The record-union., 1897-10-16

theatrical patronage of the BALDWIN
than any other person in San Fran
cisco. I'm inclined to think she's a
dyspeptic. 1t appears, judging from
her eccentric criticisms, that when she
has eaten a hearty dinner and attends
the tleater, she bases her criticisms
on the mood she happens to be in. Woe
be unto the company which hap
pens to be performing when she is
suffering from Indigestion With su-
percilious air, she calls this one a bore,
condescends to advise that one to do
so and so, and excoriates the dramatist
for not ending the play TO suit her.
Plays on which thousands of dollars
have Eeen expended are treated by
her with naughty scorn as if they We're
beneath her notice 1t was she who
said that Blanche Bates. Worthing and
the Frawley company presented
THE Case of Rebellious Su-
SAN "far better than the Lyceum the
ater company, with Isabel Irving, Her
bert Kelley and other artists in the
cast. The comparison was by no means
just. While Blanche Bates and Frank
Worthing may, to her mind, have been
better than Isabel Irving and Herbert
kelcy-I do not agree with her-surely
she could not conscientiously say that
the detail, business, costuming, mount
ing ard acting of the Frawley COM
pany came anywhere near the perfec-
ton reached by the Lyceum company.
This is only one of many instances that
go 70 corroborate Mr. F'rohman's re-
marx that the coast critics tell the
public in their columns how much bet
ter their own stock companies can rem
der the same piece"
Mr.. Frohman continues: "As San
Francisco prefers cheap plays, we have
decided TO let it have them, as far as
we are concerned. If I can ship to
San Francisco the manuscript of my
ten-year-old plays at an expense of
half dollar for eXpressage, and get
fat royalties from local stock compa-
MES, why should I spend $1,000 for
railroad fares in sending John Drew or
the Empire stock company out there
to present the same thing?
Here are plays that have been shelved.
have just had them bound, and they
Will be sold to the highest bidder in
San Francisco. They are all after them
the Columbia, Orpheum and Alcazar.
They can have all the old plays they
want, but, Of course, none of the new
ones"
While there may be some truth in the
fact that San Francisco likes cheap
plays, they also want novelties. The
Alcazar and Morosco's, which really
draw little or no patronage from the
Baldwin, appealing as they do to a
cheaper class, present plays which have
been shelved or Hold plays" as Mr..
Frohman puts it. AS for the Columbia,
the greatest feather in its cap has been
the great number of comparatively new
and initial productions which it has
given this season. AS I mentioned
Husband" THE Case Of RebeIlious
Susan christopher. Jr.," Sue" and
'Pudd 'rhead Wilson, and brought out
for the first time on any stage THE
Question and Don't Tell Her Hus-
band, both by famous dramatists.
Surely Mr.. Frohman cannot call these
cheap nor ''shelved" plays.
1t Is evident at any rate, that Mr..
Frohman is not anxious to pay for the
fiddler to the tune of $4,000 in two
years. He is not in the business for
his health or glory, and it is to be
sincerely regretted that it has become
necessary for him to shun San Fran
cisco in the future The whole State
will lcse by this move, and we will
now have to be satisfied with reading
in the papers of the ovation rendered
Miss Tottie Footlights or the wonder
tul vogue of Johnnie Frontrow, the fa-
vorite comedian. How viii it all endq
HAROLD FRANCIS.