The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-11-05
FREE STAGE IDEA HERE.
ANOTHER ATTI NIT TO CdRRY oUH
4 pIdN pOPT,5R tBROLD.

Purpose of Such societies in Continental
cities of Enrope-Innn-ncc They Exert On
tho Drnma--New Writers Discovered By
Them-Cnuscs Of Previous failures Here
New York has never yet possessed an inde-
pendent theatre Of Nhc kind found abroad In
tho theatrical life Of Paris md Berlin such enter
priscs proved mn influential adjunct Of dramatic
work. In Berlin they brought before the pub
lie first ,the gifted Gcthrrt Haupmhnn. who
probably stands today without dispute
at the head Of the German dramatic group.
Herman SudcrmrnD, who preceded him in
popularity. is not so productive as he WAS and
sore Of his later works have hcrn In roma nus
vein TO which Ills distinctly mcdcrn genius srems
little adapted Possibly the nurture Of such .
drhmntist ns llhuptrlHnn gave tho free stage
idea unusual strength IL Germany. At all events,
Berlin this year has three Munich and Ham.
burg have each ono nd'pcndrn, stage and Vienna,
less progressive In the drama than the capital Of
the German Empire has hut one. The free siege
has moi played IN active part in the drama AZ
Vienna. The taste Of the city is more convcn-
tional as regards the drama and less Interested
in newer lights that may BE- opened on the theatre
So the free stage idea gained there the same
importance IL acquired elsewhere in the large,
German speaking cities
Antoine started his Theatre Iibre in Paris near
ly ten years ago and some Of the young Frenchs
men who are giving their work In a broader field
today first came before the public through his
performances. The public appreciation Of his
efforts may be understood from his selection
one NJ the directors Of The oicon several years ago
Naturally he found the conditions unfavorablo
10 the development of his theories. His own
theatre had been abandoned In the meantime. bus
Il Is prospcring ns well as such places en-
poet to- Suppnr, is the most they can expect
and this has always come 10 NJ. Antoine SUM-
GENTLY IL not literally. II has been discussed
as a possible successor TO Jules Clarctie al tho
Theatre Francois although IL Is difficult 10 imng-
inc him bound by the traditions of that instltu-
ton Lugnc Poe. who came into the field after
he did. has struggled along for tho past few sea-
sons and IL still giving mr;nccs TO exhibit Scan
dinavan and other unfamiliar dramatists. In
ENGLAND the Independent Thcn'r" under the man
agement Of j. T. Groin gave few performances
in London about eight years ago but It's existence
was brief ihscn'S Ghosts" and Zola's "Thereso
Racquin" were among the PLAYS given. The
latter was successful enough 10 be acted several
times in public Al the Royalty Theatre. This
free stage idea did not take roUt there, although
subscaucn, performances were given chiefly
through the efforts Of n small group Of actors
Interested In the modern drama rs lbsen and
Echcgrray represent II Some 81 these were
by subscription and some depended on popular
cities /, is usually by means Of subscription that
these performances are given. In addition 10
those mentioned. there are many smaller cities
which have their free STAGE. As they are usually
organized ne clubs and the performances are 40.
cessihle only 20 members, md not 20 the public
ct large. the rgors NJ the censorship are evsded.
Some Of 'IeSc societies. like the FliIaheihan az
London. devote themselves 10 the ANTIQUE drama,
rather than the ultra new. The London achcms
In the Continental cities for the same reason that
I, has never up TO this time gained any permanent
foot Mold h"r"
In this citv N" expenses ~ theatrical enter
r-isc nre too rrcat To encourage any such under
tntincS Salaries are high. theatres rent for
expensive sums and there are few Of them 10 bs
had even for matinee performances withou, the
payment 81 r'ir"s that mako the maintenance
Of a free stage impossible The London PERFORM
nnccs NJ Ibscn and other drama lists arc supported
for a wcc'; on receipts which would not he consid-
erei respectable for a Saturday evenings au-
dicncr here. The Theatre Of Ar's and Letters.
n pre'"niious OFT ni7H'inn s'srrd hcrr ~ the esrIv
niu"'ios. gave this sort ~ rncrr-isr = blow frnn
whicl, II ms mo- We, r"cnvrrcd u he'd long list
d,sposal md every c-curs'ance hut nnrv~r~e stu
pidi,y The part ~ 's directors vor~d the plan
The proRr,mmc rrov"d 20 he not literary PLAYS N
merit, 80 tho projectors had ann0unced and ths
subscribers expected when 'hev gave 'h-ir s,pport
in most cases rejected hy the managers N whom
they had hecn submitted After this hnaco tbe
spectre Of the association hung over every n'~nrpt
70 give performances under similar ausr'ce-.
Three wears NCO German club, rallirR itsrlf ,he
Freir Ruhn", gave EchcGnrNy's "El Gran Caiioio.
at the Berkeley IyccNm. and announced srriea
Of productions 10 follow. But none came Tho
Criterion Independent Theatre Two Seasons ara
gave "Jnhn Gabriel RurkmRnn," several one act
| plays and al Gran Gslioto" with success only In
The last attempt and win lick NJ common sense
In general that made the effort Of l'tlr value A
| series VI ten PERFORMANCES this winter will neviys
Echegaray s "l.l Gran Galiolo." and give nrnLuc-
| tions " PLAYS not hihrrio scen herr in English
Voss's Guilty, possibly 1Lscn Little Evolf" and
| a comedy ny Tnls'oi Dhy also he given. Tho
| plan NJ these performances se'm8 more reason bic
! Than any which has preceded II
lbscns plays have fr"gUcn'lv been tried before
in New York under auspices Ices special In nature
| than those imrliod hr free stNEc orra ni1stinn.
! The most nmhi iuus NJ these was Hcrrrohm Trees
production 81 IN Enrrl Of the People" AZ Alleys
Theatre In lSHt RCj4nc, hEnCs Sorma Mrs
Fiskc Mrs Richard Mansfield Janet hChurch
and several actresses al The German theatre have
been seen In ~ Dolls House" Courtney Thorpe
and john Blair AT thc head Of the present scheme
have been s"cn in "Ghos's" Gcrhart Haupt-
manns Before Sunrise" given first by FREQ
stage society in Berlin, was performed here In
German AT The fhhlia Theatre. Parts Of Little
Eyoli" were ctcd by Franklin SarRrnt's pupis.
Alphonsc DHudels 81. ArlrSlcnne' TaS prnauced
by syndicate. Performances II llAupimanns
"lIannclc" and lhScns "Ii"dda GHhl"r" nave also
been soon here But free stage society Of Tho
kind existing abroad has still tocomc.