Omaha daily bee., 1902-12-21
AfnuSef III

IN Denver, hesitates TO place the stamp Of
their approval on anything that Il not OF
the very hishrst merit
The Elks will prove extremely valuable
allies. At a meeting held in Denver last
week the local lodge passed resolutions
volunteering every assistance In their
power. They further resolved to have a
copy Of the resolutions sent TO every lodge
of E1ks IN the country for adoption. The
enterprise is now In such shape that prac-
tically nothing remains bu, for the execu-
tive committee 20 sig-ify its willingness to
receive the funds and then commenced work
on the plans for building the institution.
Poor old Gotham! No a few shafts have
been leveled at the people who believed
that nothing theatrical can succeed without
the stamp Of Broadway approval, but none
Of these arrows has been keener than this
from the Washington Star:
These. have been troublous times, dra-
matically speaking, in the town Of New
York. where they make the musical come
dies. Mr.. BelaBco's production OF a genu-
lack Of information could not be disguised
BY ridicule has caused a number Of the
atrical commentators to rush for the the
saurus to find words to express these sud
den and unfamiliar. but ~ecstatic emotions.
Scarce had the shock produced by The
Darling OF the Gods" subsidized when Rich
u hdlhAltlu. IN AAo USUAL ' u Il
practical joke, steamed over from Jersey
City with a genuine production Of Shakes
peare. New York has never been much Of
a Shakespeare town. Marie Dressler never
puts on any Of the Elizabethan classics,
and there lie no part In them suited to Dan
Daily. 1t was easy enough to get rid Of the
ambitious people who ventured from Amer
lea proper into Broadway In the hope of a
metropolitan hearing at least as respectful
Held or Charley Bigelow. When studious
and scholarly young Walker Whiteside put
on a week Of tragedy at the same Herald
Square theater that Mr.. Mansfield is now
occupying they heaped ridicule upon his
youth and scorn upon his entirely respect
able efforts to fulfill a laudable ambition.
The McIeanSTyler-Hanford company was
received in the same spirit.
But Richard Mansfield is a different prop
%osition. He fights back. He has the repu-
tation Of being able to take care of him
self, whether It be in a hotel dining room
or in the midst of a roaring mob of husky
supernumeraries. Meeting all corners is
Mr.. Mansfeld's delight. And II he happens
to be too busy to attend to the matter him
self he can send MI. A. NJ. Palmer, who is
no shrinking violet when Il comes to secur-
ing all that he is justly entitled to. Mr..
Palmer has been known to walk boldly into
a newspaper ONCE and demand of the pub
Usher an explanation OF HE conduct In al
lowing anything that might hurt Mr.. Mans
gram is Of course calculated to make the
underling scriverners tremble and think
twice before inviting a controversy.
The Mansfield production of Julius
caesar mas caused obvious CO"nSternatOn
It's discussion developed small evidences Of
Shakespearean scholarship, but showed an
abundance of prudence. II was mildly sug-
gested that a performance OF Julius
Caesar" had not been seen in New York in
English for fifteen years, and that un-
familiarity with the play was therefore ex-
cusable. And this with so many free
schools and public libraries. Some said
that Arthur Forrest as Marc Antony Qn
one case It was spelled Marc Anthony
and Joseph Haworth as Cassius carried of
the honors OF the evening, while others de-
clared that they were uncompromisingly
bad. There were limitations that Mr..
Mansfeld's enunciation was rather choppy,
but the saving hint was thrown out that
these personal peculiaritles were no doubt
strictly in accord with Shskespeare's own
conception of the part. Maturer experience
took refuge In a list of names and dates
which at least gave the assurance that the
existence of Julius Caesar" was a matter
of previous Information.
Mr.. Mansfield is no doubt having many a
quiet chuckle.
He Is a merry wag.