The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-08-31
Theatrical Gossip

kept waiting for the performances to
begin because the stage queens were
delayed in shaving. Shakespeare wrote
for an audience of men.
THE role of Juliet, for instance, is
full or coarse retorts and vulgarities
that might have been highly diyerting
to the wine-fushed crowd that heard
her Chimp talking from the balcony.
Woman became Juliet and the world
saw reflected in her character all the
beautiful and sacred traits of feminine
grace and modesty. This evolution of
the Italian maiden is fairly typical of
what has resulted from the appear
ance of woman on the stage and her
keener perceptions at work in the
audience.
There has been a full compensa-
ton for her mission, however, and if
she has raised the status of the play
house to its present high plane, she
has derived equal benefit for her la
bors. Today the author (if he chance
to be a MANI thinks first of the wo-
man in his audience and aims to
please her. His second thought is to
the female characters in his play. The
producing manager and the house
manager think of the woman. If the
play, suits the woman and If the ac
tors please her it is success. The
men will go because she is there or
to act as her escort.
ION the stage the question of 'wo-
mans rights is passe and seldom men
toned. 1t is generally conceded that
she has attained a full sway and
crusade for mems rights in the plays
of the day would be as apropos as the
crusades that are now conducted with
vigor by the opposite sex in other
channels of life. The reigning favor
ties of the day could be counted on
the ten fingers if only male actors
We're to be named. Woman is pre-
dominant in influence and far in the
majority in numbers.
Tine popularity of David Warfeld
for instance. is easily equaled by Sarah
Bernhard. Richard Mansfield has
never attained the pre-eminence ac-
corded to Duse. Z. H. Sothern is
ecllpsed by Miss Marlowe. Ellen Ter
ry easily leads Tree Wyndham and
Robertson. her principal male contem-
poraries in England. Comparisons be-
tween Miss Nethersole and Faversham
would be unfavorable to the latter.
The hold of Rejane on her public is
stronger than that of Coquelin. Maude
Adams runs Ear ahead of John Drew
in popularity. On all points in their
stellar positions in comic opera, FRITZ
Schef would outweigh Frank Daniels;
Marie Cahill would eclipse James T.
Powers; Marie Dressler rivals Eddie
Foy at the game of clowning; Anna
Held has no male rival in her particu-
lar line of endeavor; Rose Stahl, Elsie
Janis. Lulu Chaser, Camille D'Arville.
Lillian Russell, Fay Templeton. Hen
rietta Crosman. Mrs. Fiske, Viola AL
len, Eleanor Robson, Madge Carr
Cooke. Clara Blcodgood, Blanche
Bates, Blanch Walsh, Ethel Barry
more, Margaret Anglin-where are
the men to stand apace with time in
public favor? And If their equals can
be named, the numbers far outbaI-
ance any contention that man has held
his own in the race for favor, which
is undeniably race for the survival
of the fittest.
PITY the male actorl The most in
significant member of a chorus may
and an illustrated write-up in every
town if she happens to have a pretty
face. Newspapers do not care for
mems pictures. They have learned that
their readers do not care to see them,
and in this, as in other matters, they
their patrons. geographically and or
namentaily. woman has completely
captured the field. The acting profess
sion is chiefly in her hands, and men
appear by courtesy" rather than me-
cessity. Adelaide Keim as Hamlet,
Maude Adams as Peter Pan and L'Aig-
Ion, of this generation, and several wo-
men of the past half century have
given ample satisfaction in masculine
roles, proving that the complete mo-
nopoly by the weaker sex" of every
thing dramatic is not one of the i'm
possibilities of the future. Sarah
Bernhard has recently announced
that she may add the role of Mephisto
to her vast repertoire, and while this
might inspire some scoffer to remark
that woman is carrying the profession
to the devil. it is not without its vast
Significance. The chorus man is al
ready counted the representative of
the lowest caste in theaterdom."