The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-02-03
&5MAGE AFFAIRS
= eEp


Not 80 long & the three brothers Will
stsch were journalists somewhere in the
East. Paul is now associated with the af-
4 fairs OF Richard Mansfield. He has also
found time TO write a play for the Honor
able Maverick Brander Murphy. Frank
Wilstach is the publicity promoter for Miss
, Viola Allen. This brother writes a great
deal OF fiction for maj ga zines and is en-
Gagged. by all account. on a biography of
his famous star. The third Wiistach brother
is ciaxton. now in the field for the Kirk
La Sheile enterprises. This Mr.. wilstach
s at the present moment in St. Louis. at
tsehed to the business stan OF The Prin-
! cess Chic" Opera Company. which is enc of
; The La Sheile p~roft-makers. Mr.. Claxton
: "1lstach speaks three languages, plays
several musical Instruments and writes
poetry upon the slightest provocative.
4 Another newspaper man who has recently
! left his profession for the theatrical calling
is James oDonnell Bennett, who. for years.
was the tempestuous critic of the Chicago
journal. Mr.. Bennett Is just now an i'm
portsnt member OF the business staff of the
, Julia Marlowe effort, controlled by Charles
Bancroft Dillingham;. Bennett was always
decorative delight as a critic. and there
<ere numerous signs that he will continue
= 10 be PLEASANTLY permeative as a follower
OF the stage profession. Dillingham;. too,
was once a newspaper worker. He was an
important reporter on the Chicago Times,
when Wilbur F. Story was there. Then he
became dramatic critic of the New York
Evening Sun. A year later he was APP
pointed first assistant to Charles Frohman.
he Is now manager. not only of Miss Mar
lowe, but the Criterion Theater, New York,
as well.
Another journalist who has cut avay
once and for all. from the profession Of his
youth. Is Joseph Dillon, valued assistant in
me managerial affairs of Richard Mans
neic. Mr.. Dillon left the newspaper office
TO assist In the starring venture of Miss
Adeie Ritchfe. 1t WAS not a success. but
Mansfield IS; so Dillon will not soon return
TO pen and paper.
Francis O'Neil Is another Of the high
grade news writers who has sons Y the
Frohman forces. O'Neilr's criticisms and
gossip were long brilliant features of the
Washington Post. Occasionally. since hs
entrance into the touring profession of the
stage. Mr.. O'Neill has contributed glitter
ing gems to his old columns They always
attract attention
hihere mas ocen within the week q dis
eect advance In the public interest that
centers about the Music Hall productions.
The return Of favorfte singers. the new
stage management and a growth in the
chorus are reasons fer the new sentiment.
Music Hall conditions are especially inter-
estfng In that they show that the people
are most excellent judges of what they
want for amusement There has never bsel
the slightest public unfriendliness toward
doings up at Fourteenth and Olive streets;
q falling of in popular interest was the IN
evitabie outcome of a falling away from
standards. Now that the standards are re-
stored. the applauding crowd is back again,
and right glad to be there.
On another page may be found a present. |
ment of some of the facts connected with
the situation now confronting the Choral |
symphony Society. That the society will
continue its way seems to admit of small
doubt. but there should be more Of this.
The city's pride should make plain sailing
possible; the expenditure of enough money |
TO remove all elements of fear for the fu-
ture, the buying Of needed instruments and
the employing at all times of the best tai |
ent- incidentally, the management might
see its way clear to give more frequent
prominence TO really capable st. Louis So
taists- -.
II it were not for the fearful vfvacious-
ness of May Yourtree, the young st. Louis
woman who was On the Olympic pro- |
sramme last week as May Lambert there !
would barely be an apology for Self and |
Lady" The play is composed of those ve-y |
commonplace incidents of everyday life
f,sst look so impossible on the stage. But |
Miss Yourtree as the very young wife had
all that innocent freshness and fufsnes.
with the Mysteries and sobs that are 50 in
tangible. and SO theoretically charming IN
real life. You could hear those tears COM
ing lons before the storm broke, and tie
esgerness for reconcile ton in the caress-
ing voice is what a woman calls sweet"
Mss Yourtree is a large woman who
handles her splendid figure we'll. and as
she seems to be young and emotional, We
may soon hope TO see her In a role bring
ing all her powers into play. Frohman. the
far-seeing. seems to comprehend that
VIXEN she has rounded her acting. he has
material in hand for a splendid emotional
star.
Otherwise. excepting the experienced
good acting OF all the cast. there is nSth-
ing to the play. The plot Is not original.
and the humor in the situations Is SO old
that it would be sacrilegious even to smile
at anything so time-honored. The charac-
tiers. IL the actors were not what they are,
would be utterly vapid and trivial ones.
\ho utter driveling cheap satire from
w}sch you are to infer disgusting things
s |
The faint-hearted talk that contemplates
the abandonment Of the st. Louis Sym
phony Orchestra will but stimulate real
believers in the towns music to hold on to
what they possess. improving it. season
after season. until the band becomes an
honest local pride. Mr.. ]. L. Sheen. q mu-
stefan, wrote a letter to Mr.. George D.
last week. and SO rich b the
document in the elements of the present
question that 1t is here reprinted:
I'm regard to the possibility of abandon