The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-06-15
AFFAIRS OF THE THEATRE.
THE DEPLORABLE DIFFICULTIES OF
THE ACTORS' FUND.

winnie Newspaper Reporters Were Ex-
cluded-A Company Of Japanese Play
ers-Points In n Now Vaudeville Piece. |
Tho trouble In tho Actors Fund OF America
was discussed at the recent annual meeting
behind doors closed against the newspaper re-
porters Some OF the things that were said
are now officially given out, while others are
still left to conflicting hearsay. President
Aldrich spoke OF the smanesS OF tho mem
bership and of unavailing efforts TO recruit It.
Il confess to feeling Of despair" he said.
when plan after plan is enthusiastically APP
plauded and committees appointed only to
have the subject drop out OF sight. This un-
fortunate state OF affairs IL caused by the in
difference and neglect OF many OF our best
actors" Treasurer Mccormick reported that
the receipts from four specla matinees within
the year had been only S4.516 as against
5000 in the preceding year. II was IN dis.
cussion o. the loss In popularity and income
that Trustee Brady brought forward the fact
that the reverses OF the fund we're caused by
the withdrawal OF number OF influential
managers who formerly sustained the charity,
but now will have nothing to do with 1t. Mr..
Brady said:
These gentlemen control the theatrical business.
good or bad. that Is not for to discuss, hut II
help The Fund ""dsr tie are nS, S0, aSnd
ton OF affairs. They are growing stronger and
deal With them every day. deal with them and
,nsg ; m: a. hse EGs lon
OF the members Of this ,sssociatop 70 take
po meeting snd 'si 6s
who is interested in the Actors Fund and dis ,ss il,
If s'S S'n nS
diton of affairs. These gentlemen win not allow .
They control or viii control all the Great stars Of
@s s ~ Fn me" 2 You Of ss%
70 face With that. And so what are you going to do
aboutitH
There was a great deal more talk. some OF
It acrimonious but no action was taken fur
Their than to appoint committee TO consider
the questions OF special matiness and fair.
The whole trouble has arisen from the re-
election Of H. G. Fiske as n trustee a year ago.
after he had been indicted for assaillng In q
theatrical advertising weekly mum Der OF i'm
portant managers, as alleged. because thew
you'd not do business" with him, First
s. r%nf ess s: sf John
DREW has refused along With pssry al the
Trustees Daniel FIohmap and Al Hayman
have reslgpsd; The membership e demon
his term. . year hence. Meanwhile the Fund
has a9HndSP fa tGs the Of
moyed, and the actors and MANAGERS; now
port which they formerly gave to the admira-
Die institution.
One bit Of new matter In the current bill at
Eeith's starts like play and ends with IA
miliar soecialties. Charles Leonard Fletcher
and Irene Young are lie players. and Willard
Hocomb provided some OF their dialogue. A
sprightly widow who is continuing her hus-
band's business OF manufacturing confec.
tionery advertlses for an agent to dispose OF
''Hobson Kisses her name for a new product
NJ har ,aE fha
announcement read that "a gent" is wanted.
and the widows sweetheart foresees trouble
from saucv applicants. On the floor below the
widows livine rooms lives an actor friend Of
his. so q complete outfit Of stage costumes Is
available. Thus is preparation made for
proteun sketch. First appears q seedy ira:
hire OF queries by the woman and pert Or comic
teplies by The man follow Then N, Mr. fleteher
Baron Cherriai failing dead and hard in the
ientrs Of the stage and rising 70 retire for
Hr. HYDE" In this Mr. Mansfield is again The
original, but there are Daniel Bendmann trim
Iinss that make the mms s dstormed erea.
II this. and It is liked. facts that should be sug
Ees!ful to providers Of vaudeville material as
Indicating the safe size OF dose In giving seri-
sus.ch f i"r mr. Fschers that com
who, dyed his whiskers and later found chem
could do better on real stage before real
live audience.
Otto Kawakami. the Japanese actor. and his
wife, Yacco. have arrived In San Francisco
with q theatrical company. on their way to
Paris. They have been selected to appear at
tine exposition next summer as the best rem
reseutatives OF their art In Japan. The wo-
man. who looks like 81 italian, was the most
famous OF the Geishas before she became an
laID NOT ~ bA al mt n
pears in the tea houses, but that sings and
dances only at the houses Of the rich mobiles.
Women OF this kind are. according to one au-
tbority, the only ones entitled to be called
truthfully geishas. She took to the dramatic
stage two years ago. and has since acted with
Kawakami. He has been TO Paris before. and
his theatre In Toxic is built mucli like the
European playhousss the conditions In his
country permit. He combines the qualities
OF tragedian and DANGER The Japanese ac-
tors will aprear in San Francisco and prob
ably at Atlantic City before sailing for Eurore.
Only one woman besides Yacoo is In the
troupe The repertoire consists OF three
plays. which will. OF course. be acted in JAPAN
Sarah Bernhardt seems to have invented
sonie novel and INGENIOUS business, for
ance as a whoIs may bo In the scene with
the players. she Is said to INSTRUCT them in
wieh Them The members Of her own COMPANY She
partly conceais her face behind OD!!,si,ds haii
as sine caresses IT,. aud at the end. seizn a
torch. holds 1t to the Kings face to study its
expression.
The new theatre in Porty-second street. near
Broadway. to be called the Orpheum. and be
deyotei:to what Is known as continuous vaude-
Vile. possesses the advantage iof estimation,
To be- in a centre OF traffic ID more important
TO one Of these theatres than to any other
Kind. Tho audiences OF the continuous houses
IN the daytime are largely made up Of people
who drop in casually For that reason there
IL great value In the prouinquity OF railway
stations and street lines Of travel that lead 10
then. one manager took a New York thea
tire several years ago because 1t was near a
large railroad station. aud he wanted to give
performances In the afternoons. But he
happened to be on The wrong side OF tho q ia.
ton and tho tide Of traffic turned in the direc-
ton away from his place. The difference
That made 10 me-" he observed phiosuphicaly
twas that the public expected from that
source did not come into my theatre So the
that station was In the case Of q s9nur1anites
who came to town for , tne theatre and rs se
was a very small mart OF what had counted