The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-04-19
Conried Plans
To Give parsifal
Special to The Globe.


NEW YORK, April 1S-The accept
ance by Mr.. Cenried so long and ia
Vorably known in connection with the
Irving Place theater and the highest
ideals of dramatic art, of the presi-
dency and management of the Metro
politan Opera company, is hailed by
lovers of opera the country over with
the utmost satisfaction.
When Maurice Grau announced his
intention of retiring from operate
management there was no hesitation
as to who should be chosen as his sue
cessor and there is no doubt that Mr..
Conrieds genius will win him as much
appreciation in his wider sphere as it
has in his hitherto more limited field.
One would have thought Mr.. Con-
REDS ambition might be satisfied by
the important position into which he
was SO unanimously thrust, but no, he
has an older and fonder dream than
being the king of opera.
The idea of an endowed theater for
New York has been moving the clever
actor manager for a couple of years
past. Endowed or national theaters
exist in Europe, but it is not certain
whether they meet all the conditions
desired by Mr.. Conried, who in a re-
cent interview said:
The Endowed Theater.
II expect to see the endowed theater
realized in this country. 1t is the
great need of dramatic art in this
country. With all the munificence that
is being shown in various directions 1
feel sure that the theater will before
many years come in for it's share.
Many men of means have talked with
me about the idea, but so far it has
amounted to talk.
Our theaters today are mere places
of amusement. The ideal theater should
be both a place of amusement and ed
ucation. A man at the theater, while.
he is amused should be unconsciously,
unwittingly improved. T.
What should the endowed theater
be? 1t should be the standard in all
things-in dress, in speech, in manners
in morals, in ethics. 1t should be the
type of good speech and department. A
dress seen in one of it's plays should
be known to correctly represent the
dress of that time. In the same way it
should illustrate the best manners, the
best speech, the highest ethical ideals
This doesn't mean a finicky exclu-
sion of plays that might by some be de-
termined improper Sometimes the
worst lives teach the best lesson. By
presenting certain phases of life
strong ethical lesson may be taught
The simple principle is to show that
evil is punished and right living is re-
Warded.
Defects of Theaters of Today.
The theaters of today glaringly
manifest the defects which 1 have in
dicated should be remedied by the en-
dowed theater. They transgress the
prOprieties in many respects"
When his attention was called to the
fact that it seemed probable Philadel-
phia would succeed in being the first
city in this country to carry out the
scheme advocated by him he seemed
to be in no way discouraged by the
prompt response made by the million
aires of the Quaker City to his idea.
He said: Wait until our rich
men here are worked up to the proper
point of enthusiasm and see if they do
not come to the front quite as readily
as Philadelphians have DONE"
The announcement that Mr.. Conried
will certainly produce "Parsifal'' at the
Metropolitan opera house next year is
causing considerable excitement in both
Berlin and Bayreuth. The whole ex-
element is over the fact that Wagner's
last work is the only one that has new
er been performed outside of Bayreuth,
the Wagner family having always held
it as the exclusive property of their
theater. Hitherto it has been impossi-
bic to hear a performance of this
unique drama without a trip to Bay
reuth, all German cities even to the
capital having been barred from pro-
ducing it by Nine. Wagner and her
son Siegfried.
There have been many attempts
made to induce the Wagner family to
revoke this decision, but up to the
present time they have been useless
Mr.. Conried says, however, that he will
achieve this enviable feat for the pa
irons of opera in America, notwith-
standing the dire threats made by the
Wagners if he dares to do it. His de-
termination is not likely to be shaken
by a trif1ing threat, those who know
Mr.. Conried best say. H. E. c..