The times., 1900-12-30


and 10 refund the money. He never did refuse
tickets except when they were presented by per-
cons who had bought them from speeulators-
However, there is some food for consideration
in this little bit OF philosophy which veteran
manager recently expounded to me when dis
cussng the topic. II have noticed he said,
that there is always loud howl when the
;hentTc sells out and the only tickets TO be had
are IN the hands of the ever eager spccustors
out on the sidewalk, at an advanced price But
did you ever hear OF anyone complaining of specu-
latcrs when there were scats-to be had at regular
rates ut the box office, and the spectators with
out are selling at half price7 The instances where
these idealsts have ignored bali priced tickets,
and bought at standard prices OF the box office.
have always escaped my notice. II really seems
to depend the question which foot wears the
proverbial shoe.
Manager E. d. Stair, lessee of the Acad-
emy of Music. will soon have a new the
atre in New York City in the vicinity of
Fifty-third Street and Broadway. 1t will
be built by the Pabst Brewing Company
and will be devoted to the popular priced
performances that this energetic manager
has introduced with SO much success in
this city. Work upon the new house will
be commenced at once and the first play
will be presented next September.
Notwithstanding all the talk of the rel
egation of the coon song, May Irwin, one
of the principal singers of this particular
type of melody, in her new play. "Madge
Smith, Attorney" has several new tom-
positions which have been well received
by the metropolitan followers of The
comedienne.
The songs are. when I'm by Your
Side" 'My Jungle Queen" "oh. Ny Liza"
II Cer'nly Is de Biggest Fool Mig in dis
Town" II Have Laid Him on the Shelf,
and THE Shadow Song dainty bit of
verse by Robert Louis Stevenson, set TO
music by Cissie LOTUS.
Besides these songs, sung BY Miss irwin.
Joseph Sparks has number entitled The
Turkey and the Turk" an Irish song es-
pecially written for him, and Mr.. IgEa3io
Martinetti also sings a French song writ
ten for his use in this play.
week seidsm passes in England with
cut Sir Henry Irving delivering speech
somewhere or other, and what he says is
generally worth reading. The other even
ing in the Sheffield Press Club. he dealt
with Mr.. Cecil Raleigh. the writer Of Eng
lish melodramas, of which Hearts Are
Trumpsv recently seen in this city is a
fair example, and the commercial drama
Mr. Irving said: II see that very sue
cessful dramatist has been making sCme
amusing remarks on what he calls the
commercial drama contending that art
does not pay. II he had saId that arr does
not always pay he would have stated an
elementary truth. but no more elementary
and no mere truthful than the proposition
that commercial drama does not always
paw. The dramatic tide has its ebb and
flow like other tides. and you cannot be
sure that a particular policy. although 1t
may enjoy an enormous success for con-
siderable period will be always an ad-
vancing and never receding wave. No
body has found the philosophers stone.
No theatrical manager has discovered
type of play that he can go on repeating
with a positive certainty that it will al
ways please the public. But to say that
this is total discoura cement of artistic
conditions on the stage, is to draw very
hasty conclusion from the mutabiiity or
human affairs. II there were decline
of popular interest in the drama itself
if the public were TO desert the theatre
and discover some strange and mystical
recreation in musical tea meetings, under
the patronage of the clergy of all denom-
nations that might be a rather serious
omen. But, short of that contingency.
don't think the drama-even the artistic
drama-has very much to fear"
A London dramatic authority writes
that in spite of all denials to the contrary
there is a good deal of truth i'll the story
that Ellen Terry is soon TO leave the
tour il became apparent that Miss Terry
had aged a very great deal, and in nearly
every city in which she appeared the dill
hcuity she experienced in remembering
her lines was noticed and in many cases
commented upon in print. Since her re-
turn 20 England Miss Terry's memory has
not improved on the contrary, it has
grown much worse. Her health. also. has
not been good, and while Sir Henry and
TN he world
large as the best of friends. in private
life their relations for long time now
have been strained.
If 1t had not been for Iryings serious
Illness and the financial disasters that
oyercame him at the time, 1t is doubtful
if these two great artists would ever have
acted together again. But Miss Terry's
sense Of loyalty brought her to the rescue
of her old comrade. Now that Sir Henry
is on his feet again, Miss Terry's own
state of health demands long rest.
The largest royalties which were ever
paid to a playwright in one weeks time
were forwarded by his agent, Miss Eliza
beth Marbury, to Edmond Rostand re-
Gently.
The gross receipts for the two produc
tions of ''L'Aigion'' in New York for one
week came to within few cents OF Si1,-
Geo, and RostaEd's share OF these re
ceipts reached figure which far exceeded
the average playwright's yearly income.
Well NAV all these foreign artists and
from Bernhardt down ex-
claim fervently, God bless America
Not often does an actor receive any
emolument which he has not worked for
and fairly earned, and when, by chance. he
does. the event is memorable one. Since
James K. Hackett became a star under
the management OF Daniel Frohman, there
has been in hi.- supporting company
handsome young Englishman named Long
lev TAYLOR Washington theatregoers viii
him as the delightfully."- eccentric
major. who proposed marriage to the
he ,oine in ''The Tree of Knowledge" and
as James. Rassendylfs faithful attendant.
in Rupert of Hentzau-" In The Pride OF
Jerrico'' Mr. Taylor has the important
part of Markham. He is now exhibiting a
check for $3.50. drawn to his order. which
he regards as a sort Of bonanza, and which
serves to remind him Of a most interest
ms period of his career. One Of his cronies
of years ago was Guy Boothby. the English
novelist. A fortnight ago Mr.. Boothby
sent Mr. Taylor the manuscript Of book,
MY Indian Queen which he had written
and generously gave the actor the sole
rights in America TO the same.
The author wrote to his friend: Get as
much ont OF it as you can" MIR. Taylor
proceeded TO do so at once. lie called on
we'll known publishing house in New York
City, with the result that last week the
firm forwarded a check for the previously
mentioned sum.
INV Indian Queen" tells of adventures |
among the bushwhackers Of Australia, |
which befelI Mr.. Boothby and Mr.. Taylor |
Turing an overland rip they made in that |
iar-of land some eight years ago. Their ex-
oeriences were unique. because they passed |
through localities never before visited by |