The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-11-13
JINGoES IN THEATRES NOW.
rms COUNTRY mas BE6UY 70 CARE
OWL FOR ITS OWN ACTORS.

Foreigners No Longer Welcomed Cor
diRIly Moro Profit for Our Own Actors
Than for outsidcrs-The New FselinR
shown Everywhere In This Country.
I'm going home and "a fast IA n trans
atlantic steamer can carry me" said the o
don manager. There is nothing for me here.
/ have nothing that II would be worth while 10
bring over now and l wouldn't bring It over N
I had. I have learned more about the situa-
tion here on my last visit than | even suspect
Ell before. The war has added the final touch
10 what had been gradually forming itself here
for the rast five years. II needed only a VIC
tor!ous war to complete the new movement.
America is so lingo now in the matter OF
amusements that / have looked over tho field
and come to the conclusion the country wants
only its own amusements for some time to
come. II not forever. So ! shall even tell my
rivals when / get home that this country con-
talns nothing for them. / could as truthfully
tell the same thing to the managers OF Italy,
France and Germany or OF all Europe. The
people Of the United States want the home
mndo article now. That demand ia not en-
tirelp new. l noticed it first three years ago
when on n visit TO this country But then It
was only showing itself modestly. Nowadays
1t Is aggressively evident 1t took your vic
tories In war to crystalline this feeling.
Il don't want you to understand that the
comparative merits OF any country plny any
part In determining this new condition here.
When Americans sneak patronizingly OF all
that comes to them from the theatre OF Europe
1t is not besause they are certain that theirs is
so much better than any other In the world.
1t is chiefly to resent any imputation that any
country can send them ANYTHING they do not
already possess tho equal VI. Proof OF this
can be found In the attitude adopted now to-
-.u.ul N .h-N - 49, AADnA
to tlis country. They used TO make a sensa-
TIL. Whether people went to see them or not.
II was always customary to talk about them
enthusiastically and lnterestedly.
1T was q mark of advance In taste and
knowledge to be able to talk about all the for
eigners who might come here. and everybody
did 1t. But who sees any of that spirit now?
The attitude OF Americans toward the most
distinguished foreign actors is now quite the
reverse. oh. yes. she is n good actress, but
she's showing her age dreadfully.' or His
mannerisms seem to be growing OH him every
year. or How l used to rave over him is the
style OF comment which greets the appear
ance Of distinguished foreign actors here TO-
day. The whole feeling of the public. shown
from Maine to California, seems TO warn the
rest of the world that nobody need come here
with the idea of showing the people something
with which they are hot already entirely IA
seems to be what they ali say. I'VE have every.
S Where 'u else e. r. nth The ne world as.'' I'll The &c recent recent sue.
cesses Of American actors in London have had
some little to do with this feeling or have kept
it strong. at all events. in that class OF, persons
who make 1t u rule to Keep up with the news
OF amusements. j.,
Foreigners who came over here several
years ago for the first time noticed that some
Thing. vas wrong. The atmosphere was dit
ferent. from what 1t had been in the past. The
Old enthusiasm was missing, Be1rhOhm Tree.
with the prestige of being one of the most
nopulq,r London actors; came over here and
meant, so be came back a%sseeond time to find
more than ever the fact that With ali his repu-
tation and, greatness in London he was not to
their, taste, heIane met with the same fate.
Maybe she's as grea: as people. say was in
effect what the Americans said. but We have
lust as good here. and there, is no reason why
Sarah Bernhardt encountered the same
feeling Ing od reserve and .5 q COMPLETE oana ,a Lack
the progress of the foreign artist so trium-
plant in, this country. The Kendals found
f 3as4 what 30 lo Il wa as edey tb did b not t give p% tfs lSSsl y;
playing TO empty. seats. Poor Mounet-Sully
was dismissed without a hearing. We've
pressed the public feeling toward. him. and
mighty few people ever found out from expo
reason that, nobody went to find out. John
Hare was, dismissed by, the public with the
estimate that he was no better than lots Of your
actors. and for that reason a London reputa-
ton Of years did him not the least good. Sir
Henry Irving and ElleL Terry. who have acted
eign actors.fave come to reaiizethat their mere
European reputation does them no good. Un-
TIL, FL they 3 ca IL re tIr here with strong PLAYS
has como to be rather a disadvantage than
otherwise for foreign actors. They are i'm
against them that the Americans feel. Their
attitude 3 IS that no actors need come over here
that they are great merely because, they are
considered so in their own countries. The
people here are put on the defensive, right
fact on the part of the artists themselves as
well as by ,their, managers. No great foreign
actor was here last season and not many are
likely to come this next year. I am anxious
TO see how they, ARE received. Since they
were here Fast the feeling Of jingoism, has
grown much stronger and it IS going to have
its effect on the reception of the foreign actors
Just as surely as they come: One o. the most
lies attitude happened here In New York last
season. One OF the collections, OF pretty wo-
men and some on the comedians from T the
piece was not very lively. but the women were
spectacular. and the show had the prestige Of
the past, had sent many successful companies
here; Rut the manager was astonished. The
source was not only of no advantage to it. but
was. on the other hand. AN absolute detriment.
n tEeNew Workers say Our theatre is the
'Nbb oto w "oiN Nv iAiNA hiIlo iiehi othtA
countries the other cities feel In the Sam.
way. They refuse to get W any enthusiasm
over the foreigners. and they meet them witt
the same supercillous doubtfulness that New
Workers show; 1t Is IL national tendency now
Just as strongly marked in Elkhart. Ind. as IL
Is in Boston. One difference between New
York and the other cities Of the country is
that plays which succeed here often meet with
failure on the road. This is especially true OF
foreign plays. The. great number Of foreign
plays nov might be taken TO show that the
taste of the public Is not SO completely given
over to our native works.
But the an swer to that Is easy enough. The
general public know nothing about the ma
tionality ,Gf a playwright or. for that matter, OF
a play. The personality of the actor. on the
other baud. is someth!ng with which they ara
fully acquainted: Foreign actors who come
mere name h0s'ffh ngIsh are Eeif tSn idc,, I ,nnNe
panies now. But they do not come over as
stars. md few people take the trouble 70 think
what they are. The Importation OF American
plays and players into London has not made any
impression on the reat body OF playgoers. They
remember that 'rhe Prisoner OF Xenda' was
ilrst given In New York. and that like II. The