The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-02-16
THE STAGE In OTHER LANDS.
EARNED AND OTHER ExALTA-
TION FOR BEFRBOHM TREE.
The Actor-Mansser's splendid Mounting
OF Ulysses" Makes Ills Admirers
Wildly Ecstattc- other Things Of
American Interest In London Theatres.

,isoote ~Ntr y.
Wildly Ecstattc- other Things Of
American Interest In London Theatres.
Theatrical London Is again exciting
itself into a frenzy of enthusiasm over
Beerbohm Tree. Considering the failure
Of this actor on both his American tours,
a failure that was not simply set down
calmly, but made Mr.. Tree the object OF
ridicule In come places. his London eleva-
ton seems almost incredible. Not con-
tent with placing him on a level with Henry
Irving, a large part Of the London public
put him up higher. As far as records
60. the doubtful records OF anecdote. W. s..
Gilbert, the hbrettist, Is the only English
man who has dared find fault with Tree.
The incident Is now famous. The night
that Mr.. Tree produced Hamlet a big
supper was given for him by prominent
Londoners. One after another they made
speeches praising the new Hamlet to the
skies. A prominent dramatic critic sat
on Mr.. Trees right and Mr.. Gilbert IN his
left. The Journalist leaned across the
actor and said to the author. Now we
have all told how much we admire Mr..
Trees Hamlet. haven't you something
plee SAINT to sayS' Mr. Gilbert arose. why,
yes, ne tdlu. 4 tIulh VII. iTtt . uUts
Is very funny and not a bit vulgar
1t Is said that during Mr.. Trees second
season at the Knickerbocker he was sitting
In the box Office one afternoon when a
woman bought four seats for q matinee.
She remarked: The play Is "A Bunch Of
violots,' isn't it?' NO said the treas
these tickets said the purchaser. push
ing them back and leaving the window.
Tree Jumped Up and, calling out of the
window TO the possible buyer OF the tickets,
brought her back by saying: We'll, i would
just as soon change 1t to "A Bunch Of Vio-
let's" So any one who says there was
never ar advance sale for MIR. Tree Is mis-
taken.
London's latest excitement over Mr..
Tree is because Of his production Of Stephen
lphillirs's -Ulysses,' at Her Majesty's.
ever put OF the stage. and to people who
have seen his production Of Twelfth
Night" and -Herod' even that broad
statement seems possible. Certainly no
English manager. not excepting Irving,
has made such marvellous stage sights as
Tree, and, like Irving. he is n scholarly
and intellectual q who adds accuracy
and enlightenment In detail TO the purely
pictorial quality of his mountings. MIR.
Phillips's second play, like his -Herod."
seems TO be a mass of good, rather heavy
literature, with occasional flashes Of ex-
ceptional poetic beauty and less-frequcnt
moments of dramatic interest. Tie first
scent represents wonderfully, II il "A q,
Mount Oily mpus, where the gods and gcd-
desScs are dcbatir & as to whether or not
Ulysses shall be released from exile, be-
cause some Of the OlymI ic powers didn't
approve Of his arran gem, III of the Trojan
War. The next scene shows his lthaCan
palace. another beautiful sight. where his
wife, Penelope, In longing for him. but by
tla Crn.n Of 1 bT GODS H. n tpitpp and t.ntfi-
full as on her Wedding day. Growing in
their marvellous gorgeousDcss the scenes
finally reach a pinnacle of beauty in a repre-
sentat ion Of tho Magic Isle whore the wicked
siren, Calypso, keeps Ulysses a fascinated
prisoner. After that two elaborate views
of Hides SHOW U,ysscs's progress through
that region and finally another view of
Penelope palace, where the warriors
wife is beset by her many suitors.
Artistic and literary London takes all
this very hard. not satisfying Itself with
frenzied praise of Mr.. Tree as a producer,
but saying his performance of the title
role Is another proof of his genius. Phillips
il compared to Ros'ond. His ,,Paolo and
ttT sIsSser ob rs h h + 7, T TrI;inS 6 Drama GsoT }S9
Julia Marlowe. Lily Hamburg. who was
in Mr.. Trees company on his American
tour. plays Penelope and Nancy Price. a
beautiful and a%ctrcss, Is the
CdiypS1. MIS-. Brown Potter was TO have
IldAf1 AllsAl wv w at III FAt anu
Mr.. Phillips dis greed as to the amount
Of passion that the siren hould show and
she retired. Since then the three sides,
Mrs. Potter's, Mr.. Trees and Mr.. Philiips's.
have been discussed in public letters in the
newspuTe rs.
JOHN Hare is going to act In America
next season and under the management Of
Charles Frohman, two facts that, of course,
have nothing to do with these rCmaTEs,
recently made by him at q dinner Of the
- II LII. L. - TIL l.- -s.-4.
in detail az his fine acting does. and the
closer one sc%rutiuizes them the more one
appreciates their fine points. I'VE hear a
good deal Of the American INVASION
stated Mr.. Hare. We'll ! ave the pleas
ure Of publicly announcing that |, per-
sonally. welcome that invasion. | am too
patriotic To wish the conquest Of England
TO be complete, | should indeed be sorry
TO see our commerce. our trade and finally
our arts oustcd and bcsted by our brilliant
cousins from the other side, hut | do well
come as permanent ~sOJCurncrs among lis
: these quick, bright-witted men and women
I who infuse new life and fresh ambition
into our somewhat blase and tried old
country. And here let me correct what
: / consider the very false est ms that is
in some quarters placed on the American
ny probation Of the art Of which | have
! the ono to lie an exponent. II has been
said think unjustly-that acting in
America spoils tho iinesse Of English
~ hIAfl IT, u az llfN ttNGIH lIbn lItI country
with their methods co8roered and Cxag-
gerated. | dispute It altogether. NV eX-
, pcrienCe of American audiences il that
IN" greater tho hncsse, the greater the
] delic9cy Of the method, the more they ap-
p%rec'atc it. In proof a. this | would point
out that their most popular actors arc
jefferson, the greatest comedian living
and the most natural; the !csciua' ing Gil
! lettc, another close observer and student
Of nature; Goodwin. Sol Smith Russell,
d ilchan. Annie Russell, and last. though
not l,"-t, NaUdc Adams. And | think Wa
may iairiy say hat the American stage
gives VS. an object lesson In holding the
mirror up to nature. Again. we owe much
in tf'S country to the enterprise Of their
mana -yu.,'
These remarks do not lessen the pleasure
that another visit from So distinguished
an acto. VIII cause. Mr.. FrohmaL's first
plan was 60 l)dgn Mr.; HLrc \, tae Savoy
for n whole season, putting him Ia charge
. there as be- was m~1ny years a. III" -. James
in London. which he ard Mi aud Mrs,
Kendall managed ar'istically. Some 81
tho Robe tson plays and a Pair 81 Spec
t.cles' were 20 have been revived, but
NJ. FrohIau's arrangement TO put Clyde
Fitch IN control 81 the Savoy and produce
only Witch pl,vs thcre will neoc ssits'e a
change Of pyliry. A. W. Finero il said "a
b" whiting a comedy for Mr.. Hare, and that
may Ia. r,.l~ IN tf,ta JI,v,,v.r Nj