The Washington herald., 1907-09-22

"a nth this week the regular the
NAE atrical season may be said
10 be fairly opened for with
the swinging outward of the
doors of the Belasco Theater tomorrow
night. eight theaters viii be running full
blast. providing Washington theater-
goers with every sort Of entertainment,
from drama and comedy and high-class
musical shows down to melodrama at
popular prices, vaudeville and burlesque.
The season opens with something like a
rush. and there is feeling in the air
among theatrical men that this is TO be
an exceptionally prosperous dramatic sea-
son. In a dramatic way. any number Of
new plays have been provided, many Of
them, fortunately. by American authors.
though the American stage has levied
also on the talent and genius OF England
and France. II is evident already that
this is to be pre-eminently a season Of
musical shows. The tendencies in the
dramatic world run in cycles. and with
the superabundance Of musical comedy
this season. I am inclined TO believe that
We are nearing the end of this particular
cycle. Il is 20 De hoped so. Not that
these shows are not highly entertaining.
for they are most OF them pleasing di-
version, bat because no true lover of the
stage likes 10 think chat the real purpose
and ideal Of the drama is TO be lost I'm
mere jingle and ruffies-pour passer le
temps, From American life. conditions,
and character, big plays-plays dealing
with big issues and having permanent
vaIue-are bound 10 come. and they are
almost due TO arrive.
The one dramatic offering Of the past
week was Disappointing. Miss Amelia
Bingham has ideals Of sort but they
are not the best locals. One Of her
ambitions which she has achieved is 10
be known as an actress manageress,"
which. as Strang says. is a fearful thing
10 call any woman. When she became
prominent enough as a star-though no
one has ever accused her OF being an
actress OF superintendent genius-she or
ganized what she was pleased TO call
the Amelia Bingham Company. which
meant nothing. as, with the exception
OF herself there was no permanent or
ganizauon. However. the company. such
as IL was, began its public career in 1901.
with the production at the Eijou Thea
ter New York. of The Climbers" by
CLYDE Fitch At that time she declared
herself thus: Il was convinced-I have
always been, for that matter-that the
plays the thing Authors seemingly
could not comprehend that ] wanted =
play, not "A part; that I wished people
10 leave my thester talking about the
Amelia Bingham Company. rather than
about Amelia Bingham alone. They
could not grasp my intention. simply 10
make Amelia Bingham the trademark
OF the best stock company that I could
get together"
This is perhaps fortunate for Miss
Bingham, for the company which she
described never existed long enough 10
make any sort Of a mark, such as the
Augustin DAILY stock company or A. NJ
Palmer's stock company made. Always
It was Bingham, Bingham, Let US hear
what she herself has 10 say about her
ideals.
VI! own career Is in some respects like that o.
the average actress. It has been Of eight wears
duration. and IN that time ny opportunities 10 rar
tclDate IN shakespearean REVEALS have been few
and far between. believe thoroughly in PLAYS Of
modern Efe. If they are true 10 nature think
our public likes 70 witness unconventional treatment
o. things II knows about pos .bie elements in the
lives Of those near al hand IL is my intention 70
produce plays that wiz contain IN addition to ver-
lty- surprise. do not want the cut and dried PLAYS
Of which the public Is weary. II it be a feasible
plan, hope 70 c0ufne my Efforts to the prcssnta-
uoH Of plays by American authors. Frankly. it IS
difficult task 70 find them. but l mean 70 perse-
we're When I have my own theater-I shall Ger
tainly build one when the time IS ripe fer the
poject-I hope to make it the home Tor the Amer
lean drama
The above is Miss Bingham's own
statement Il seems to imply high ideals
and an understanding Of what is best in
dramatic art. And yet she has persist
emily chosen the worst. since. by starring.
she became a factor in American theat-
ricals- She first went on the stage as
member Of Mckee Rankin's company.
and her first appearance in New York
was al the Peoples Thester on the Bow
cry, IN The Struggle for Life" She
stuck TO New York. and next appeared
al NiblOs in The Power Of Cold" She
began now 20 move farther uptown and
next was seen in The Village Postmas-
ter Then she advanced to the Ameri-
can Theater playing in Captain Impu-
dence, and in revivals Of the Boucicault
dramas. Here It was that Charles Froh-
man saw her and engaged her for White
Heather" an impossible sort Of play,
which served to give her prominence.
After that she played in various com
panies until The Climbers" came along.
when she became a full-fedged star.
Since that time. in spite Of the high
ideals she has talked about so freely. she
has always chosen plays Of loW tendency.
and delighted in them. To say that she
onulf fnl 9a 1Fbar ,1as.-