Omaha daily bee., 1906-03-18

kft4 serious drama, at the Boyd
AaeANH theater during the week one musl-
cal comedy and two really meritorious plays
were presented, the capacity OF the COM
pany in each instance being about the
same. that f.. each company was good for
Its purpose. The box Office sheet shows that
the musical comedy got the people. and the
two plays were sadly neglected. Patrons OF
art" may rail at the musical comedy as
much as they like. but It still has the
populace ON its side The real event OF the
week was the appearance OF Thomas Jeffer-
son in RIP Van Wrinkle" This fine old
play was given most appropriately and
effectively and was thoroughly enjoyed by
those who took the trouble to attend. Mr..
Jefferson is a thoroughly capable actor.
and does no violence to the sentiment that
connects the play with his fathers mem
orr.
Bill Bradys outburst against the New
York critics has been the cause Of more
real enjoyment than anything that has hap
pened in this country since "Pinafore'' was
first produced and Rev. Henry Ward
Beecher sat in q box and heard Captain
Corcoran say, On Il, it's too bad" and
looked confused when he said, Hardly
ever" II may have been that the pres
ence OF half-score OF real live Sioux In
dams stirred the sluggish current Of Bilrs
erstwhile evenly-aowing blood and awoke a
lingering trace Of the primitive man in him,
but. whatever the cause. he sure did go on
the warpath. He appeared at each per-
Torrance OF 1.-THE Redskin" for a week and
metaphoricaily scalped the critics until he
had enough tOpknots to decorate his lodge
pole, his bride reins and his leggings. Then
somebody sung, bill Brady, won't you
please come homer" Mr. Brady varied his
onslaught at each appearance, so that Il
was necessary to attend each In order to
find out all he had 20 say. He told about
all he knew before he got through. Among
other things he said he knew more about
the theater than all the critics in New
York combined. This will be granted, and
the further assertion that none OF the
critics know anything at all will not be dis
puted. But Mr.. Brady said things he must
have regretted If he reflected ct all after
he was through. Some of his utterances
were even silly. His first speech is re-
printed in part in the Dramatic News,
very friendly paper, in which he is quoted
as saying:
Many nights ~ wife and the mother Of
my child has come home from the theater
where she has been playing with tears
streaming down her face as the result of
the unkind things said about her by these
critics, whose only aim seems to be to
desired could make fools of these men?
They drove Fanny Davenport to her
grave; they have ruined other well mean
Ing men and women; but I say to you that
with the aid of the intelliCent honest, fair
minded patrons OF the theater / will tight
fought before They cannot cruelty me as
long as / am able to fight and / pray the
time will come when the public will refuse
to laugh at their wittcisms, which many,
many times have wrought ruin to theatrical
managers VINO nave MAGE a every sI9re 70 70
be presented.
The News supports Mr.. Brady, and says
, the only solution to the critic question is
to bar them from the theaters. Amen,
and let Mr. Brady and his conferees have
Il ali their own way. The News, in de-
Tending Mr.. Brady. says he is constantly
producing plays; that he has ten COM
panies on the road and employees 500 peo-
pie. II this is true, and IL very likely is,
the fact comes out that Bill Bradyhasnt
suffered so severely in pocket, nor Is he
in any immediate danger of ruination as
q result Of the hostility Of the New York
critics. 1t hasn't been so very long since
he was selling newspapers in front of
Omaha's only theater, the old Boyd on
Farnam street. He might then have
dreamed of his present greatness, but
later, and very likely his first serious busi-
ness undertaking. he was manager for a
champion pugilist. From this small boz
ginning, during a space Of less than a
score OF years, he has come to be one of
the leading members OF the managerial
coterie OF New York. This doesn't sup
port the theory that newspaper opposition
has proven fatal to his plans. In his state
ments, too, Mr.. Brady shows he has a
brief memory. About this time last sea-
son he was presenting" Robert Mantell
in a line OF shakespearian roles in New
York and was given a welcome that, judged
by Mr.. Mantelrs later performances in
the same parts In Omaha, far exceeded his
deserts. THE Pit" another of Mr.. Brady's
productions, had a very prosperous run
in New York and was very kindly handled
by the critics of that city. also farine
better than II deserved. Miss George was
quite successful there In two very ordinary
plays, Pretty Peggy and "The Marriag,
OF william Ashe," while third play, which
was offered only in New York last spring
was enthusiastically praised by the critic:
and sadly neglected by the public. Othel
ventures Of Mr.. Brady's managerial en-
terprise have prospered and brought hin
in such sums OF money that he might
easily AFFORD to withdraw his wife from
the range Of the carping writer's. At al
events. II Mr., Brady lives until Mis-
George has attained recognition as anon,
the great actors OF her day, he will hav,
record for age that exceeds Methusaleh' 8
-
The affair has afforded mucn amuse
ment to the writers IN New York, VIII
are most concerned. Tnsy have refuse,
to treat Mr.. Brady with that seriousness
with which he considers nimself, and hav
thereby kept him at the boiling point
In his sunday review Mar. John Corbil
takes up the play seriauim. and point
out the analogy OF its scenes with tn
scenes and situations in other plays tina
have been produced. the range including
= about everything from the Greek drami
to DruTy Lane, and includes his analysis
OF the composition by saying: ITO cal
Mr.. MaeL.aren the Autolycus Of the dram
Is to compliment him. A maybe could no
have piifered with more avidity ana les
discrimination"
other managers OF New York have bee
given an opportunity TO express them
selves on the topic through the news
nanera and soma NJ them have dopa /.