The San Francisco call., 1904-08-21


longer to be taken IN by 'fubdub";
the bitter truth has been borne in on
many Of us that the dear old public
will no longer swallow buncombe
whole. For four or five years the
country enjoyed a period Of exception
al prosperity. The people were more
or less theater mad. Plays good. bad
and Indifferent attracted large audi
ences, their managers made money
hand over fist. But with last season
the tide turned.
The first victim and the one that
most richly deserved its fate was the
badly dramatized novel. The public
absolutely refused to swallow any
more of these crude and inchoate con-
coctions dramatized overnight and lit
orally chucked upon the stage after
couple of weeks rehearsals.
The next in line to suffer was the
made to order star-the man or
woman who, after one or two sue
cesses in leading roles. suddenly bios
somed out as a would-be arc light in
the theatrical armament.
II the past disastrous season has
done nothing else it has at least re-
duced these two theatrical impositiOns
to their proper level. And 1 make this
statement in all kindness, too, for no
one knows better than 1 the cease
less toll, the unselfish devotion, the in
domitable perseverance and the
heart-breaking setbacks which many
actresses and some few actors are ex-
periencing in their struggle to reach
the top of the ladder and to maintain
their position there.
The stage in America to-day is
stagnant on account Of the CONNER
cial spirit which has been introduced
into its dealings during the last six
or seven years. No one appreciates
and deplores this fact more than the
actors themselves-and no one
more's the pity-is so afraid to say
so. If the actors are under a yoke OF
commercial tyranny to-day they have
themselves to blame for It There was
a time seven years ago, when the
theatrical syndicate was first formed,
that Messrs. Joseph Jefferson, Nat
Goodwin, Richard Mansfield, Francis
Wilson and w. H. Crane, by merely
standing shoulder to shoulder, could
have nipped the scheme in its bud.
To-day, much as any Of them private
ly and unof1cially may bemoan this
fact, there isn't one of them who
doesn't jump when the syndicate pulls
the string-David Belasco, in Septem-
Der Smart Set.
Sir Henry Irving promises to appear
in a new role when he makes his fare
well tour of this country next spring.
Probably the last part he will ever
create will be that of "Gran'father
Coquesne." in a little one-act tragedy
built on Cosmos Hamilton's story or
that name in the Smart Set for Sep
tember. Mr.. Hamilton, a young Eng
lish author. who has come into sud
den fame, has made the dramatic ver-
sion Of his story at Sir Henry's re-
quest.
The title Of David Warfeld's new
play is 1.-THE Music Master" It is in
three acts. and its author is Charles
Klein, who wrote the same stars pre-
vious success, The Auctioneer."
THE Music Master went into re-
hearsal at the Belasco Theater last
Thursday morning, under the super
vision Of Mr.. Belasco. Mr.. Warfield's
company will be one of the strongest
to be seen in New York this season.
The cast will include Marie Bates,
Minnie Dupree, Antoinette Walker, Isa-
bel waldron, SYbl Klein, Campbell
Collan, Archie Boyd, William BOag,
Harold Mead, Darlington Yates. ]. w.
Benson, H G. Charlton, Louis Yer
ande, W. G. Ricciardi. Leon KOhlmar
and several others.
Consistent with Mr.. Belascos estab-
lished policy not to give out in advance
the story or nature Of new productions,
nothing is announced concerning The
Music Master further than that it
will show Mr.. Warfield in an entirely
novel character. radically different
from any in which he has been seen
heretofore.
Mr.. Warfield's first production OF
THE Music Master will take place at
Atlantic City, Monday. September u.
He viii open in New York at the Be
lasco Theater, Monday, September 26.
Two of Henry w. Savage's leading
comedians, Charles E. Evans of The
Sho Gun" and Harry Bulger of Wood
land" are spending their spare time
in Boston playing jokes on each other.
One evening last week. after a per-
pormance of Woodland" Bulger
sought Evans, who had just finished
) rehearsal of the Ade-Luders opera, and
a game of billiards was proposed. The
game started shortly after II o'clock,
and about o'clock in the morning
Bulger confided to Evans that he was
without funds.
| You'll have to pay the check" Bull
ger said.
The other comedian had a large sum
of money, but he couldn't resist the
temptation to play joke on his friend.
well. we're up against it, said
t Evans with a twinkle in his eye. Il
haven't a cent either"
What will we do?" asked Bulger;
1.-The PROPRIETOR will surely call the pO
, lice and we will be arrested