The record-union., 1899-01-22

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| Dramatic Mirror: Where the risque
play will stop on its pornographic path
lis rapidly becoming matter for seri-
Gus contemplation. So says the Bos-
ton Herald in an article comparing
the period when Camille was ccnstd-
cred an immoral play with to day s
easily -digested denominations. Great in
/ jury has been done to the theaters by
i the shameless SPECTATORS a. whose
doors the appearance Of degenerate
plays on our stage must be laid They
have produced the impression that their
public-the seekers of indecency that
are numerous in every large community
lis the public, with the result that
the promoters OF better things are com
PEELED to face and overcome the re-
born prejudice against the playhouse
that is growing rapidly among the
wholesale element whose patronage has
been alienated by the traffichers in
fifth on the stage. Viewed from any
and every standpoint the influence
these managerial panders exert Is vi
icious and demoralising, and were it + OF
for an abiding faith in the eventual
triumph of good taste and good morals
where the American people are con-
cerned it could be wished that thar un-
American institution, play censor ship
should be established here.
Commenting on the refusal Of the
Baltimore News to turn over its
of a local thester in return for ad-
vertising "favors,'' the Boston
| Transcript says: e The proposition
tr,l,;oI, ,lx4oo+c Ivy r,r
means new or original. 1t has been
put forward again and again in the
same -blooded and business man.
ner. Every self-respecting newspaper
refuses it, but they are many who dc
accept it, and they are easily discern
ible. The hun1or OF the whole thing
is that it does no good either to the
manager who makes the bargain or to
the newspaper which ratifies IT,
The foregoing is clipped from the
1"Dramatfc Mirror" Says an exchange
on that subject: There are some man
ayers in far-distant cities; such as
Simla and Bagdad, who consider that
an advertisement placed in q news
paper gives them the privilege OF die
tating it's entire editorial policy They
forget that it is the soundness of that
without which neither advertising nor
lreading columns would be Of value to
theatrical managers or any one else"
|
| A number of years ago there was pro-
duced for a. long time in Paris panto-
mime called 1.-THE Statue Of the Com
mander'' 1t made a tremendous SEN
lsation there. Charles Frohman had the
American rights, but he never awaited
himself of their privilege for the simple
reason that he was afraid New Yorkers
would not care for it. Mr.. Fitch, how
ever, has been clever enough, or lucky
enough, to reserve his pantomime sim
ply for the most important situations.
It is doubtful il an American would
stand for three hours performance
without hearing the human voice most
| of the time. We are a talking race,
and have unstinted admiration for the
persons that can talk the most in any
stipulated period of time. That is one
reason why "Cyrano de Bergerac" has
| ingratiated himself in our midst.
Leontine Stanfeld: Paderewski is
writing an opera His first, last and
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finished, and is waiting for the libret-
tist to show up with the other half and
the last act. It's all about a music mad
magyar czigany who falls in love with
a cultivated White woman, and then
leaves her to return to his gypsy life.
Paderewskd is putting lots of soul and
music into it. And it now turns out
| that all those awful stories told about
his losing his mind and two of his long,
thin, carefully trimmed tapering tipped
| fingers, are wholly untrue. And he is
not paralyzed, either Chat Is not Of
| ten). He is coming to America next
autumn to prove it, and also to make
good that $4,000 which seems to have
got lost in the shuttle since Stein
ways. Oh, there is no tar on Pade-
rewskrs feet. He's just moving right
along. and he's growing stout, too. !
have it on good authority that he has
gained three pounds in as many years.
And lastly, but not Ieastly, the dear old
| boy has had his hair cut. 1t is not as
long within half an inch as it was a
year ago at this time. He still affects
the dropping white tie.
|
Sol Smith Russell's rev role in Charles
Klein's new comedy called Hon. John
Grigsby." With art that conceals art
it is said, Mr.. Russell depicts a low
able character in this new play ano
one that is worthy companion te
the creations with which Mr.. Russell
has endowed the stage. The company
is said to be bright and clean, laid or
a serious background to give color an6
effect to the work. The play admits OF
many beautiful and novel stage eff.
fects.
Helene Mora, the phenomenal con-
tralto- baritone, appears to have shed
her Shakespearean ambitions. She ne
llonger acts Hamlet" or any part o1
it, but confines herself to her accus-
toned popular songs.
William A. Brady has secured the
Exclusive rights to produce "A Stranger
in Strange Land" which W. NJ. Will
ly. Mr.. Brady will stage it at the
Manhattan Theater, New York, next
autumn.
Clyde Fitch Is receiving more royal
ties from plays in course of production
in this country than is the case with
any other native playwright.
Blanche Walsh is to star next sea
son. Plans and specifications are moi
yet given to the public beyond the
fact that New York theatrical con-