The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-08-02

speak verse with a melodious, ever-varying
cadence. But the idol of his souls idolatry,
in an artistic sense, was that great actress,
Aimee Desclee. She taught him that the
highest art something more subtle than
technique, comes from within, Is the ex-
preston of the poetic ego. Nature had en-
dowed him with a graceful figure; his face
is clean cut; his look full of command. He
has a voice of unexcelled purity: Romeo $
lines were never more beautifully spoken
than by Mr.. Robertson.
f. II. Sothern is certainly one of the most
active of American players. He not only
produces a new drama every season. but he
manages to find time TO write plays himself,
and as a side line has recently taken to
writing for the magazines by way of filling
in his extra time. In very interesting lit
tie article in Good Housekeeping he says
that there is no question as to the fact
that women sway the destiny of the theater
in America. Men that deal in plays" he
SAYS. "know from experience that if a
drama pleases the female contingent the
male will follow; they know too, the truth
of the saying, The. dramas laws the
dramas patrons give Mr.. -Sothern goes
on to make an appeal to the feminine por-
ton of the theater-gOing public In the cause
of a more elevated public taste. AS things
are at present, he argues, actors who desire
to produce great dramas cannot do so be-
cause the supply would meet no demand,
and. continuing, says:
1.-The tremendous educational and moral
force of the stage must be admitted when
one reflects that in great city each night
more people attend the theaterS than attend
all the churches of a Sunday. The power
of such instrument for good or evil is
simply tremendous. Every actor worthy
the name is hungry to give all his energy
and work to make his art an influence for
the highest and the best. The control of the
forces of the theaters is entirely in the
hands of our women. Their minds Will crave
certain things in the theater, and those
things they will find, for good or evil. |
want to declare that we actors, as class,
distinctly desire to play the great parts,
and that desire Is, to very great extent,
upheld or cast down by the taste of those
communities in which we work. Recently
IL was remarked at a banquet / attended in
New York that every important theater in
that city was occupied by a musical comedy
An excellent class of entertainment-and
the one person playing play of Shak-
speare's was congratulated for being able
to hold his own. Here's food for reflection,
IL you please. This taste of the public as a
mass is infinitely lower than the tastes of
the actors. We know what we would like
to do but we are not able TO do 1t always
Among the new plays to be produced the
coming season are the following: 1.-The
Red Mouse" by III. ]. w. Dam, with We
larie Bergere as the star; 1.-THE Light of
other Days." a new romantic drama, which
Robert Mantell will present. Dora
Thorne," a dramatization of Bertha NJ.
Clay's novel of the same name, with Elsie
Crescy in the title role; 1.-The Golden ST.
lence" by Haddon Chambers, which Vir-
ginia Harmed will enact; Lady Bertinthfa' s
Secret" the new play written for Mrs. lie
Moyne by Stanislaus STANCE; "A Deserted
Bride" the new melodrama, in which Lewis