The times., 1898-07-10

their own lines. they are kept to that and
are not thrown into labor about which
they know little and care less Briefly 1t
may be said that the brotherhood of the
press mas done more even than the gov
ernment for the foreign stage. It's uber-
ality and recognition have given players.
play and playhouse standing they have
nowhere else in the world
The continental actor has a very diff
ferent time from his prototype in this
country. Here the bigotry. prudishness
and w-mindedness of a portion of
the people has done what the prevalence
of the IAN me an artist class failed
to do Until recently the American actor
was not even a gentleman and was look
ed upon with contempt only ameliorated
by certain form of silly admiration.
In Europe ne Is an 'immortale." The
stage IS above everything and the nobil-
ity itself is proud to fete the successful
player. Through lit lal is seen apprecia-
ton of the fact that acting and writing
are the highest of the educas sional sci
ences. The average performer has stud
led for the theater as for medicine and
must perforce be a gifted man The ma
tional schools of acting in Paris and Ber-
lin are the most difficult to get through
in the world, and one who passes them
must bear the mark OF thought upon his
brow. of
But it is not with the nobility that the
German actor meets his deserts The
people do not feel that he is an emissary
of the devil, no matter how religious they
may be. He is popular hero and, Is
both loved an honored as such When
Sohnnenthall played in Dresden in 1890
the populace, carried away with his
work. cheered him madly wherever he
went. After leaving the theater nightly
and entering his carriage his horses were
unhitched, and the vehicle pulled through
the streets by crowds of enthusiastic
men. Charlotte WOlter was treated in
the same way in 1892, and Emperor Franz
Josef wept before Duse three wears later
When Booth did THE Kings FOoP' in
Berlin and reached the scene where a
father discovers that ne has ruined his
own child, il was with difficulty that the
crowd was restrained from mounting the
stage and bearing him away on it's
shoulders. AS it was, after that act he
responded to ten eneores.
We are not so emotional-so loudly en-
thusiastic-so humbe-we Americans. In
our leveling of ranks we are prone to
torges that there is an aristocracy of
brains that can never be leveIed and we
are too proud TO pay homage to it. And
that Is one reason that men whose mem
ory our children viii revere are starving
now unheeded in our great cities, All
things are equal here.
AS we grow older affairs are changing
greatly, and i, is to be noted with pleas
ure that the position of the American ac-
tor is daily becoming more compatible
with his worth. This Is especially de-
sirable. since 1t is the great difference
hat gives Europe a right to sneer at our
ideas Of theatrical art. As regards the
stock system, we have nothing left TO
desire. There is a pace for everything.
and everything has it's pace" The Con
tinent is qualified for tha. plan of enter
prise-or rather disqualified for any 9TH
er. Our present system is infinitely
more to be desired, and. while a mild
infusion of stock companies has not hurt
US. there is little probability of its
spreading or becoming universal There
are other evils to be guarded against.
but our present plan OF operation is so
decidedly superior TO all others that it
may be depended upon to look after it.
self