The herald., 1897-11-28

variety Of amusements for the local
playgoers. Magic and mystery, serpen-
tine dancing and a play of the Bret
Hartc type at one house, a modern do
inestic play Of the melodramatic order
at another, while ut a third a live coun-
tess has nightly kicked up her heels and
Hungarian boys have blown martial airs
to the applause Of thousands.
This week we are to have a few nights
with Hoyt in "A Trip to Chinatown"
which ought to prove entertaining, see
Ing that the advance agent says of it
that ut is just suggestive enough to be
spicy, but not bold enough to be wick
cd" The vaudeville house gives al
most an entire change Of BILL but re-
tains the Dresden china-looking little
countess. I regret to see that the Bur-
bank has real tank drama this week,
because 1t is a pity that the refined tai
ent of an actress so good as Miss Truax,
not to speak of the cleverness of some
others Of the company, should be vast
ed on productions in which ability has
~ realism Of the 45. 200 gallon tank pur-
porting to represent the bay Of New
York. Doubtless, however, the manage
ment understands it's business and the
tank will prove big attraction.
\ y
Shakespearean plays, when adequate
ly mounted. or when presented by per-
formers who are unusually well quail
fed for the task, have in the majority
Of instances proved successful as flnan-
cial ventures. When Shakespeare has
failed to draw paying houses it will have
been noted that it was for want Of prop
er care or ability in the presentation of
the play chosen.
At the same time. 1t must be acknowl-
edged that the spirit of the age is not
tolerant of anything that is long drawn
3, out, and that the general desire is for
condensation in literary effort n few
striking examples to the contrary not
withstanding. Dramatic performances
fall under this rule, and the time has
long since gone by when Hamlet" was
preceded by a curtain raiser and fol-
lowed by farce. People could not be
induced nowadays to sit for Ave hours
at stretch in the theat.er,. and yet at
one time the manager who did not offer
bill Of about that length was thought
to be shirking his obligations to his pa
irons.
The idea that Shakespeares plays
might be further popularized by con-
densation is not a new one, and 1 see
that that excellent actor, Beerbohm
Tree, has undertaken the task in re-
lation to Julius Caesar" which he has
arranged so that it can be played in
two hours and a half.
If the work of condensation and ar
rangement be done by a competent
person there is no reason in the world
for lover of Shakespeare to object to
the process The student always has
recourse to the literal version whenever
he desires it, but for purposes of en-
tertainment 1t may be conceded that
a proper reverence for the bard does
not necessarily imply a slavish adhesion
to every scene and sentence as it was
written. AS a matter Of fact, there is
not an acted play Of Shakespeare's that
Is put upon the boards today without
having first been modified in the ar
rargement of scenes and curtailed as
to it's dialogue. Excisons may be par
donnble, but interpretations never. The
presumptuous and ignorantly vain work
done by Colley Cibber and Garricl in
the way of additions to such plays as
Richard the Third" and Romeo and
Juliet" held possession Of the stage for
many years. and were superstitiously
venerated up to comparatively late
date. Charles Kear and Henry Irving
did great deal toward the restoration
OF the text but there is a great work
yet to be done by some one who will
arrange the most popular of the great
plays in such shape as will allow Of
their being performed in the length of
time set by Beerbohm Tree as already
mentioned.
!. The New York Dramatic Mirror is
now issuing a special supplement, de-
voted entirely to matters related to
the monopolistic theatrical trust which
1t is engaged in fighting. In this con-
nection some words from the Criterion
are worth quoting and are heartily in
dorsed. 1t says:
Perhaps the day of doom is in sight
for those strangers of dramatic art
known as the Theatrical Trust. The
Dramatic Mirror has taken it's Journal
tstlc existence in it's hands and adopt
cd a win-all or lose-all policy. 1t has
started out to do battle for the inde-
pendence of the stage as against the men
who are trying by monopolistic meth
ods to debauch the public taste into TAX
Ing such dramatic entertainment as
they can furnish for the least money.
and thus secure for themselves the
greatest profit. On one side are ar
rayed the Mirror, few fearless weekly
Journals like the Criterion, few cour-
fEeous actors like Francis Wilson. Rich
arni Mansfield. e. S. Willard, Minnie
Maddern Fiskc and James A. Hearne.
and rapidly increasing number of out
of-town daily newspapers in cities where
the so-called Sheendicate conducts IT..
business In more high handed manner
and with less regard to public opinio,
tnan. 1t dareS to here in Neu, Vo~Ir -.