The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-02-22
the KEITH IDEA.
Although Eight Years Old II is Still
New 10 Many People.
Mildred Irving Tells Of the Things Needed
In Vaudeville.

termed ny the profession - now
eight or nine years Old, | am told that
theatrical people have not yet gotten
over their surprise at the wonderfuj
success and enduring popularity of
hlgh-ciass vaudeville in connection with
the continuous performance system.
AS / read something in one Of the
Sunday papers about this fact. a dozen
or more reasons occurred to me as sat-
isfactorlly explaining it. Variety, wa
are told is "the spice OF life;" and
surely it Is equally true that variety is
the life or vaudeville. opera, tragedy,
comedy. melodraina, farce. society
drama, the problem play and bur-
lesque. each appeals 10 and draws pat
ronage from persons with penrhant
for some particular form uf theat&ca'
entertainment: but vaudeville, liberal
and democratic. broad aud comprehen-
sive, attracts and entertains all.
Lightness, pquancy and humor-the
same qualities that have made farce
comedy and light opera successes, bIs
without either the coarseness or the
suggestiVeness too often found IN tnem
are the characteristics or high-clasS
vaudeville: and with what wonderful
skill. Il seems 10 me, do The managers
Week AIltl Ntfh DiNhN'' NliNHA 'N'N'
derful Kaleidoscope combinations or
the very best 10 be found in every
branch OF dramatic and musical art.
science and skill, athletics and tho
unique.
Farce-comedy came. IN Its day. saw
and conquered: but It's triumph was
ephemera and its day is at least wan
ing. 1t was. perhaps, the first step in
the evolution of the old variety stage.
introducing To a better class Of audi
ences some of the best features OF old
fashioned variety" but thick tongued
German comedians and animated
clothespins are a triie worn about the
hem and they have lost their former
charm. In the meantime, the advent of
high class vaudeville. which in sense
is only another term for modern va
riety,' brought a selection OF the nttest
and cleanest types OF variety and a
general cleansing of even the best or
them. "A lifting up TO higher and more
refined level; and then the introduce
| tion of the so-called Legitimate acts
practically completed the work of 're-
! form" and brought high-class vaude-
Vile to its present proud position,
where it commands the respect and en-
| thuslastic support OF the very pest
| classes among theatregoers, including
| even many persons who find in the
modern drama and the modern theatre
| i'm general much that is unsatisfactory
| and who, while seldom patroniZing
! them are regular attendants at the
continuous performance vaudeville
| houses.
/ can hardly agree, however with
| those who do not admit that there was
anything good i'm old-fashioned variety,
| for cannot forget that May Irwin, Nat
| Goodwin, William ~. Crane, Lillian
! Russell, Francis Wilson, JEFF DeAnge-
| lis, James 7. Powers, Andrew Mack.
| Chauncey Olcott ana n score of others
who might be named all bear the brand
! OF old-time variety" Their present
positions attest the existence i'm 'Varie-
4 ty' of the foundation upon which the
| magnificent success of modern high
| class vaudeville has been built.
| l spoke n minute ago about complet-
! ing the work of reform. but the work
! is rot completed. The Improvement is
going on all the time. The literary
| quality of many acts has long been be-
| low the dramatic quality, and 1 think
| is receiving more and more attention.
| 1t is not necessary for an actor TO say
| II done il" or to use other barbarous
| expressions often heard In order To be
| funny. The actor who Is able 10 pro-
| duce spontaneous laughter, the actor
! who is n good enough comedian TO en-
| title him to a place in high-class Naude-
| vile. can, unless playing character
| part that calls for certain grammatical
| monkeyshines. accomplish Just as sat
| isfactory results by employing good
| English as by committing grammatical
! assaults on the ears OF such intelligent
| audiences as are always TO be found in
| the high-class vaudeville houses; and
| I'm this direction lies ample opportunity
| for worthy effort on the part or man
| ayers.
| II may be- too. that after a time we
| shall see less of the girl who tells us,
4 oil.
TO make her debut on the stage and
Just to pass away the time while she Is
| waiting for Charlie, she VIII run over
| her songs once more. IL Is very de-
lightful thus to be taken into her con-
| fidence, but these condolences have be-
| come so numerous that they have be-
| come quite tax on our minds; ana
when the literary character OF the
| sketch has reached the point where
| this and other similar pleasantrics are
eliminated ! am sure we shall all feel
| somewhat relieved. The time probably
| will come, also. when people who are
the finest of dancers and the poorest
OF singers won't think il as necessary 90
display the deficiency as the merit, and
| when the comedian whose joke doesn [
! happen To produce as much laughter as
ne thinks IL deserves will not comment
upon the fact either by word, look on
action. and thus will be very much bet
| ter liked by the audiences.
| 1t takes all sorts OF things, all kinds
| OF types, to entertain all kinds of peo-
| ple. which is what the vaudeville au-
I dicnceS are composed Of; but | fancy
| that q few at these trining shortcom
| ings can easily he removed without I'm
| the least dctracting from the enjoy
| mcnt of any one and at the same time
| enhance that OF many. No one looks
| for tho literary merit i'm vaudeville that
| is expected i'm the modern drama. III
| many respects IL is 10y the nature OF
| things impossible: and. moreover. vau-
| deVillc audiences 60 to the theatre To bo
| amused. 60 bc entertained. TO laugh and
| 20 see something unusually clever oi
| skillful, aud not To enjoy literary fcats
| The fact is. however, that modern high
| class Vaudcyill has been so educating
| and so ccvatlng I'm its tendencies that
| audiences that a few years ago would
| not detect many OF the ordinary flaws
| IN acts have become quite exacting and
| are inclined 10 look for the extension
1 of the refining influence through every
nerve and fibre OF that wOndrouslS