Evening star., 1898-10-15

the National Theater has been crowded
every night. BUrr McIntoshs new play,
"A War Correspondent, at the Columbia
has pleased large number of people. and
when it gets into perfect shape will en-
hance the reputation of the star and also
of the author. The Cuckoo" has broken
all records at the Lafayette Square. 1t will
play to the Hghtest business ever done i'll
Washington.
Next week there will be grand opera at
the Lafayette Square and the international
Opera Company. which contains such sing
ers as CIementine DeVere and Selma
kronoid, and which promises to give opera
more complete in respect of principals.
chorus and orchestra than ever before for
regular theater prices, should be greeted
with crowded houses at each performance.
At the Columbia stuart Robson will pre-
sent his new play. The Meddler, sup
ported by an excellent company. At the
National AIr. FrOhmans company will give
The Conquerors,' and at the Academy the
melodrama. when London Sleeps" Will be
the attraction. At kernans and the Bijou
good vaudeville programs are promised
y new candidate for public favor comes III
the Grand Opera House, which Will be
opened under Mr. o. II. Buffers manage
ment. with Lost in Siberia as the hrst
attraction.
During a recent visit to New York the
writer met Stuart Robson, and during an
interesting conversation that followed r5la-
tive to his new comedy, The Meddler, the
comedian said: II am entirely satisfied
with the play Mr.. Augustus Thomas has
furnished me. l think it is by far the best
vehicle l have had since The Henrietta.
A play continued Mr.. Robson, lis one OF
the most fragile bits of machinery in the
world. Authors may have descriptive pow
ers of unusual strength, they may be able
TO delineate characters on paper with ex-
qu.Site accuracy and to devise situations
of intense dramatic interest, yet many of
them could no more write a successful play
than they could fly. The constructive abili-
ty is wanting and playwritins. although an
art. should be studied as a profession An
apprenticeship should be served. Every
line in play should have direct bearing
on the motive, and action should meet and
dOyetail into action
"A line in d play that does not lead up to
motive should be cut no matter if it be
an applause ava kener or no. Can you pre-
diet the success or failure? No. not with
any degree Of accuracy. The proof of the
pudding is in its mastication. and the act
ing Of a play is the only means of deter
mining its qualities. | remember when
BOucicault produced Belle Larmar, in New
York twenty odd years ago. AT the end of
the first act the audience almost went wild
with delight. For five minutes there was
the most enthusiastic cheering | ever heard
and the entire company were called in front
OF the curtain several times. l went back
on the stage to congratulate Boucicault,
whom / found with tears in his eyes. Its
a failure old man, he said. and the fault
is in my first act, it's too strong. The
audience Will never be satisfied with any
thing that follows And SO ii proved.
The average audience Will sit patiently
through an uninteresting first act, hoping
something better is TO follow.
"On the other hand" said Robson, Il be-
Heve it is possible to surfeit an audience.
! remember producing a play called Cham
pagna and Oysters I think 1t was one Of
the funniest things 1 ever appeared in; it
was positively a laugh from beginning to
sEd. Joe Jefferson was one of the 'first-
night audience. and after the piece was
over he came back to my dressing room.
Well, joe ] asked do you think it will
do% Jeferson's reply rather astonished ME.
It's too funny, he said. Too funny re-
Peated, dumfounded. Yes. it's too funny
echoed Jefferson. You don't give your
audience time to rest between laughs; you
tire them out laughing. You will nevar
make a penny with the play And didn't"
All that the public hears or knows about
a theatrical managers play investments is
confined TO the plays he places upon the
stage OF his theater or produces with his
company or companies in somebody elses
theater. as the case may be, 1t knows
nothing about the plays he buys and builds
hopes on for the nOnCe, but little later
throws into his waste basket: the plays
he purchases and partially pays for before
their production and later on labels them
failures without trying them himself. or
the plays that ne secures and keeps in
stock as it were, not knowing when he
may have to drag one out for what
Special value certain turn of the public
taste may give to a manuscript.
There isn't a manager in America-ave.
or in EUrope-WhO spends so much money
for plays in one year as Manager Charles
FrOhman does. He reads 800 or 600 sub
mitted American plays every year, and
nj find rial in yK-I; oh ia
the entire play may not be exactly up to
his standard. he deems 1t his duty to pur-
chase. and so he does it. Any evening in
the week he may bs seen in New York
city walking down Broadway to the Wal
dorf Hotel with quite conspicuous bundle
under his arm. Sometimes if there are too
many plays for one bundle his office boy
follows behind with another. In these bun
dies are plays. Immediately he reaches
his room at the Waldorf he strips for the
fray DcnEing flowing house gown he
throws himself on q couch, and he will
finish or very nearly finish one play before
his dinner time arrives After dinner he
reads until or $50. when he makes the
rounds Of his attractions playing in New
York. Of WHICH he at present has seven
running After the theater he reads again.
hn1 probably five nights out of the seven
VIII find him prOpped up in bed at = O'Clock
In the morning with q play manuscript in
his hands.
every summer and makes or renews con-
tracts with the leading dramatists He
sees them Personally. listens to their plans
scans the scenerlas Of their plays and comes
10 an arrar cement with them for the Amer
lean and English rights Of their dramas or
comedies. In the cases OF the eminent
Grau.atists he. has no hesitation in pur-
chasing the Uutried play. for like our own
Bronson Howard or William Gillette it is
pretty safe TO esteem the chances as large
ly IN favor Of the success of their pen
products. In other cases he buys the of
fered manuscript Whatever method he
pursueS in his purchases he manages to
invest So GbU TO S1ptOOD every year in
manuscripts before a curtain has gone up
on one Of them, and often before the pen
that Is 10 write them has been wet with
INK OF this amount he will lay by-put
on ice. as It were-for future use $io.tNo to
Sl2'r" worth. while 5000 to 10000 worth
by reason Of better purchases or change
IN the public taste. or for some other un-
foreseeu reason, will become practically val
uelcss
MI Frohman does not buy plays for mere
speculation. He is the largest producer OF
plays IN the world. well as the largest
buyer OF pays This year he win produce
IN the nelShbcrhood Of twenty plays most
OF them OF the most expensive class One
aN..H