Omaha daily bee., 1897-12-05

Omaha would-De theater-goers nave hNtu
through an exceedingly dreary fortnight, and
are beginning to think that the syndicate, or
whatever high agency 1t Is that cootrols their
theatrical destlnies is giving them an en-
phatcally cold shoulder. 1t Is still stead
fastly believed, In the face OF certain
amount of evidence to the contrary. that the
Omaha public will bestow due patronage upon
really n,erltorious attractions, or even upon
the commonest kind of Shows" II they are
only bad enough as witness the experience
of "The Girl from Paris" end of Cissy FitE- !
gerald year ago. 1t is too much, however, /,
TO expect that regular and willing patrons OF
the thoater will long remain either willing or
regular IL they see the local playhouses for
long periods quite devoid OF desirable attrac-
tions. the while the desirable attractions are
playing in all the cities round about, and
have either not been booked here at all or
have cancelled their dates, arbitrarily and
without possibility of redress to local man
ayers. Those who have nominal charge OF
the Omaha theaters are altogether powerless
under existing circumstances. AS they have
no voice in the booking of attractions, so they
have no knowledge a week in advance as TO
whether the attractions booked for them by
the trust will appear ana play the engage |
ment or MT. If 1t suits the far-reaching pur- !
poses of the trust they will; not otherwise. |
This may sound like an exaggeration, but who
will undertake to say that any given one of
the attractions booked for this week at the
local houses would not be ruthlessly cancelled
by the syndicate If Its interest demanded su-h
cancellation and moyed to another square OF ,
the gigantic chess board at which the MEM
bers Of the trust sit as players against the
public? This is the phase of the anti-syndi-
cate fight in which the public is and cannot
fail to be interested. Theater-gcers as rule
care little az possible who manages an at
traction. Mr.. d. V. Arthur for instance isl
known to a few of those who are intimately
familiar with all sides OF the theatrical pro
fesson as an exceedingly clever manager but
except that ouely one in thousand the
public has no interest whatever in Mr.. Ar
thur. His etaT, Mr.. Robson. is well known,
and It is hoped will get the recognition he
deserves this week. He would get just as
much in any case, whoever managed him, or
whether he were in or out of the syndicate
only, If he were out, the question of getting
theaters to play in would doubtless trouble
him more than it does just at Creseu.
There Is growing conviction among ac
tors of the highest grade that they hold the
key to this extraordinary situation in their
own hands. All they have 10 do is to com
bine-not ncfariouSly, in the form of a trust,
but in a brothery spirit and for love of art
and the game is won. The people theoreti-
cally-and, as some say actualy--rule this
land. Thsy are greater than any man.
or than any aggregation of men short of the
whole body polite. and nobody has yet arisen
to call the syndicate that. If the people want
an actor, he is successful. If they do not, all
the managers and syndlcates of managers,
actual and possible, cannot force him down |
their threats. Something undoubtedly. may
be done by managers, by way of so sugar |
coating him to induce a spasmodic demand
for him; but the people must yearn for him, |
either unaided or with help, before he can
hope for fame and fortune.
Who doubts that Sol Smith Russell, for
In oh inf np,o ohn o+l,
town, except very possibly New York and
playing in barn, would do his usual excel |
lent business as well without the aid of any
syndicate with it? Would syndicate dis
approval keep people from going to see
Joseph Jefferson IL they had chance, or
William II. Crane, Richard Mansfield, or
DeWolf Hopper or Nat Goodwin or Charles
Coghlan, or E. Fl. Sothern. or Julia Marlowe
or Fanny Davenport, or Modjeska, or Maude
Adams? Or will a syndicate endorsement
render more than temporarily attractive
such exhibitions as might be mentioned by
the score, defing clean paper by the remot-
est allusion to them?
Signs of general revolt among the greater
actors are daily multiplying. Richard Mans
field, than whom when all is said and done,
no American player stands higher in artistic
ability or popular esteem, has completely
shaken off syndicate control in his charac-
teristic fashion, declaring that the existence
OF the trust is ian outrage and unbearable."
York entirely or retire from the stage alto
gether IL need be, rather than subject
himself longer 10 such humiliating domina-
tion. ut is quite certain" says the Nsw
York World which has lately thrown it's
powerful influence into the auti-syndicate
scale, that E. S. Willard will be the next
to take stand with Mr.. Mansfield. The de-
fection of few such stars to the banner of
the little band of high class artists forming
the independent contingent will, it is
thought, have a great moral effect, and
quickly end the arbitrary rule of the trust"
In a certain good book, which, contrary to
popular opinion is read by player-fok as
well as by others, we are informed that "the
stars In their courses fought against Sisera;"
and, Sisera's downfall being one of the best
substantiated of historical facts the law of
cause and effect will be readily seen to have
been at work, in those remote times.
IL the theatrical stars in their courses will
. but fight once more against greater tyrant
than the captain Of Jabin's host, the syndi-
cate will be as signaly routed as was that
army of old, of which it is said there was
not a man left"
The all but Juvenile portraits of Stuart
Robson which adorn the show windows and
other points Of vantage this week are eX-
citing the admiration of those who in
these counterfeit presentments a confrma-
tion of their theory that an existence well
spent brings peace and content His friends
tieth milestone of his life and that the like
nesses in question were caught from the
Robson of long ago; but they well
others, know that some hearts are ever
green and that such art that OF this ripe
comedian can never grow old however the
actors hair may thin and whiten.
One might with more reason quarrel with
Mr.. Robson, or his management, for putting
up on the local bill boards posters of the
variety known as three sheets, in which
"She Stoops to Conquer" is shown with
prominence equal to that given to the two
plays Ian which the comedian will appear
here. To be sure, closer inspection reveals
the fact that the bill simply sets forth Mr..
Robeons entire repertory and does not ex-
pressly state that "She Stoops to Conquer"
will be presented during this engagement;
but the average passer-by sees only the
large type and. II he concelves purpose to
witness performance Of Goldsmth's charm
ing comedy, is likely to be disappointed
when he makes inquiries at the box Office
This whole subject OF misleading adver-
tisements is one which would require much
time and space for its proper discussion.
fragrant instance was observable last week.
when THE Widow Jones" was announced
on every billboard in town as John j, Me-
Nally's latest comedy" Now the few Omaha
theater goers whom such statement as that