The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-02-16

muoh, and, we are glad 70 say, mas me'
with a ~salutary check.
This may be all true. every word OF It,
l merely read the indictment TO you how
ever. and II you find II a true bill invite
you to reform-if for no other reason, in
order TO enter into the good graces Of Eng
lish dramatic critics.
We nave our little troubles in the English
theatrical world. They are indicated with
sufficient delicacy in this further extract
from the Tirnss's announcement:
Our theatrical reformers at home are fond
of declaiming against the system If actor
management. II has its evils; hut what
are they compared with the evil Of a theatri.
cal trust? The actor-manager Is accused
OF dominating the scene. He considers
not so much the play as his part in the
play: IL is like the famous portrait Of NJ.
P~errichon on the Alps-a very big Perri-
chon and a very small Mont Blanc. That
Ia generally truo, no doubt, though we could
point to sctor-managers at this moment
who are taking q subordinate part IN their
own company. The great point ia that
the actor-manager is. after all, an artist
desiring, like the rest Of the world, artists
or not, to make money, but impclled by
every instinct Of his being to serve the
cause Of his art. He has an artistic charac-
ter 10 lose. And he becomes, willy-nilly,
the focus of ar artistic tradition. His
aim Is TO attract and. II may be, to educate
a special public, r. be the head OF a SCHOOL. =
For him, In the best cases, tho theatre Is
a house beautiful. in all cases IL is n home;
for a commercial syndicate II is merely a
house to let Even though in the long
run he may try for mere commercial suc-
cess he can afford, exceptionally, N allow
himself the treat of an artistic fling
make money out Of a drawing-room drama.
and then spend it, or some Of it, on honor
and glory-a Shakespearian revival or n
new poet. II is objected that he tends
TO abound In his own sense 10 cultivate
his mannerisms unchecked. So he does
In the end; but there has been n previous
period Of growth. With the syndicate
there is nc such thing as histrionic growth;
II wants It's stars" ready made.
II all hat has been said against him
were true, there would still remain the
question where to find a better substitute.
Some reformers talk Of amateur les OPP
posed TO commercially syndicates, with an
influential committee But the example
Of the Italian opera management in London
is not very encouraging. Then there IL
the old cry OF a national theatre-an old
cry which is just now becoming shrill
or the rates. And this cry is raised once
more at the very m when the great
National Theatre on the other side OF the
Channel lie showing every sign Of incom-
petence and Reorganization. IL not absolute
breakdown Only the other day our Paris
" AAb Nbt lAAFA'lN VI
the French stage, declared that it owed its
salvation TO NJ. Antoine. an actor-manager!
He might also have given similar credit
10 NJ. Lugne Pee, another actor-manager.
But IL seems that the scheme Of n national
theatre Is the toy of the moment. Both
tho Playgoers' clubs are amusing them
selves with 1t. One of them has, Of course,
appointed a special committee 10 examine
and report: the other, not 20 be outdone,
Is collecting votes by circular. Evidently
p~ing-pong is in danger. BY and by, no
doubt there viii lie a question in the House,
or al Spring-gardens, and some amusing
remarks from the Chancellor Of the tx
chequcr or the Chairman Of the Council.
Meanw hile, we must get along with our
actor-managers as best We can, and above
all keep a wary eye on theatrical svndicates.
Those who are interested in identifying
great talent before it is recognized bv the
world will like to know something about
Louis Arens, the Russian tenor who is TO
start with Nine. Melba on her Australian
tour. | remember writing more than a
year ago that Arens would probably b.
the worlds next great musical star. He
has since won a triumph in Australia second
only TO Molba's own. 1t is unfortunate for
many reasons that he still denies himself
10 the English and American public. but no
one who has heard him has any doubt about
tne nature OF MS receptlon Wnen ne does
appear upon the operatio stage of London
and New York. Arens began his musical
career as a pianist. When preparing for
his debut at the c~onservatoire in ST. Peters
burg, Tschaikowsky and Rubinstein, who
were on the Board of Directors, discovered
that he had n remarkable voice and ad-
vised him to alter his ambition. His debut
as a singer was a failure. He went back to
work, however, and since his appearance
at the Imperial Opera, Moscow. n few years
ago. he has scored a triumph. He has sung
in opera thus far only in Italy, Australia
and Austria. Since his return from Aus
tralia last autumn he has been singing tho
principal Wagnerian roles at the Neues-
deutches Theatre in Prague. Arons, like
Cnlv6. combines wonderful vocal gifts
with superb dramatic talent. His creation
Of Tdnnhdusor, especially. is a splendid
histrionic achievement. 1t is not at all
impossible that he will be heard in America
next year. II. X. c.