The sun., 1901-08-11
THE THALIA'S LAST CHAPTER.
A FAMOUS THEATRE LIKELY TO
BE CLOSED FOR GOOD soon.
The Days Of German Drama the Most
Notable of the old BOwery's History
brilliant Actors Who Appeared
There Given Over To YiGdlsh Plays.

The last chapter in the history OF the old
Bowery Theatre is probably opened with
the announcement that the Kramer estate.
which owns the property, has offered 1t
for sale TO be used for business purposes.
1t is IN. .feurla ,theatre that has occupied
the site, il was 50 years old last Sunday.
and il is the oldest structure in the city
devoted to theatrical use.
The German era forms the most inter-
e,ing part of the theatres history 1t
va, by accident that William Kramer, 4,
who made "A fortune out of the adjoining
Atlantic Garden. decided to become the
lessee %, theatre devoted TO German
Performances He went to Terrace Garden
one night in the winter OF 1870 10 attend
one of a series of occasional performances
organized there by Gustav Amberg. The
Place was so packed that Mr.. Kramer and
his family could not find seats, and lie
thereupon declared that he would found
q German theatre in New York. This
determination he carried ont and on Sept.
II. 1870. the historic Old Bowery, so long
the home of the classic drama and later
OF the most commonplace mclodrama,
was opened to New York's German colony
o. the Thalia Theatre.
Schillcr's ~Kabale und Liebe" introduced
the new theatre to the public. The manage
ment was in the hands OF Mathilde Cot
trally and Gustav Amberg and the stage
manager was Heinrich Conried. who after
mono too successful attempt 10 domesti-
cate the German muse at the Fifth Avcnlie
Theatre, had given up the effort. Mathilde
Cottrcllv had collected an excellent operetta
in, !a
OF the enterprise was prosperous. The
dramatic performances in which Mr.. Con-
rpd took the character parts were also
satisfactory and Magda lrschick, he Ger
man tragcdienne who appeared that year
and created sensation, was the hrst OF
series Of distinguished strangers from
the Fatherland who were 10 come over TO
tho Bowery TO act for their compatriots IN
this country.
The next season at the Thalia opened with
o Performance of Schiller's "Demetrills,
bur the event OF the year was the visit Of
Marie cGeistinger, which was from every point
OF view the most successful feature o! the
th"atre's existence. Those who were un-
fortunate enough to have seen the actress
oniy when with great career behind her
She was acting two years ago at a small
downtown theatre have no idea Of what
Marie Gaistingor was in the days Of her
primo. She must nave been nearly so
She had n sensational sliccess. Not
only wcrc her audiences made up of her
own CountTymen; Americans without a
drop Of German blood in their veins de-
lighted in her When she started home
ward at the end Of her engagement she
cook with her more than $4,000 which
represented her earnings during her two
months season here. She played in that
year in serious drama and comedy and in
tragedy and in comic opera.
Mathilde Cottrelly married after the
second season of the theatre and retired
from its management In this season,
1Sl-s2, Heinrich Conricd, who, like Ma
thildc Cottrelly, was an importation for
the Germanla Theatre Of Adolph Neuen-
dorf, became the artistic director of the
theatre. Gcisnger, Of course, returned
and the comic opera performances with
out her were also highly successful A
change in the personnel Of the firm in the
following year put Conried into the place
OF Amberg, who retired.
The year that followed was pr sperous
Tor it was devoted chiefly 10 the best possi-
bic performances of comic OPERA and ns
there were some in those DAYS well worth
doing well, the theatre Jared famously.
In those years, the Strauss repertoire was
not exhausted and some of these works
we're given in admirable fashion. In addi-
tlon to the operetta productions, a group
OF the most popular Niennese actors was
HhpoIteu' ana hathl Schrdtt' tnen IN ner
youthful prime, was among the number,
Some OF these actors are now more famous
than they were then, and in this list were
Iewee, Sophie Gallmeyer and Ludwig
Barnay. kathi Schratt acted twenty-one
times in Sardou's -Diyorcons,' which was
an unprecedented run for an artist acting
! In foreign tongue.
Marie Geistinger. who had chung to her
Mold manager. Amberg, appeared that year
et the Star Theatre. But at the close OF