The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-11-19

4V sssscosfgg isg occupation o. making
round fog TT a square hole
without whiting. In otEsr wafas ne isias
during his ranax cement % the onee po;fa-
lar rIAynouss bens has entise s1s@rxas@ -
50 s+,tf@ayor 70 warp the taste OK me
,a.a.s-.rafrx pHsIis. 81 seattle into con-
farro.ty with hls owa notions 81 what taat
ugAlic should have 10 the way OF amuse-
naent
Manager Bowe'n experiments have now
reached sueh stage shas the fneaser-
gang public has fully male up liz mana
regarding their success. even though MAR
agsr Howe may gsili feel some lingering
doubts What the paaiie's judgment Is.
ersn people who ara not fbester-eosng are
aware Manager Howe has made sasl-
ugp. ard the tire has nearly Come, the
mos, unbiased critics agree. when be must
either Use tie knife or set new peg.
In nutshell. the stary Of Manager
Hcwe's Seattle career IL that he came mere
nearly tive years ago TO take charge OK
th. gsasfia fheatsr. AZ that time the
geattie theater was known throughout the
West "a fisst-eiazs playhouse Under
previous arrangements THIS reputation had
been carefully preserved and addsd 20. Be
fore Manager Hose's advent the fact that
q play ~as billed nj the Seattle ineatef
was sufficient guarantee that u was
first~class attraction. II was rare then
trance 10 the tasater. and when they dli
80 II was with full public notice OF the
fact that they we're popular priced.
Manager Howe began by playing sec
Cna-raters' at frEs-ciass prices. but ne
promised better things TO come anu the
public MAS tolerant. In course Of time
Manager Howe shaded his prices That
was well enough considering the character
of the entertainment furnished. But Aan-
axrSy n u
wise shaded his attractions. And from
this time on II cannot be trafasally said
that Manager Howe has ever made ser
8 faus attsmp. "a again place his house In
the front rank On the contrary the repu-
tatton OF the Seattle theater has steadily
grown poorer and at the present time only
in nafna In IL anything but popular
priced" theatrr. Notwithstanding the fact
that for its size there are To DO found In
che United States but few more conven-
ientiy arranged or elegantly furnished play
house
Z VERY theatergoer remembers the Se-
l. attic ;heatar az II was when under TIE
management Of John w Hanna FIVE
or six years ago and will recall the fact
that names like Henry Irving, Frederick
warde. Louis James. Thomas keene. Alex
sander Saivini. Joe Jefferson. Nat
Hpfne. Henry Miller. Kyria Beilew. Otis
Harlan. Richard Mansfield. Melbourne Me-
Doweil. James oSeil. Frank Worthing
and among actresses. Sarah Bernhard.
Ellen Terry, Julia Mar,owe, MIA JAMES
Brown-Poiier. Fanny Davenport. Blanche
Walsh. Blanche Bates Marie Wainwright.
katherine Kidder. o.orgie Cayvan were
common on the bill boards Of the Seattle
sheater. Just few of these favarfses have
also played here under Manager Howe, but
Oh the whole that gentleman has been sx-
fremely unfortunate. 10 s8y the least. in
procuring artists of any rrenal1ence for his
house.
In making a critical estimate OF Manager
Howa's course X ia iast to the theatcg-
gatng public to say tina. there has been
abundant reason for It's complaint regard
ing his management IL should be rensen
hered that many OF the bright stars named
In tho preceding paragraph appeared I'm Sc
attic when times were hard and when the
management of the leading theater would
have been ahundantfy Justified in cheaper
ing the class of attractions ENGAGE And
yet now. when the city was never more
prosperous ana when Seattle. always rec
ogaizea as the best ''show town. In the
Northwest would gladly patrofixe the hest
the stage could offer, oven NJ advanced
prices the Seattle theater. az 3. 90. IS cents
ane 81 admission, plays second and third
rate attractions that I'm the East show only
~ popular prices Of one-haif or less than
those above quoted. ard in houses scarcely
10 be dtgninea as taeators.
u e i
THE following companies nai plays that
have been seen al sssa Seattle within the
past few weeks show very fairly the
sort Of attractions" Manager Howe be-
aieves sne people OF Seattle appreciate:
Georgia Mins;res, Bogton Lyric opera
company. Vanity Fair" Hosts a Hack
Sheep "A nreezy Time" Mistakes win
Happen" Gorsuu's New Orleans Ministries
Madame Med1exka. My Friend From In
tia.' "A Gay puceivor.' "A Yenalne Yen
tleman." GFau Opera Company. A MIX
White Flag" Hotel Topsv FarVy" "in
Old Kentucky" and last but net least
''fhe Electrician" which, fresh from Cord
rays Portland popular priee taeateg. closed
It's engagement last might,
Comment on this list 81 unnecessary
Perhaps three Of the whole series 81 a..
fractions were fairly good. Among these
Il Is dua to her brilliant past. and not 70
her @itheref present 70 Include Mod teSia
at 81 50 for psraueste seats. II is some.
thing Ia see at the Seattle theater az
actress who wsa even onCe coed ara
Manager Howe apparently realised the
fact when he advanced his prices Tor tia
occasion.
II IS Manager Howe's persistent book
ing Of such predue tions as ''Vsnitr Fair
and "A isseeay Time" ana allowing sueh
sggregsticns of mediocre taleng 50 the
Boston Lyric Opera Company ard Cor
toms Ministries q place ca lls STAGE that
hss practically driven away trurg the So
sttle thester hundreds CT tts former pa
yogsx anG made its audiesces at ssas pres.
eflt uuas consist rgaiuiy 81 tFsn>ieuss - eo
are forced ~ natr0nlze serrsa plsee ~
amusement and Rake fhs, Seattle taeater
Ia lieu Of something less On tAo yAIss.
Vile order. The fact thai the Shaafxx
can 90 q profitable business .xtth sugh
patronage eulS 10 sufficient answer &c
Manager H3wss alleged defense that
gEst~cisss companies 81 nrSt-class PLAYS
cannot &c brought - Seattle Nth p-1at.
The fact tssat the Thi~S sssnxe -.
svowe'ly roralsr prize h-Hxe. has STEAD
lily improved ths Glass * SIS attractions
Dntii they srs far superior - any ~ tie
history 80 tsat gsay iseuse. and thzt tsza<
sheateE - able tn piss ana cheese It's
saieat. q ea&ee prnos tAat wsY* MsrAsesr
Howe As saEcFgyis1Eg aud as llh~eaa So hgs
Treatment 81 theatrical companies as 30
Nx,ss4es Se4eh f@asser n SNafsss + d