The times., 1898-07-10
THE STOCK SYSTEM ABROAD
Reasons Against lis Re-estab-
liShment Here.
IT'S MERITS AND DEMERITS
Costliness of Maintaining Good
ComDnnies-LOcaI Players Make
onl. Local Reputations-DiEer
ences in Tastc-Reyerence Done
Actors i'm Europe.

Now that host of thea trical wise
acres are giving columns of space other
wise empty 10 saying that this has been
the greatest year for stock companies
since the days of McCauley. the great
home system of Europe, and particularly
of the continent, becomes a pertinent
question. 1t has always been cause for
remark among wayfarers abroad that
travelling troupes are there the greatest
of rareties and even to the actor the
impossibility of the state of affairs pic
tured in that deeply pathetic ballad, Its
Forty Miles From Schenectady to Troy"
has loomed up pleasantly at the bare sug-
gestion of a foreign tour. The time-mel-
lowed plan Of running amusement enter
prises in Germany. Austria Italy,
France and even England has. of course,
its drawbacks, but, on the whole il is
about as perfect as can be- The idea of
transplanting it to the United States is
not so feasible. The suggestion reminds
one of the reply made by a man who
was told that China was TO adopt our
bank system and who remarked that il
could never be made TO work in that
country, because China was too far from
Canada.
While on, perhaps, a grander basis than
In this country, theatrical enterprise is
on nothing like as large a scale there as
here Abroad the drama is pronouncedly
an art-in this country almost if not
quite a trade There are six men en-
ployed In the American playhouse where
one is brought into requisition in all Eu-
rope. Then the geographical greatness
of our own land. and the eyer-changing
tastes of our own people. present an in
surmountable barrier 10 the success of
stock organizations on this side OF the
water. Still. with all this, the infinite
detail and pains with which it is carried
out across the pond" make it an inter-
esting study and as such is must be
treated
After the building of German thea
ter, described last week. the first essen
tial Is the gathering of a home" com
pany. This is most often placed in The
hands of director chosen by the gov
ernment, and whose will in the matter Is
supreme. He reads the plays accepted
too. ard arranges for their production
In selecting his organization he is moved
not so much by the versatility ef appii-
cants as by their ability TO do one thing
and do il well In the different classes
OF presentation made only the minor peo-
pie are expected TO be able both to sing
and act. The principals are not only con
fined TO very limited ranges of work. but
are often specialists in certain degrees
of that work. Thus. a member of the
combination may not only be unwilling
and unasked TO appear in anything but
opera. but she may fur her object to
singing the compositions of any master
other than Richard Wagner. or even Pie
tro Mascagnl.
Of course, this arrangement is decided
ly costly and would be practically i'm
possible where the stage is not endowed
by the State. Players must be paid Iu-
rinng the period Of their engagements
whether they are continually utilized or
not IN a universal. adoption of the stock
system here such a proceeding would be
decidedly necessary. partially because
not even Augustin DAILY can teach his
people TO do everything. and partly be-
cause the flckleness of the American the
atergoer would soon make him grow
weary OF one actor or one body of ac-
tors. In an interview with the writer
Nesta Tilley. the famous male imperson-
ator, once said: 1.-The great difference
between the English and American
amusement-loving is in the fidelity OF
the former to its old favOrites." And
she is so far right that new faces may
be considered essential to the success Of