While an American audience is critical, it Is
! critical in a quiet way.
| Certainly an actor should study the meth
| DDS of other actors far as possible. The
J trouble with most young actors in this coun-
! try is that they do not go beyond themselves
| for ideas. No actor who depends on his own
creative talent can improve. The students
| of painting, of sculpture, all study the work
! Of those that greater masters Of their
/ art. The man who wants to write in pol
! ished manner will study the masters Of die
ton. Why should not actor do the same :?
| Art is long and time is heeting, was the
sage remark Of the wise Hippocrates, and an
actor will soon learn its truth. He should
| make himself familiar with the methods Of
| the best actors. Joseph Jefferson once said
| to me that all men are imitators to greater
| or less degree. No man is too great to re-
! ceive suggestions from another"
| It is very gratifying sign of the times
that managers should deem it TO their ma
| terial advantage this season to cater SO
| largely to the taste for Shakespearan dra-
| ma, says the New York Herald. 1t is, indeed,
| but another evidence of the healthy eyo-
luton of things theatric. The unwholesome
| atmosphere engendered by the problem play
| which overhung our playhouSeS last season
has happily been dissipated. A welcome re-
| action has set in The public has had it's
| surfeit Of those stage pieces which find their
| motive in one phase another Of the social
sin. At the same time too, theF trashy farce
| and weak comic operas which, were sought
| to be forced on theater patrons year ago
| have received their congo. In place of the
miasmatic play has come line Of high class
| comedy and melodrama, while those who
| seek amusement in theatrical productions
| Of a lighter vein will find the farces and
| comic operas now in vogue OF more than pass
| ing merit
| It is however the renewed interest in the
| Shakespeare drama that is perhaps, most in
| dicative Of the healthier tone of the popular
| taste. A year ago New York had minimum
have had less than four presentations
! from his works. Mr.. Mansfield has been seen
! as Shylock and Richard, while following
| her appearance in "As You Like IT, Miss
saved with success the charming role of
| Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing" as
| presented by Mr.. Days company The fiat
| tering result of Miss Rehans histrionic ven
ture should be highly encouraging to those
members of the profession whom we shall
soon also impersonating Shakespear1an
I
| leave us until he has again presented the
melancholy Dane, while Miss Margaret
| Mather in a few weeks more will make her
| temperance on the metropolitan stage in a
revival Of "Cymbeline" at Wallacks.
Surely the voice Of the croaker who la
ments the degeneracy of the stage should
be silenced in the presence OF such facts.
! The future OF the American stage is not after
all, SO hopelessly unpromisihg.
New York manager, heretofore credited
| with ability and discretion, has shattered
belief in his good judgment by refusing to
| admit to his theater the critic of an impor-
| tant New York newspaper, says the Chicago
| Times Herald.
| The plea in extenuation of this action was
| that the critic in question had unjustly
| lampooned a play produced at his theater,
and the reputation of the critic is such
| that there is probably some warrant for this
| plea But If the manner of the criticism was
| when we consider the source. 1t seems to be
| conceded that the ultimate verdict was just,
| which, after all, is the principal considera-
| ton.
readers of mis- paper fully, fairly and honest
Iy in regard 10 the qualities of any new play.
! He acts in the capacity of eyes, ears and
| brains for thousands who wish to know
His relation to the manager is purely exter-
nal and accidental. 1t is based upon mutual
| respect when there is any warrant for that
| sentiment. and extends to a fixed desire to
promote any worthy effort in which the man
ager may be engaged.
| But 1t is no part Of the critics function to
| make the worse appear the better reason
| in order to serve the financial interests Of the
| manager. His only hope of commanding re
| spect lies in fair Unparalleled and judicial
| upon to review. Human nature is weak. and
| he may now and then permit sympathy to