The times., 1899-06-18
COMING PRODUCTIONS
INTEREST new YORK
Next Season Will Be Greater
Even Than the Past One.
Reports of Trouble Among the Trus-
tees of the Actors Fund.
Another Prominent operntic Come
dim VIII Seek the Divorce Bar
gain Counter-Gotham Gossip.

New York, June 17.-As the weather be-
announce their closing performances and
the music halls begin to gather IN the reg
ular theathre patrons, while the roof gar
dens assume prominence for the summe.
months, The mind of the manager and op-
server turis toward the coming season and
the incident productions. Within the pas.
week this suh.cc. las assumed considerable
Importance and while it is a little DANGER
Gus to specialize or prophesy about the the
atrical business, if no wars bob up or bus
mess depressions fall upon the country. ii
is likely that the coming season will wit
ness the greatest theatrical triuInphs of
the century and the hundred years of ad-
Eancement come to a fitting and appropri-
ate finale, while the new century will be
ushered in by the shouts OF managerial joy
and the chink OF accumulated coin.
Just now the chief bone of contention
among the pessimists and optimists is the
production of the dramatization of Gen.
Lew Wallaces great novel, Ben Hur"
The management has already engaged a
most expensive cast, and has eorralIed a
lot Of e-time stars for what we want
here in New York now is the we'll known
names On the programme. Aside from this
expense. which will naturally clear itself,
the scenic effect is to be very elaborate
and it is claimed that over S100. .0C0 wi be
expended in the production. OF course. the
great scene of the play from a popu al
standpoint will be the chariot race. and
for this purpose the revolving-stag idea,
first nspl an Cd hx~ Nail
has been purchased at no small cost TIE
protector of the play. if play ii may be
termed, says the chariot race will be re-
produced exactly as described by General
Wallace, in the full view of the audience.
The idea is to have the piece remain at tn :
Broadway all the season, and the manage
ment has secured the option on the house
for that time, no arrangements being made
for any road dates at all.
Indeed. it is doubtful if the production
could well be used on many OF the stages
of the provinces on account of its immens-
ity. There is no denying the fact that a
great deal of interest is being taken in the
production, not only by those who are
usually seen in the theatre. but by The re-
lgious and the literary as well. That is
what made THE Sign OF the Cross" a great
success, even after it had been failure
upon its first production here, and also is
responsible for the popularity of Brady s
Way Down East which, by the way
will be seen here at the Academy of Music
all next season. In the meantime, Ben
Hur" remains as a prospective record
maker or '.angel breaker" according to its
success or failure. It's a case OF make a
very nice spoon or spoil 4 very fine and
valuable horn.
The gossip of the week has been largely
rna naar riding in ba
Fund. While the chief organ OF the fund
and the leading theatrical weekly mas p,.b-
lished stenographic reports of the greater
portion of the proceedings, it seems that
there is little ground for the claim that
the meeting was as calm and serene as
summer day. The row appears to lave
been small second edition Of the fight
for and against the syndicate, the support
ers and employees Of sLe Latter combine be-
ing lukewarm IN their interest On account
CT the trusteeship OF one of its prominent
and most inveterate opponents There has
been dearth of interest in this charitable
organization within the past two years and
all the schemes TO revive the failing pros
poets seem to have been without avail
The decrease in membership is the
greatest disappointment Of all, and Presi-
dent Aldrich bewailed this in his address
to the members Of the organization With
out malice and with the greatest possible
fairness, it seems to NE that this effort
TO embarrass worthy charity on account
OF a personal matter is about the smallest
piece Of business ever done in this town of
small practices The Actors Fund has done
more to relieve the suffering among the
worthy of the profession than all the swell
clubs in the metropolis, and instead of
skimping along with q couple of hundred
members, should enroll as its supporters
every reputable professional in the city.
Some time when these actors can think
for themselves and get rid of the manage
rial bit, there will be no lack of interest
in the fund or in other charitable enter
prises. For a crowd of fellows who think
they are good spenders' the American ac-
tor has less soul and more gall than any
barbarian in Zululand or Australia. The
withdrawal of several of the fellows from
the fund at this time is not applaudable.
Despite the discouragements the fund is
in first-class financial condition, although
not so wealthy as it was even during the
business depression.
Nearly every actor and actress in New
York has been attending the races here
abouts and the losses and gainings have
been considerably discussed Then those
of the profession over in London have been
plunging on the turf considerably, but not
with any very satisfactory results. One
correspondent has been figuring up the
losses of the Americans on the London
Derby, and his totals reach we'll up in
the thousands. Nat Goodwin was the
worst in the hole Of the entire lot, losing
a cool ten hundred. and the only one who
bet against her Judgment and so came
out on the winning side was Nita Allen.
who tucked away about $500 in her
well her sealskin purse. In these local
III -, H.
SO 000, and goes on to describe her sys-
TEN. which turns out to be like all gamb-
ling and sporting systems-pure porkine
luck.
The gossipers of the local theatrical
world are just now securing remarkable
enjoyment from a delicious morsel of
news, which they are rolling under their
tongues. and those who have any money
left after tiding over this much of the no
work season are laying small wagers on
the result OF the complication. OF course,
there is a woman in the case; in fact. two
OF them Some five or six years ago a
young and shapely woman. while Inem-
Der of the Casino chorus and attached 10 a
popular comic opera organization, was
suddenly called upon one evening 10 take
the place of the prima donna in support of
one of the leading comedians of he day.
Contrary to the wishes of her friends of
the abbreviated skirts and padded tights,
the recruit made good" From that night
at the Broadway temple OF the comic muse
and the shrine of the undraped feminine
nethers dates the rise of the chorus girl
and the beginning of the longdelayed fall
of the comedian.
Those who have been members Of the
same organization, which visits Washing
ton yearly, could many a tale unfold re-
garding the conduct Of the two if put on
the witness stand in the suit for divorce
which the wife Of the comedian promises