The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-01-24
DEATH OF The EMPRESS
CHARLES DALFos SAYS 1T WILL,
AFFECT MANY SERIOUSLY.

1.-The American theatergoers are car
ried away just now by the dramatized
novel fad" declares Charles Dalton, the
Marcus Superbus of 1.-The Sign of the
Cross company, now playing at the Met
ropolitan. mo sooner does Z well known
author announce his intention of writing
a novel than managers scramble over
one another in their haste to obtain the
right of producing it on the stage. Very
often the book makes a very bad sort
of a play. Take Richard Caryel,' for
instance that John Drew is now present
ing. AS a drama it has no merits at all,
but the book has advertised it, and for
that reason the public go to see the
play"
Mr.. Dalton, who, because of his mag
nificent physique might justly tack on
the fattering adjective 'superbus'' to his
name off the stage, as he does to his
name in the play, naturally prefers the
romantic drama. After this dramatized
novel fad has passed away, as it I'M
doubtedly will, the people will, as a nat
ural revulsion. demand the romantic,
he said to the G 10 yesterday. Mr.
Dalton acknowledged that he himself in
tended to star in new romantic play
next season-just what it will be he has
not yet decided. Speaking Of plays sug-
gested pIaywrights. Mr.. Dalton intinat-
ed that one reason for the number of
was the fact that American pIayWrights
were not able to write good plays. 'Froh-
man, for instance" he said, always
looks to English dramatists Americans
are skillful adaptors; they have little
crea tive genius. Theirs is a talent that
best shows itself in the clever use OF
scissors and Dastepot.' Touching upon
Rostand'S present vogue in America, Mr..
Dalton does not think it can possibly
loo ba OH NIX 1aIo
| characterized as beautiful productions
in blank verse, but almost utterly devoid
| of dramatic action They owed their
| success to Bernhardt's genius. Pinero
| was characterized as clever, but belong
ing to the past rather than the future,
| although the playwright still lives and
| is not an old man. ''TheatergoerS are
! getting tred,'' said Mr.. Dalton, ''of the
| everlasting Woman. with a past motif.
/ It wants now something more substan-
| tial, more awakening. For the mere
| ly amusing one can go to the cheap the
| aters, to vaudeville performances. These
| two things. by the way, are beginning TO
| compete with the better class of theaters.
| Time was when the high grade theater
| and the vaudeville play house had each
| it's distinct class of patrons. That Is
| changed now, and it would seen, all
| classes prefer the latter. If a manager
| of a first-class theater would draw a
big house, he must not only put on a
good play, but it must be superbiy
mounted, and even then the patronage Is
not sufficient to keep so great a manager
as Sir Henry Irving from becoming a
bankrupt Not unlike Irving's career ii
England will probably prove Mansfield
career in this country. The magnificent
! ly-staged productions that he presents tf
theatergoers will in the end ruin him.
Queen Eictoria's death, Mr. Dalto1
| thought. would work great hardship t
English working people, particularly t.
the cheaper class of actors. For {
week, at least he said, ''all the theater'
will be closed. and that means a with
drawal of salaries for that time. 1t il
a mere bagatelle to the stars, but fol
the lesser players the stage hands, th'
box office people, in fact to all those wi'
| lead hand-to-mouth existence, it mean
deprivation. People in this country d.
not realize how much anything that in
terrupts for even short time the Lon
don season affects the poorer class. Wha
: is pleasure for the classes over Their
/ is existence for the masses