The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-03
TOPICS OF THE THEATRE.
RELITITE TALUES OF THE PLAY
and THE PERFORMANCE

hut lie Cannot Make Audiences Accept
1t " 1t Is Really Bad-A Manager Ihes
Contrary Results from Similar Conditions
THE SuN recently gave statistics showing
that a majority OF the new plays acted last sea-
,on in New York had been used by star actors.
,rh, inference was that the dramatist was
more anxious to have his work presented TO
the public with the name OF popular nero or
heroine than to have It depend entirely upon
the composition itself. The attention OF an
audience goes to the actors first and TO the
NAV afterwaid II u star is presented as the
,ullic likes to see him. consideration OF the
p,c,ium that acccmpshes that PURPOSE is less
critical Eypericnced observers know well
that 70 obtain durable popularity a drama
must hay, other merits than that. Few actors
mr., strong enough In public favor to keep
MAY IN demand merely because 1t exhibits
them TO advantage when 1t is not interesting
q, other WAYS The constant demand from
IN. be.t.liKed actors 10 for good and suitable
NAV. They want both these qualities. Act
ors who fail attribute that misfortune usually
10 shurtcomings OF the. PLAYWRIGHT. Less fire.
ouertly they are willing to admit that the
character Of u play. had a share in a success.
There are many contradictory examples cf the
relative shares that the play and the actor have
In obtaining The results for which all seek.
The question of productions 10y COMPANIES
without stars Is not SO difficult to answer.
Th,re the play Is the more in portant. IL not
the only factor. in the result Good acting by
, stock company never made play prosper
Gus that did not gain that result by some
quality Of its'own. Fine casts struggling with
h0Ieess plays have been seen TOO frequently
n New York to make any other belief ienabls.
In the case # tho popular star tho question Is
more com nlcated. Weight Of opinion seems
in iayo: Of the PLAYS greater inheritance he
x,lW. " tho com bined circumstances would
La 1yarlnbk cd The motor most lik ed
has often lost his public completely in poor
rle The plays importance is shown IN the
genera ahandonment.of the repertory plan in
this country
Results are almost as contradictory In this
AS in all other theatrical matters" said man.
ager questioned on the subject. "Oue has only
70 look al few recen. examples, to be con-
yinced Several years ago one of the most
gifted and POPULAR Of our stock actresses de-
cided to become a.star. She tried to get the
right play'and finally thought she.ha succeed
al The result showed she was mistaken.
Her personal value was us great then as any
other actresses in the country. But poor play
defeated her purpose. Later. woman who
had never had the same vogue with the public
decided to make the tame attempt The cir
eumstances in her case were not nearly so
favorable Dsaupointment in her ambitions
was freely predicted. She got a play already
refused hv several managers II proved to he
n sensational success. anu lHdI utlTebS. IN u
mart utterly unsuited to her style and appear
ing actually at disad vantage has taken her
place among the REGULAR stars OF cur stage.
Another. better known. ALWAYS more highly
praised and a more li&ey success from every
POINT OF view, got hold Of play that was really
weak She barely came through with tho
necessary amount OF triumph to keep her name
IN the list Of stars. To quota one more case
thai is harder to explain than any Of the fore
fore undertook to lie IA star in n play that could
never in the opinion of MANAGERS. have sur
he N n yG
PEOPLE said 1t was her talent that carried 1t.
PLAYED elsewhere with another actress 1t
failed But this same actress in other plays
has failed nearly as completely herself. SO far
as the pubic is concerned. That seems one
Of the cases in which tho combination Of play
and actress was more than usually neces-
sary. With the men there are almost the same
results TO be seen One Of the most popular
New York actors was last season able to carry
POOR play on his shouldeCs for two weeks of
bad business. Another equally well liked here
a really spectacular production of drama that
not a vary Door one Yet young man
who bad acted leading Darts for two years In
in a good melodrama. Another has become
star woy thro%sn his in his
slstance he would not have been heard OF as
an actor Of impori iapI Two distin zuished
wess p hss Bu why
niles: | can recall scarcely single case In
which IL is the actor and not the PLAY that was
RESPONSIBLE for a triumph The vogue OF a
star centres attention in him or her The
dramatist may escane some OF the conse-
II his play were acted without the prestige Of a
dominating figure. The actor may add greatly
T. his reward But it is TO the quality of the
play that its fate may be traced"
Costumes and jewelry formerly worn on tho
stage by the great Rachel have recently been
presented by friend OF the actress to tho
Coincide FRANCHISE. They will be exhibited
next year at the Paris Exposition. Tomasso
Al
the. Italian stage. The FIRST novelty OF the
Theatre Francois next year will he by Fran
co.'s de Curel. who was not successful there
with Love Embroiders." but has provided
Antoine with the Guest" and Tine New
Idol" Dumass "Demi- Monde" has latelyIbeen
revived there. The King Of the Gascons" Is
the newest French melodrama to en- ploy these
popular national figures on it's stage. The
scene is laid in Paris during the siege OF the
town by Henry ". Ono OF his devoted fol.
lowers Is the lover OF girl whose mother has
been murdered. She Is led to believe that the
King has murdered her. and invites him tc
visit her. intending to avenge her mothers
death This letter is shown to her lover. who
10 overcome at her apparent infidellty. Al
the Kings suggestion. he goes in disguise and
receives tho stab intended for his monarch
But he RECEIVERS from his wound and exposes
the real murderer. The play proved sue.
cessful example OF slashing. romantic meo.
drama III the style Of The Three Guards
mrn." and will probably find its wav to our
stage 4 contrast to thio was the social study
with which Antoine closed his theatre. The
three figures SO interesting, to contempo
rary French dramatists OF the younger
school were placed in new light
The wronged HUSBAND. had his guilty wife
judicay condemned for adultery and hel
lover refused to interfere TO save her Don.
nay The Torrent" which presented a simi,
lar situation has been 30 successful at the
Coincide FRANCHISE that only the illness u the
principal actress prevented its continuance
50 the French public seems no more weary c
the adulterous trio than the authors are
Jeanne Grauler has gone to London 10 appear
IN private entertainments at arlstocrntiC
houses The censor would probably not allow
any Of the recent comedies in when she has
acted 70 he given In public. fleonora Duse
has abandoned dAnnunzio in favor of shake,
speare. She will revive next year Rome
aud Juliet" and Antony and Cleopatra" IN
which she has not acted for years. English
audiences express admiration for their favor
ties even when they are not on the stage
Actors or actresses who attend first night Der
formances AS SPECTATORS are ALWAYS Welcome,
with applause by the pit. The Tornado
one OF Lincoln Carter's thri Hers. was given tn,