The times., 1898-07-03

form the larger portion of the Continental
theater. Reaching completely around
both Of the "horseshOes" they seat more
than haIf sf' the patrons of a house
With the exception of about two hundred
chairs placed past the second landing di-
rectly in front of the stage, and of a SINH
lar space above devoted 10 standing room
and the usual orchestra on the ground
floor the eatire auditorium is made up
OF them. All are completely separated
from each other. are closed on three
sides ana partake fully of the nature of
apartments, a party in one Of them IS as
secluded and alone an American
would DE n HobOken.
AT least three Of the Enclosures are re-
served for the city or state authorities,
and these are generally marked with the
arms of the families to which they be-
| long. Most of the boxes are bought out
right and are handed down from genera
ton TO generation. They are taxed as
personal property, and are, indeed, as
much so Is ones piano or MS cook stove.
The Germans show a true understand
ing OF acoustic properties in charging
most for the few seats in the first gallery.
These being as low as two marks, and, on
rare occasions as high as twenty For
eIgn theaters, however, charge much less
than our own and 1t is not often that one
has 10 pay more than 40 cents for an eX-
Grated. When Patti was heard in Prague
some years ago all her fame could mot
draw her an audience a the advanced
price she asked and Booth wise in his
generation, did not attempt TO swell re-
ceipts by that means during his visit to
Berlin. Orchestra chairs cost trifle less
than these above, and room in the mig
ger heaven" may be obtained at rates
graduating from cents upward.
The precautions against fire IN the land
of the TeutOn have become very numer-
Gus since the fatal confagration at the op-
era house in Vienna. Not only are the ex-
its numerous but a guarded candle is
left burning before each to insure light
should the flames reach the electric
wires. 4 small brigade. armed with lad
cers and axes, patrols the house through
out the entire performance and might
render some service in case of danger
The entire building is generally fireproof.
the scenery of asbestos and the stage
arranged 50 that it can be shut off from
the remainder OF the building at a mo-
ments notice. AB iron curtain which parts
in the middle and is moved up and down
by steam, accomplishes this task and
proves quite a curiosity to foreigners.
Perhaps all this preparation is not
! without warrant Nothing could exceed
/ the slowness and ineffi4ency of a Ger
man fire depar ment. Even the proverb-
1 ial snail might easily leave the engines be-
/ hind, and the inability of the men to put
( out q confiagration or anything else
should qualify them for the office of
house policeman in many of our local
/ theaters. The patsrnaliSm of the con-
I tineutal governments extends not only 10
caution. but 10 the care OF those injured
through lack OF i, Thus he site of the
burned Vienna Opera House is now oc-
cupied b. a national orphanage. in which
n-EH
the flames are well cared for
One cf the most notable things in the
building OF = German or other European
Diay house Is the provision made iOr ihe
actor. That worthy is looked up 10 with
the deepest respect and is cOnsd 2 l.ic
equal OF the highest classes. For him
there is no half-szed door reached By
means Of some alleyway but an en-
trance and corridor as sUmptuoUs IS
those through which his patrons come
. In most cases he has carriage at his
disposal and a driveway provides for its
Z app: zach - the structure in which h-
I works. Behind the scenes he has large
/ dTessing-roons, a weli-furnished green
room; often bathrooms and not nf~e-
quently pool tables and other luxurious
+ accessories The elegance with which
/ his apartment is fitted up is in notab'e
contrast TO the barren chedpness ex-
hibited in English theaters. Our own
modern piayh6uses provide for the actors
comfort as much as for that OF the .,lAE-
. Goer, but untI recently the Continental
! palaces were alone in their care :or lie
performer.
/ IN the larger cities variety theaters
abound. These are generally built on
much the same scale as our own The
lower floor Is flied with tables. al which
one may sit during the performance. In
addition TO his beer he may purchase an
entire meal in these resorts. The en-
tertainments given are not often of great
merit, the vaudevillians engaged being far
I behind those seen here.
T There are not so many theaters abroad
as in this country. While the great
metropolises are well provided for, the
smaller places are absolutely without
buildings in which TO give public per-
formances, and the two-story brick the
ater so common to our smaller towns
does not exist in the land of the Teuton.
There are not even halls or other large
places in which private entertainments
may be given, the poverty of the agri-
cultural classes and the lack of travelling
organizations accounting for this more
than absence of appreciation.
The finest theater in Europe is the
Grand Opera House in Paris. Next to
this in point of beauty IS undoubtedly
the Burg Thcater in Vienna. and the
ROYAL Opera Of Budapest makes a close
third. al of these cities have secondary
/ places Of amusement almost as handsome
as those named. The Opera Comidue
/ Paris; the Hof Theater. Vienna. and the
! National Theater, Budapest, are not sur
! passed by any ten houses in the world.
Both the German and the Bohemian thea
| ters in Prague are of the handsomest de-
| sign, while the Royal Theater and Royal
/ Opera House in Berlin, and the Royal
Theater in Dresden. can hardly be over
estimated. The trio of places first named
is TOO well known 10 need description
while the last six partake of all the
main elements mentioned In general.
OF late there have been constructed in
this country playhouses of wonderful
| costliness and architectural design. New
| York. Baltimore, Chicag go, San Francisco
and other cities have erected palaces that
cannot escape mention. But the German
theater is still infinitely superior to that
of America, in that it stands not for the
heeting interests of trade. but as an eter-
nal monument 10 art. When we on this
side of the water have ceased to regard
acting and the stage with bigoted suspi-
cion, We may claim the reverence given
the drama abroad; when we have learn
ed that the thea ser is not only an amuse-
ment enterprise, but an educational in
stitution. with a powerful influence for
good or evil. we Will house that art as
we have our paintings and our libraries
in the greatest and handsomest build
ings the land can afford.
America and Germany.
(From the New York Commercial Advertiser)
The German Emperor has sense enough not to
mistake the United States for Japan. The error