Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-02-10
Special Corresnondence.


benefit by It, The actors position has
improved immensely already.
During the last five years the com
mercia methods which have been
adopted by so many OF the reigning
managers have brought the actor to
state or downtroddenness where he
scarcely dared call his soul his own.
don't mean to say that he suffered so
much In the matter of SALARY, as
matter Of fact the salary that a good
actor can draw today Is larger than II
ever was before, But at the same time
as far as Independence went or indi-
Viduallty was concerned he had be,
come little better than nonentity I'M
less he happened to be some big star,
ana even most Of the stars were event
unlly browbeaten into submission.
Now the situation, thanks to the work
OF Messrs. lSelasco, Shubert and Fiske
has completely changed The actor
ihs am open market once more. Com
petition which has been practically
dead for the past five seasons. is once
more going to make the theatrical sit
uation exceedingly interesting and TO a
certain extent at all events. the actor
can pick and choose there is an open
iiihiNtA lbi iHlls w ntil tflt WNOit Llt-
atrical power rested In the hands OF a
few managers who were leagued to-
gether IN a common bond, the actor
who CHANGED TO offend one OF these
managers was not infrequently put or
the blacklist. And once on their
blacklist ne could whistle for em-
ployment OF any kind. The stars in
the same case. supposng they hap
poned 10 be booked IN a manner which
did not suit them had merely to grin
and make the best OF II. There was
no alternative for them. But the re-
cent reinforcement OF the Shuberta
army OF stars, by Mr. Sothern ana
Miss Marlowe has thrown the balance
OF power in the matter OF attractions
entirely on the Independents side Not
only so, but the moral effect on the
other actors Of this latest move Of the
Sothern Marlowe combination is hay-
ing a tremendous effect
other stars who have had grievances
~ their own for several seasons are
now airing them to the fullest extent
and balm is being administered In
large and almost philanthropic duau-
Titles by those managers who realize
the under existing conditions. The
wisest move that they can make is to
concede to their demands For the
actor this Is unquestionably Just as II
should he, II viii be q splendid thing
for both sides of the fence. And one
OF It's immediate effects will probably
be that next season viii find great
many OF the smaller managers
going In once more for individual pro-
auctions. During the last few years
YOU couldn't blame any manager with
a limited capital for thinking very
long time before he yenturod TO make
new production before he was per-
fectly certain that bookings for his
play could be secured
The managers are picking up heart
now, and next year. from many points
OF view promises to prove the most
interesting theatrical season OF the
last decade. The acquisition Of more
serious stars such as MIR Sothern and
Miss MarloWe, will also enable the
Shuberts to go In for plays more seri-
ously instead Of wasting so much time
and money upon Inferior musical pro-
auctions, OF course, a really good
comic opera or musical comedy viii
score at any time, as witness the case
Of Mile. MOdiste," the new Herbert
Blossom opera IN which Frltzi Schefi
is scoring the success OF her career az
the Knickerbocker, But az good a
musical attraction as this only occurs
once I'm three or -four seasons. I'm the
meantime II IS futile and ridiculous
for a manager 10 imagine that he can
interest the public I'm such a production
as let MS say the Lyrics new opera
"Mexicana There Is no earthly use
I'm beating about the bush with regard
TO this new comic opera by Miss Clara
Driscoll and Robert d. smith II Is
t,fs al .,tl or "A
single novel feature to recommend IL
and Il Is go far inferior IN both It's
book and score to "Happyland, which
made "A hit at this same theater some
months ago that they cannot be put
I'm the same class Miss Christie Mac.
Donald and MIR, Edward Martlndale
both by their singing and acting, stand
out conspicuously from the balance
OF the cast. The poor comedians are
completely showed Nnder--it Is not
their fault, they have no material 10
work on. As Broadway attraction
"Mexicana" Is very much below par.
II has remained for Mr.. oscar Ham
merstein once more to Introduce New
York TO the most original variety
speciality Of the year, In fact OF many
years. II was only last week that Mr..
Arthur Prince. the young English Ven
trlloquist made his Metropolitan debut
nj Hammerstain's Victoria. but ever
since his first performance the theater
has been damned 10 the doors, and
no wonder Mr.. Princes speciality is
without an exception the cleverest act
OF its kind that the stage has shown,
Originally young actor In the Eng
lish provinces. MI Prince one day,
quite by accident discovered that he
was n ventrioquist. He developed his
powers so successfully that within "A
very short time he gave up the theater
az a profession Tor good and took HIM
self to the variety halls, where his
success was instantaneous, Early this
year he started on % weeks tour OF
this country, at a comparatively small
salary. In the west, where he first
appeared his success was 80 great TINT
he succeeded in trebllng his salary in
side OF six weeks. He Is now playing
the last week OF this American con-
tract, and much against his will he viii
be Obliged 10 return TO England next
week to fll number OF engagements
TO which he had already contracted
over there.
Mr.. Prince makes his first entrance
In the uniform OF an English naval Of
ficer. He Is exceedingly good looking
and debonair, and enough like Mr.,
Harry Reeves Smith, the English actor
10 pass for his younger brother. The
doll which he uses Ia his act Is dressed
as a British tar He has Just Joined
the navy, and he Is as full Of grievances
as the circumstances VIII allow. In the
first place he objects 10 being called 50
early In the morning The doll sits
on the edge OF table Mr. Prince man
ipulates It's Jaws with his hands in the
conventional yentriloquIst way while
Ihe himself Tolls back on n sofa, putting
leisurely az his cigar, The conversation
between the two develops into a regu-
lar little play containing two distinct
Characterization. The sketch lasts for
nearly half an hour during which the
house Is In roars OF laughter and II