Omaha daily bee., 1905-09-17

- growth Of the community in Gull
ture and intellectual DEVELOPMENT It is a
certain sign OF material prosperity, for
only the hardest and most vigorous Of
mental development Is possible unaccom-
panied by the means on which It may
thrive Culture implies leisure. and leisure
necessarily involves prosperity. Therefore
the opening OF a new theater in any COM
munlty. whereby its facilities for the pro-
duction OF plays Of any kind are increased,
IL welcome sign OF the existence Of
those conditions under which people are
happy. 1t lie easy to accept the proposition
that managers will not build where they
are not reasonably assured that their ven
ture will be a paying one. No theater is
ever opened until sufficient patronage is
apparent TO give to 1t the financial support
that will guarantee its continuance as an
active factor in local life. At least the
projectors Of all theaters convince them
selves Of the existence OF such conditions
before they enter on the establishment Of
q playhouse For this reason the material
advance Of Omaha is fairly we'll indicated
by the addition Of two new theaters to its
quota within two years.
Aside from the beginning Of it's winters
activity by the Orpheum and the opening
of the Burwood, the week was without
especial interest. It was given over to
musical comedy at the Krug for the first
half Of the week, with no opposition from
the Boyd, and to musical comedy at the
Boyd with almost no competition at the
Krug the last half. A melodrama Of the
warrnest sort held forth at the Krug, while
the time-tried and fre-tested Tender
foot" held the boards up the hill. This
week starts with fair test Of the musical
comedy proposition. for both the Krug and
the Boyd are Offering attractions in this
line OF about equal weight. The Orpheum
began with no flourish Of trumpets. and no
particular display Of extraordinary talent;
Just a we'll arranged bill OF average merit,
and was accorded the patronage it de-
serves Omaha people have ''the habit
and all through the winter the vaudeville
house Is certain Of profitable patronage.
The opening performance Of the Burwood
drew an audience that left no doubt as to
the interest OF the public in the new thea
ter, and It is quite likely that the coming
week will see this patronage continued,
for IL will take quite that long to give
everybody a chance to see the new house
and listen TO the new company. II is the
confident belief Of Messrs. woodward &
Burgess that they are meeting a require
ment that has long existed here In pro-
vidng a place whore plays OF a high grade
can be competently presented by a capable
a
Others who ought TO know something OF
the show business hold with the managers.
and believe that the new theater will be
a financial success without in the least de-
tracing from the prosperous condition OF
either Of the other houses.
-
Eastern reviewers and critics are still
very busy with the products Of the season.
so far as presentation have disclosed them
- L. NknwA NHaVT arm
sal of many and varied writings that moth
ing that has yet been given forth on the
stage this season is at all likely to set the
world on FIRE. Each of the new plays is
praised rather for what It doesn't than for
what II does disclose. That is to say, no
positive note has been sounded by any, and
the two that are most seriously considered
CDeLancey," written by Augustus Thomas
and played by John Drew, and Man and
superman." written by George Bernard
Shaw and played by Robert Lorraine) get
the attention bestowed upon them more
from the fact that they are to a degree at
least departures from the rule of thumb"
drama and possess In this regard some
literary merit. The one is frankly tailor
made; playwrights long ago gave up trying
10 Mt Mr.. Drew to parts and now brazenly
Mt parts to Mr.. Drew and he goes on sea-
son after season playing himself under
variety OF names, In Delaney" he is
asked to give life 10 a most uncommonly
voluminous flow of talk. succeeding to that
extent that commentators agree that were
Il not for his undoubted personality the
play would be a most ignominious failure
One bushes for American humor and Won
ders at Augustus Thomas, when one reads
that this is not a typical but extra good
example Of the humor OF the piece:
Jaqueline-But II your shoulder is not
broken why do your friends bring you
whisky?
DeLancy-Because they are my friends
Verify, II this is a sample, It is not hard
20 convince oneself that Delaney will
easily follow the pathway trodden by Kit
and others Of the Drew repertory. The
Shaw play is different. in that Shaw doesn't
manufacture conversation with the same
delicate consideration for the auditors
sensibilitles that marks the Thomas out
put. Shaw inclines TO plain speech and a
great deal OF II. He frequently crosses the
line and does what the bishop dreaded his
outspoken communicate would do Instead
OF calling a spade a spade. this otherwise
exemplary churchman referred to It as "a
id old shovel" The Shaw piece wends
it's wordy way along the very verge OF
coarseness, now and then stepping quite a
little over the line, but in the main holding
the interest because In its working out the
bitter-wltted Irishman argues that IL is the
woman who pursues the man. Not much IN
these TO ofer 10 even the student OF the
future much less the patron of the theater.
And the other plays are even OF less merit
than this pair. No wonder revivals are
being talked OF in New York.
In connection with the proposed revival
Of certain plays that have been very sue
cessful in the past, Mr.. Winter writes in
the New York Tribune follows on the
topic OF THE Decadent Drama"
IL has been the custom, ever since the
tide OF French nastiness FIRST began 10
flow into the American theatre. 10 defend
the production OF decadent plays, usually
OF foreign origin plays, for example. like
Camille" "Magda," Ghosts" apho, .
Iris" The Second Mrs. Tanqueray' and
THE Gay Lord Quex." the production OF
which is an offence against public decency)
on the ground, hrst that they are strong
and hence desirable for dramatic use and
secondly, that they teach good and
muCh-needed lesson" and are, therefore
appropriate In the theater. The season
that Is now beginning promises to be ac-
tive, and also II promises 70 provide many
fabrics OF this nauseous flth. These plays
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