Omaha daily bee., 1903-02-22

Moore last Sunday evening. and then he
ehortled az he handed out the bill show
ing that the Black Patti and her company
had the boards. Other nights OF darkness
followed. and then On thursday came VIII
liam Gillette 10 show us the real value Of
darkness In connection with the theater.
II sounds q little queer to talS Of using
the absence OF light to enhance ths value
Of a picture. but Rembrandt did Il, and
Titan and Corregio and Veiasquez. and
their works are immortal Mr.. Gillette
does II, and while the pictures he draws
are evanesosnt. their endurance in mem
ory is certain to be as long as the life Of
sny who have seen them. Chiaroscuro has
been the despair Of the stage manager.
just as It has banned the wielder cf tbs
brush. but Mr.. Gillette has solved the dis
trbution Of light and shade to the extent
that be produces enecCs that delight as
much As they surprise the senses. Prob
ably the most effective OF the lot. as well
as the most artistic In its detail. is the
opening Of the second act. at the home Of
Sherlock Holmes. Out Of the deepest gl-om
comes the tiny glow of sparks from the
pipe the great detective is vigorously puff
Eng. gradually the light comes On and
slowly the picture evolves from the DARK
ness. disclosing at last the cosy den Of the
hero. with it's comfortable and tasty fur
nishings. a FIRE burning cheerfully in the
crate and Sherlock Holmes stretched on the
hoor before the blaze. enjoying his smoke.
This and the final picture Of the piece.
when the lovers, locked in each others
rms. slowly fade from sight, their trans
figured faces disappearing last. are really
triumphs Of which the artist might be
proud we're everything else connected with
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umphed In other ways than in the handling
Of light and shade. He deals most deity
With his mother tongue. and while he does
not disclose any new or unsupported beau
ties Of the English language. ne handles
words so srtistically as to give iustre to
his sentences and great strength TO his
periods. Not only has he done this for
his own part In the play. but he has also
equipped each and every character with
such an OUTFIT Of linguistic gems that the
whole is o source Of constant delight TO .
lover Of the language.
At the Orpheum q rare treat was AFFORDED
the lovers Of good music by the presence
OF Miss Edith Helena. a singer who has
only begun to climb the ladder Of fame.
Miss Helena is mistress Of her art and
one would hardly think after hearing her
that her management would hnd IL neces-
sary TO resort to the expedient OF enter
ing vaudeville TO secure for her a hearing
and a name. In other regards the bill at
the vaudeville house was up TO the stand
ard. and the result was that the patrons
OF the house we're well rewarded for their
attendance. And business continues good.
Sweet are the uses of adversely, e1-
claimed the exiled duke in the Forest OF
Arden. and thereby set q puzzle for az
who stop TO think. Adversely teaches US
many a lesson. but whether the matter may
be called sweet admits OF a doubt. Ger
tainly Il requires q more wholesome philos-
ophy than many people possess to extract
any comfort from the bitterness OF disap-
pointment that comes with a course OF
hard luck. One Of the cheertest OF these
optimistic persons has just written a long
editorial for the New York Evening Post
on The Future Of the Drama" He begins
with the statement that "the theatrical
outlook here and in England Is 80 dis
couraEtng that the most ardent believers in
the possibilities Of the stage as an artistic.
moral and educational force. as well as a
source Of the best entertainment, might
well despair Of IT'S future. II II were not
for the occasional schemes suggested for
its reform" OF course. this terrible con-
dition is laid at the door Of the trust
'what the theater lie suffering from today
IL the domination Of the speculative and
commercial Managers" says this Jeremiah
OF Journalism. He proceeds TO prove the
commercialism Of the managers by showing
that they control the players. How? Why,
these players are q sordid set, and actually
act for coin, for money, and not solely for
arts sake! Isn't II too bad. that an actor
endowed by nature with fire OF genius and
BY experience with the capacity for It's
expression. with the ability to illuminate
divine passages OF glorious poetry by his
talent, should be so lost to all conception
Of his high calling as to even think OF eat
ing or drinking or wearing hne clothesl
And the crafty manages is interruptions
enough 10 take advantage Of this weakness
Of genius and make II his slave by
supplying Il literally with money. 10 the
end that It may dine with regularity and
20 abroad CARRIED In costume suitable to
the times and manners wherewith II may
ind itself surrounded. AAd still further
evidence Of the duplieity Of these mAnAgerA.
50 far as the public he concerned. is. found
In the conduct Of the venAl press. IN
this revolution they 1.-THE nAnAgerS) have
been assisted TO an incalculable extent by
. careless. compliment. selfish or unprin-
cipled press" continues the iAmentation
In support Of this assertion. he refers the
seeker 10 the fact that during the last
decade there has been a great increase in
the sum Of money expended by the mana
gers in advertising through the newspapers
That. Of course. conviets the press Of Its
Bubservienee and venAiity. just a. bad A.
IN actor: must have money to get on with,
and willing to take that OF the theatrical
manager. OF course no newspaper pub
Usher will longer hold up his head or 60
about In public with his face uncovered
after being thus ruthlessly exposed in his
servtle groyeling before the ThespiRn
Msmmon. What the press ought to do.
Of course. is pain. Il ought TO rigidly
exclude from its columns all advertising
for any theatrical attraction that is to be
paid for by money coming through the
trust" The duty Of the actor Is equally
plain He should decline TO act unless his
manager is able TO convince him that
neither play nor playhouse is in any way