The sun., 1901-04-03
CONCERNS OF THE STAGE.
SHOWi BALLET As A NOVELTY IN
CONTINUOUS VAUDEVILLE.
1he innovation Made BY . Troupe of Dancers
at keiths Thestre-The Royalties That
some American Plays Have Earned.

cinltes Tor the continuous vaudevllle pro-
grammes seems likely to be an outcome OF
the recent strike by the white Rats Manager
+ + Proctor has made known his plan TO
use a stock company In farces In his chain
OF theatres, and already has secured Frederic
Bond to head and direct the rehearsals Of one
such organize A start will be made soon
With DIR Bill" At the Fifth Avenue Madame
Butterfly" already takes the place OF four
specalties. and is more satisfactory orer-
Ing than would be that number OF variety
Innings even II they were OF the first grade
Current at Keith's Is a spectacular Offering
that, flls the time usually allotted to three
spedalties and a resort here 70 the stock
company idea would be merely q return
10 the style of programme with which the
theatre opened a. continuou.-sh9w house
just what form the new style OF inning event,
uilly will take at the Proctor theatres will
depend on the results Of the early experiments.
A recent resort to twenty-min fragments
altogether satisfactory, and play OF iuii
length Is hardly feasible "Dr. Bill. which
vas rather less than an evenings length,
specially between the acts Though tho
current spectacle at Keith's fills sthree-quarters
of an hour, 1t will be- viewed by White Rats
which specialtes disconnect Each portion
employs staseful Of women In handsome
costumes. First is a Pageant OF Nations,
bv q msrcher who carries a national emblem.
the star spangled Banner being reserved for
the last squad Next. after speciality.
figures called a Gypsy Scarf Dance" The
stepping Is lively and the figures are ingeni,
ou.. so no appeal TO patriotism - neeaeo
of costume Is made for this number. and an.
other L. made for the Red Hus7ar DrIn
that follows, speciality Intervening ihe
soubrettes and ballet women indorse skirt
less get-ups for third appearance under
such a title. but the rules at Keth,s arestIict.
and its huzzars have skirts to below their
knees They march prettily In complicated
but conventional exercise and end by posing
IN front OF the rest OF the women. VINO sud-
denly are disclosed about and under the
American flag. which they and the audiences
regard admiringly.
Meantime a few of the specialists are up
T. new tricks Severus Shafer, at Proc
tors Fifth Avenue. gives a display Of Juggling
and balancing that includes most OF the con-
ventional tricks Of his calling. with few sur
rrising variations He rides into view IN
n donkey cart, for the sole reason. appar-
emily, OF balancing the cart on his forehead
after the animal has been embarrassed from
IL His tricks Of rolling plates down his arms
and across his body are notceably odd. With
arms spread out, he starts a plate whirlins
on edge down his arm, across his chest and
up the other arm 10 the hand On the re-
turn he lets the plate roll back of HIS head. and
asa climax - this item starts plate
IRON ench hand 10 pass IN front OF hIs
non bail he lets take similar Journey,
which he brings To an end "a the ball reaches
the tips OF his fingers, the bah seeming To run
swiftly upward for the last half Of the dis
tance When he starts the ball rolling down
his back he turns "A forward somersanit
and catches IL as IL drops from between his
legs Then he balances ono ball from his
forehead on pole six feet long, and another
from his chin on slightly shorter stick
The latter ball he lets fan and catches II with
his hands The other he lets fall straight at
his head until II is near him, when he bends
forward and catches II lust back OF his head.
When he holds in his teeth the rung OF n chair
in which above his head man Is seated the
elevated chap drops a newspaper. This the
equilibrist returns by kicking II from the
aOor o. his passengers hand. though handi-
capped by the need Of maintaining the other
balance
II proctor's Twenty-third Street John
Hnss 5 e5pGIms S. heareT, ou m apPd
u Is a common fault with many vaudeville
iokers to retort upon listeners who do not
display ready approval, and some OF them
ore singularly offensive in this way. Healey
Is not insulting He talks In the manner Of
the minstrel show stump speaker. and some
Of his speech antedateS negro mlnstrelsN.
He pretend, to read his remarks from an
empty scrapbook on a stand In front Of him.
and whenever a Joke fails 10 bring response
of laughter he groan- makes painful grimaCe
aud remark, that he'll cut that right out,
which he proceeds to do with big pair Of
saeerS once he manages 10 clip out page
before laughter has become general, when
he announces with judicial emphasis that
h.s hearers were too late TO save the Joke.
After resorting to this trick three times he
his listeners in a mood TO laugh at any
absuTIity.
The fact was noted in The Sun that the
American play of longest use. Uncle Toms
Cabin, had never paid cent to Harriet
ba nj "a
the man who put it into theatrical form
Several readers have asked what native
drama has yielded the richest royalties
Assuming that "Trilbv," although the novel
was of foreign authorship. comes within tho
range Of the enquiry because our Paul Potter
dramati2ed IT, that piece is far in advance Of
all others It was PLAYED simultaneously
hv FIVE companies in the United States and
has been popular in England and every
g., her European country except France II
lGs earned in ROYALTIES $4,000 that sum
having been divided among MIR Potter,
Nr DuMauricr and Harper Brothers Of
Itavs wholly American IN authorship and
sIniaCt shenandoah by Bronson Howard
and The Girl Left Behind Me- bv David
BelasCo and a cullhurat"r are at he top Of
tho list Aublma mdl" the lame OF
Augustus Thomas. but dId not help his for
tuuc a 1.-THE of what Arizona !, DONG for II
The Old Homestead h1, had q very large
income but 10 wa- bullt mp by. Dcnmau
Thompson with assistance paid for Toy the
Job, and 50 no playwright got much ont Of II.
I'm Old Kentucky rewarded Charles !.
laley richly, but not a. It would have done
oeIpts instead of So ior each performance.
the Still Alarm. and Blue Jeans were
highly remuncratve 10 Joseph Arthur.
itTces. but more from his hali share viii
IN, business partner than from hi, separate
receipts Of ROYALTY a. the author and no
H.Fl IN