The times., 1901-03-10

pleased my audien great deal /
have been vhistling Vhe EI Captain
march. but have been seriously consider
ing its abolition in favor OF some of the
more generally popular though less fire.
Guentiy heard oid-fashioned airs such as
Suwanee River Ny OLD Kentucky
Home The Last Rose of Summer, -
and the like The people seem to want
the good old tunes, and when one Is in
the business of entertaining audiences
one must give the public what it wants.
or at least what it thinks il want which
is the same thing.
The Vaudeville Managers Association
held a meeting on Wednesday au. lived
up to the promise they made to the mem
bers of the White Rats Association. and
abolished the per cent commission cif:nse
in the vaudeville players contracts.
Every person who was conversant with
the condition of affairs and the wishes of
the managers understood they would do
away with the Objectionable commission
at the earliest opportunity. The result OF
the meeting was received with great re-
joicing by the White Rats, who looked
upon the action of the managers as dis
tinct victory for their society, while as a
matter of fact it was absolutely nothing
of the kind, being merely what would
have been done had no strike been 1nau-
gurated.
Ii now remains to be seen whether the
gentlemen who have been at the bottom
of the trouble between the performers ana
the managers will call off the strike ana
allow the variety artists a chance TO earn
fabulous salaries, or whether they VIII
insist that all contracts be made through
the White Rats Association. If this latter
position is taken by the actors they VIII
undoubtedly lose every chance for secur-
ing work in any of the numerous theatres
controlled by the Vaudeville Association.
The managers to a man decided to treat
with the performers as individuals ana
not to recognize in any way their organl-
zation. 1t is doubtful if the actors ct the
head of the White Rats will find them
selves so often upon vaudeville pro-
grammes in the future, as there Is every
indication that the managers look with
distinct disfavor upon engaging them
upon any terms whatever, while num-
Der of the vaudeville directors notably
Mr.. Chase, of this city and Baltimore,
and Mr.. Proctor, of New York, are en-
phatic in the declaration that they Will
never engage any of the Vaudevillians
who walked out of their theatres when
the strike was declared. The three weeks
absence of the old-time variety actors
from the vaudeville programmes through
out the country has resulted in giving a
number of new acts an opportunity to
demonstrate their merit and in number
Of cases acts of decided worth have been
discovered. These new performers VIII be
given every advantage over the O!d-tlfne
variety people and the managers assert
that they will continue to build up new
acts and fortify themselves in every way
possible against recurrence of the events
Of the past two or three weeks.
From a theatrical standpoint New York
rose to the dignity of real centre OF art
last Monday night, when two productions
of a new piece entitled Uncle Tom s
Cabin" were given, one under the man
agement of w A. Brady at the Academy
of Music and the other at the Star Thea
tire under the direction of a. Martin.
In each performance a number of real
actors and horde of dangerous looking
bow vows were engaged. The piece is a
dramatization of Mrs. Harriet Beecher
Stoves story Of like name and was given
trial performances I'm six hundred or so
important and otherwise cities OF the
country, covering period of score or
more of years. Reports from the metro
politan dramatic experts are to the effect
that the play scored a tremendous sue
cess, due no doubt to the advantage of its
thorough preparation before being pre-
sented for the edifcatiOn of Gotham's 6X-
acting theatrical population.
The Brady presentation was given the
advantage OF a cast of unusual excellence,
| and there is every prospect that the eX-
citing adventure of Eliza, in which she
makes her escape from d band of pur-
| suers by crossing river filled with float
| ing ice-generOusly supplied by the Ice
| Trust for the occasion-will at once take
! a position of prominence with the human
| of the heroine in The Heart OF Chicago
| by means Of a pedestrian trip over tele-
/ graphic wires, and the great avalanche
! scene in that masterpiece of dramatic
| composition, Hearts are Trumps.' 1t is
! understood that q troup of canine actors
! of the common l. L. G type
are in evidence throughout Eliza
! triumphant scene, adding much sen
/ sationalism and noise. Wilton Lack
! ave as Uncle Tom, scored d hit
! of immense proportions and it is under
J stood from what has always been consid-
/ cred an nfmpeaChaDle authority thdt az
/ the conclusion of his present engagement
| he viii enter the vaudeville field and show
| his original creation OF Uncle Tom, VINO
| is described as a cOlored gentleman Of
! advanced years with fondness for little
maidens with streaming hair of the golden
/ variety. However, the strike OF the Nhlte
! Rats may interfere with his proposed IN
/ cursion into the domain of the continuous
/ Maude Raymond, who was last seen IN
/ Washington with the Rogers brothers
/ plays the part of Topsy and introduces q
I new coon song called 'ShOO Fly. Don
Bother Me" other members of the Brady
! company are Theodore Roberts, l.. K
I StockweIl, Emily Rigl. Mabel Amber, Al
/ ice Evans, William Harcourt, and Odel
; Williams 1t is to be hoped that lOca
theatregoers will have an opportunity OF
seeing this latest metropolitan specimen
I Of the dramatlzed story which the man
/ agement announces is not the work OF
Mr. J.. T.. Rose, who IS pOpuldrly supposed
10 have a corner on the dramatized move
| market.
one of the best bits of acting in "HelC
by the Enemy" as presented by the stocl
company at the Lafayette last week, wa.
done by a local Thespian, Mr.. Theodore
Friebus whose identity is hidden under
the somewhat STACEY name of Hal Var
/ Tyne
MIR. Friebus has been associated witt
the Bellows organization for some time
I in ytro 70