The times., 1898-07-10

our theaters and the combines filling
them The German stock company IS
primarily recruited by the best people
obtainable and often such an organiza-
ton does not change a single one OF Its
members in six years. -ets-tna s.#
Even in the foreign capitals. as was once
the case here, travelling stars are often
needful however, and there are any num-
Der of visiting actors who go from one
place to another because they are espe-
cially fitted for certain pieces TO be given
in other cities, much as ministers eX-
change pulpits. In such cases the strollers
are supported by local combinations ana
the productions are the work of the the
ater. In other words, the ring is ready
when a gem is brought To add luster TO its
form. The advantages on the road Tor
an entertainer are shown by the fact that
without exception the most famous OF
German players were visiting ones. Sohn-
nenthall and Charlotte Wolter. the most
beloved of ALL so. or went, from one burg
to another. heading the stationary COM
panies The few foreign stars do the
same, and have from the time of the tri-
umphal trip OF our own Edwin Booth to
the almost equally great tour of Eleonora
Duse. Experience has proven that local
actors make only local regulations.
This is only one of the drawbacks of
the system. Even in cases where great
care is taken in offerings 1t is only rarely
that they share the excellence of our
own dramatic efforts. A man is con-
fined to one place and given no opportuni-
ties outside Then, too, this prevents the
country at large from seeing more than
one or two of the best players and besides
effectualiy limiting the field for the actor
narrows it for the theatergoer. Perhaps
the effect upon the former class is most
deplorable. Leaving aside France and
England, all Europe has not produced
more really famous entertainers than one
could count on his fingers There is no
n,iddie-class of performers, men like e.
II. Sothern. Sol Smith Russell. Henry
Miller. Fanny Davenport. Charles Cogh-
Ian, or others of the order that amuse us
every year.
There are other demerits to the system
and, altogether, this country may count
itself fortunate in being well rid of it.
On the continent the question is not So
easily disposed of. The imperfect arrange
ments for railway travel is not the least
of these. while lack of American enter
prise and grit is another. Then every city
supports its own company or companies,
and could no more afford to share Ii or
them with neighboring municipalities than
could one man afford to share his newly
purchased home with another. Differences
IN taste. temperament and disposition
must also be counted in. and the geo
graphical limitations finally complete
what IS really emphatic bar TO i'm
provement or change. A travelling com
pany could hardly exc out an existence in
a country much smaller than some Of our
States In few of the foreign nations are
there more than four cities worth playing
and, a will be understood. a Journey
would no sooner have been begun be-
fore ii would come to a close. new pro-
ductiOn of a new play and a repetition
of the route would then be in order max
ing the organization practically a stock
company en tour after all A country
that may be traversed in six hours is
hardly fit subject for lons-distance stroll
ling. One might well lock a convict in
a two-by-three cell and then reprmand
him for his lack of pedestrianship.
A combination could hardly pass from
one land to another In its work unless
each of its members were a pOlyglnt.
There are more tongues spoken in E.u-
rope than there were at the Tower Of
Babel. The presentation of a hundred
piece repertoire would seem childs play
after working up productions of one play
in French, Italian Swiss German, Bull
garian. Servian. Spanish, Turkish and
the dozen and one dialects or Hungarian,
Then one loses his enthusiasm for inter
national travelling abroad shortly after
reaching the second custOm-hOGse. There
are more pleasant things in the world
than having ones baggage thrown on a
platform every few hours the contents
tossed anywhere and ones own pass
ports examined as though he were guilty
OF the most heinous felony and hal been
caught at il.
There are. of course. a number of trav-
cling organizations in Europe. In Italy
and Germany they have hardly gone
above the rank OF strolers. in France
they are institutions, and the English
provincial-who does not know him? Je-
rome K. Jerome who is great humorist,
even though British subject. was such
an actor. and in "On the Stage and on
and Stage Land he tells how he did
the classic drama to he taste of the few
people who assembled in what were often
literally stalls. He relates tales of the
manner in which Iago often became dis
gracefully drunk; of the man who snap
ped an empty revolver at the villain for
ten minu-es. while that worthy waited
patiently to die and finally did succumb
from fright; and of a realistic perform
ance of Don Carlos with an inverted
hay rick for a throne that give us
pretty fair insight into what provincial
ISM was.
There are fewer stock companies in
England than here but the meritorious
attractions are able TO fill their time in
London without being subjected to the
inconveniences and risks of the road. so
that the better class Of players are sell
dom seen out Of the great metropolis.
What such cities as Manchester and Bir-
mingham do for amusement is, to a large
extent. mere conjecture. The organiza-
tions en- tour in Great Britain are not of
the best variety and the occasional out
Of-town trips of the great stars are not
so frequent as 10 fill in an entire season.
Theaters are scarce in our mother coun-
try and yet their general run of players
is better than ours. They take more pains
with their work. are more finished and
do not depend on inspiration as we do.
An English actors boast is, 81 spent
three years on that part" an Americans
Il got that in two days"
While it is doubtless true that the art
of the stage abroad is more distinctly an
art than here, one can hardly give the
stock company the credit for this. AS
matter of fact. the greatest aid the Ell
ropean drama has received is from the
newspapers. The freedom of the press,
ordinarily a meaningless term thare, ap-
plies fully regards the theater. A
dramatic critic in Germany holds posi-
ton not inferior to any in the field of
letters. He is a laborer of rank and is
appreciated and studied as such. On The
journal by which he is employed he is
not subjunctive even to the managing
editor. and in his absolute control of his
department he admits of no interference
He is allowed the claim that dramatic
criticism being his business, he knows its
complexities better than even the man
ayers of his sheet, and Is, therefore
given full sway. His salary. is in ali