The sun., 1899-08-14
THEMES OF THE THEATRES
THE KIND OF PLAY LIKELY TO BE
IN VOGUE NEXT WINTER.

old-Time Melodrnma May Be Displaced by
Plays of Present Social Lifo-Some of the
Actors who Have Shone Briefly ms stars
News of the stage Here and Abroad.
The vogue OF the costume drama, as
romantic drama In old-fashioned dress is
called, seems to have spent itself. Four
plays OF the type popular during several
seasons past, are announced for next win
ter. Edward II. Sothern, to be sure, will
take advantage OF the unexhausted popu-
larlty Of "The Kings Musketeers" at Days
and James X Hackett Is to bring back
Rupert Of Hentzau'' to the Garden where
II may resume the run cut short at the
Lyceum. Neither Of these pieces can be
regarded as Indications OF policy Of the
immediate future on the part Of these act
ors. Their plays are survlvals. Henry MIL
ler, with THE Only Way" at the Herald
Square, Is the only actor starting his season
with a now play. connected in character
with those which have recently engaged
the talents OF the serious stars. Even that
| drama of the French Revolution is not to
! be regarded as the direct descendant Of
| Under the Red Robe" IAN Enemy to the
| King" or the pseudo -mednval, THE
| Prisoner of Zenda." The French Revolu-
tion has generally supplied dramas less ac-
| tive than those Of the class mentioned, and
| the period Is not remote enough to per-
-rstt the extravagances and improbabillties
that are not only tolerated, but expected, In
| plays Of the plumed hat, the rapier, and the
| cloak. Ben Hur," which Is at length to be
| seen In dramatic form, Is no more directly
| the result of this taste, which now appears
| temporarily satisfied so far as the ar
| of tho DrOOf of
| what the public wants. The tendency seems
| to have set strongly in the direction of
| what have been called the snap shot" come
dies OF social life. These come from Lon
| don. and they are reproductions. not Of our
own life but Of one that is different in
| many important respects. But so long as
they exhibit eLtertainingly those phases Of
| existence, the public will never reject them
| because their motives, scenes, and cha
racters are not always familiar. Lord
and Lady Algy" was as little like any phase
Of existence in American audiences as an
extravaganza like Gilbert's Engaged"
But 1t was bright and witty entertain
| ment and won its public. The successful
| plays OF Chambers. Jones, and Esmond,
which New York is to see, deal with epi-
sodes in English social life quite as much
| unlike our own any In Cartons comedy.
| But II they are as diverting their foreign
! quality will never be accounted n defect.
| This field OF polite comedy is left to the
English writer's, almost without intrusion,
by our own dramatists. Yet the same kind
Of material is to be found in our country.
| Melodrama, romantic and expert; farces
such as IAN American Citizen" comhina-
tions of dramatic situations from he
French. and witty chatter like THE ih
and the Flame" are written by Amer rs
in way to rival their English colleagues.
Plays OF the class IN which Nathan Hale"
is an example have been as we'll done Ere
as abroad. But the polite, easy comedy OF
society has offered no attractions to Anne
rican authors, or else their success with
It has not been enough to get their plays
before the public. Intrigues similar to
those OF THE Case of Rebellious Susan"
and THE Liars" might readily have been
found in our society. There are situations
to be placed in such environment, types
to be studied, and witty lines to be spoken.
just as there are in the same English cir
cumstances.
The Paris subventioned theatres give free
performances on the day Of the national
fete. and this year they passed off without
| an accident, although. many in the crowds
were waiting for admittance all through the
night before. More people than are admit
ted on any other occasion are allowed to at
tend, but mshaps are rarely heard of.
Even some of the theatres which receive
no subsidy from the state invited the pub
lie gratuitousy.
Francois Victor Arthur GILES de Saint
} German, who died the other day in Paris
had been an actor in every well-knowr
theatre there from the Comedie Francaise
down to the Palais Royal. He acted II
pieces of his own composition with his
school fellows at the age Of six, and saved
his money to attend the performances a.
the theatre where he was destined to dis
tinguish himself in later years. He be-
came bookkeeper, but at the age Of eigh
. | teen was able to enter the Conservatory
l through his fathers efforts. The examiners
. decided unanimously that he was worth!
I TO become pupil Of the National Conser
vatoire from which he was engaged frs
| by the Odeon at a salary OF $40 week
, Thence he went to the Comedie Francais
and later to the other leading Paris play
houses in which he had leading roles IL
many famous plays, among others the par
played by John Hare in LES Petits Oh
4 seaux" original OF "A Pair OF Spectacles"
;. La Famille Benoiton," "Bebe," Lag
q | Ingrat," and "Un Roman Parisien," II
r which he played Chevrial. He was praise
n especially for the beauty and clearness o
his dction, which was never impaired b
the part that he had to struggle with
: voice naturally veiled and inexpensive. A
8 the time OF his death he was in charge O
t the classical repertoire at the Od6on.
/. Giannino Traversi is the author OF neN
@ play called THE School for Husbands
"a recent success in Rome. Traversi Is re
:. garded as one of the most distinctly ma
y. | tional among the Italian writer's, as b
o shuns both the French and Northern mo
: dels in his realistic dramas. His lates
n work seems original enough AS usual, b
l. deals with the higher circles OF society.
l. duke, who has enjoyed life to the fulles
d extent marries a young girl Of high cha
"a racter and noble aims, that he may enjo
- the love OF a pure woman. which is tn
u only pleasure that has been denied to hin
>. He drags her down to his own moral leve
i teaches her the vices OF his own deprave
r world, and then neglects her because sh
y has become the same as the other wome
\ he knows. She seeks out her young cousi
IL with whom she had formerly nirted, an
y renews her interest in him. The cousin
wounded in duel by her husband, who
to send her home to her mother on accour
Of this episode. The wife breads this be
cause her mother will then learn what kin
J. of a woman her husband has made her, S