The Jersey City news., 1899-12-16
The ANA TEURS.
Their Work is Often IN
fairly Criticised By
Cynics.
COMPARISON HITH PROFESSIONALS
st. Peters Lyceum Starts q
Dramatic Society st.
Pau1's Actors.
COMPARISON HITH PROFESSIONALS


That the lot Of the amateur actor Is a
hard one is claimed with much justice by
the most progressive and energetic Of the
students of the dramatic arts. OF course.
the same claim is made by all amateurs,
but only the earnest members of the fra
ternity that was termed some years ago,
THAT ever growing crowd of unsentenced
criminals known as amateur actors, are
listened to with any respect when they
ask for justice al the hands of cynics.
There is a certain class of men and
women who abhor amateur production
and who take every opportunity to
spread dislike among people general
". That at least is true in this city,
probably to a greater extent than IN
any other The argument put forth by
the cynical critics is that the local per
formances warrant the views they take
But this is by no means fair The MAJ
iority of performances by the pest
known Of the amateur companies In this
city compare favorably with those given
bv the third rate road companies put
out by managers and owners OF plays
that have been most successful on the
metropolitan stage, and they are far
ahead of the vast majority OF the pLes-
entations dished up at the f'i5oo
atre Of this city by proIesslonai coii-
panies.
This is the state of affairs under the
conditions that exist in the professiona
and amateur ranks at present, and com
parison of these conditions only adds to
the weight OF the evidence N lasoi u 'iiS
amateur. Professionai COMPANIES
hearse their plays as fohs a. eiiv ii'o. -
perienced OF the amateurs ana 'nei' - 80
month or more IN uos -" ~ l,.-.s ~
have courage enough TO play q cies "
any pretentions. Where the cay TUG ~ Sos
comes is not holiday. Iheh a1ler
tour on the road the production is piaceo
in a large city and thougn very o1ten pooi
it is money-maker and is hKeo Dy tns
crowd that jeers at the amateurs.
The amateurs have a months re-
hearsing, sometimes with a coaen aho
sometimes without. The play IS oone one
night and the mistakes and. mlshaps
which are likely to fall to any professional
company falls to the amateurs just the
same at the first last and only produc-
ton they have, and though the produc-
ton surpasses the cneap plays mentioned
above the criticism is not always as good
OF course there are thoroughly incapable
amateur actors. as there are thoroughly
incapable clerks or carpenters or mem
hers of any other line of work, industrial
or artistic and as these other branches
.l.sa,,a,o,,t s,aca,,sa of few neither
-,,a.1,s .a,,,. ,taa tr;caI neople be con
siio ~ ~ - ,,s,-.,a.t,,,- whole The
49,, ,,.,fassia,,al ranks to-
Des. : - = .,s,+a,,,.s =
os'
.s, ~ -avara1 ,nonths
=. .Sa rrraes I,aforn, as
e,,e gsra,sa straa+ have taken the
ln,.s.,. ~, stans torrar5 nrod,,cing two
=. -. ~ tba banaf,t of the
oAe go rrha oe,,,,,ittea ,s now
~. n'.,sau.. a. ~ r1snnv pair, and "The
~. cul-s. - - ,r,,r,, ), 1rbasa ara two clever
olsl. iia ins - = - r,,arts ~ onnortnnitv
t,0 - tha actors and nlentv Of fun to the
audience. The two will offer almost
a. ~ a., ha nresented with but lit
t1a difricnltv "a Happy Pair has a
sar,o,,s side and an undertone of deep
+t,o,1sbt tbat makes IL highly interest
80 as weli as amusing. In 1.-THE
f,r.rros of Music, is shown the unhap-
nv career OF musical composer, who