Omaha daily bee., 1903-04-19
ABOUT PLAYS PLAYERS AND PLAYHOUSES

only a few more days remain Of the local
theatrical season, but these promise some
Of the. most interesting things Of the en-
tire list. Tim Murphy comes for his an
nual visit in a play seen here before, but
not the less interesting for that, and then
Mary Mannering with her Clyde Fitch play,
the only one Of that prolific writer's pres
ent season output that came anywhere
near scoring. Miss Mannering, too, Is a
yearly visitor and a most welcome one.
She has won a foremost place in the list
Of society actresses. ana In her present
piece, "The stubbornness. OF Geraldine
has what the metropolitan critics pro-
nounce the best OF her long line Of paris.
After Miss Mdnnering comes Mr.. Richard
Mansfield, also a perennial, with his mag
nihcent production Of Julius Caesar in
which he takes the part OF Brutus. Mr..
Mansfield will be here two nights and will
close the regular season. 80 60. ..s
The post-season affairs are to be some
what notable, Omaha having been Included
in the bookings Of the summer tours Of at
least two big companies. Amelia Bling
ham and her own New York company will
be at the Boyd in June for four perform
ances. giving her trio of Clyde Fitch plays
and probably the Haddon Chambers num-
Der Of her repertory. In May, about the
18th. the Weber & Fields company will be
at the Creighton rpheum for a short en-
Kagement. This booking was announced by
Manager Reiter during the week, Weber g.
Fields having leased the house for their
time here. Some other engagements are
under discussion, but have not progressed
far enough to warrant definite announce
ment.
Last week was not especially notable,
unless 1t be for the Indifference the public
exhibited toward what was really a worthy
company producing in an intelligent and
p~raiseworthy manner some Of the best
plays in the English language. Whatever die
appointment the players felt at their poor
reception here was privately manifested:
at any rate It was not apparent in their
work on the stage, and Mr.. Herman and his
companions have the thanks Of the few
who did see and enjoy their efforts.
During the winter many of the children
IN the upper grades of the Omaha public
schools have been given an insight into
the beauties Of shakespeare's poetry; read
ing one or the other plays, occasionally
giving the reading some dramatic effect by
undertaking to enact a scene here and
there. and aided by their teachers In the
effort to secure q working understanding
Of the noblest dramatic poetry in the lam
guage. Outside of the schools many people
profess a perennial interest in the plays OF
Shakespeare, and never tire of talking OF
their attractiveness. All this is very nice,
for Shakespeare is always available to stop
a gap in a conversation, but when Mr..
Shakespeare comes to town. do we find
these self-admitted admirers of his genius
focking to the theater? Hardly. 1t re-
quires the added attraction Of a great name
TO draw them thither. The innate ex-
c~elIence OF the play itself Is not suf1cient
to interest the public. One IS almost driven
to the conclusion that Tire people are
hypocritical in this regard. The public
privately laughs at the rant and rubbish
of the modern melodrama, but let a blood
and thunder play be announced, and the
theater is filled; It talks with much regret
Of the depressing fact that 1--WE do not
see enough Of Shakespeare and bemoans
the degeneracy OF the modern actor, and
when a classic is presented at the theater
it is to a few who really love to see q good
play and a few who are drawn by curiost4E
to see just what a Shakespearean perform
ance is like. It is not the actors who have
degenerated; It is the public, and so long
as the public prefers Hal Reid TO William
Shakespeare. Just that long the stage will
be burdened with Human Hearts to the
exclusion of the classics. The manager of
the house and the manager Of the com
pany are neither to blame; neither is In
the business exclusively for his health nor
for the sole purpose Of educating the
masses. II they cant get the money with
one class Of plays, they will give the other.
The moral to all this is: II you want TO
see the higher type OF drama at the tho
aters, you must attend when 1t is being
offered to you.
To complain that you do not know the
actors is not a'good excuse. Once in his
life at least every actor was unknown.
Even the stars of today who have not
risen through the dreary ways hat lead
from obscurity to lame either come to the
stage with a past of unquestioned dinginess,
or are Immediately provided with one. Fame
is merely the recognition Of talent or abiI-
fly that has long existed end the fact
that an artist is not already famous Is not
TO argue that he does not deserve fame.