The Washington herald., 1907-10-20
NEW YORK THEATERS.


New York, oct. l9-The theatrical event
Of the year was the opening last Wednes-
day evening Of David Beiasco's new
Theater by David warneld in
A Grand Army Man" This letter has
already brought the particulars Of the
story Of the successor or The Music
Master and there Is no need 70 repeat.
The advance demand FOR seats was enor-
nous, and the house was filled by a bril-
liant audience; but the first night was
not in reality a money making proposi-
ton. The majority OF those present were
there by invitation Of the playwright
manager, and thousands Of dollars were
turned away. A few spectators had
seats. and offered them on the sidewalk
at Sc, and from that to $50 Anything that
Belasco does is sure 10 attract attention.
and so Il was natural that everybody
should be on the qui vive 10 see what
the naturalized Californian had accom-
psished IN the way OF building a theater,
conforming precisely 10 his standard Of
art. combined with the practical prin-
ciples Of his craftsmanship
The result was not disappointing. The
interior is one Of the most beautiful In
America, and experts say, the world
The lighting Of the theater is By con
cealed lights. through stained glass.
which gives a golden mellow effect. as
though one were seated In a quiet library
under a lamp Of faycTil glass The cap
itals OF the pillars form one effuIgent
mass of cOlOred light The balcony pro
jects far into the auditorium toward the
stage, so that the first row OF seats is
directly over the ninth row in the or
chestra- The indispensable feeling Of In
timacy between the spectator and the
actor Is happily established by this ar
rangement
The Stuyvesant is a symbolic milesF,ne
in BelascO's career, marking the twenty
fifth anniversary of his arrival in New
York from San Francisco CAugust. 1SSz).
as the newly appointed stock dramatist
and stage director Of the Madison Square
Tneater, under the Mallory Brothers. lie
recently told some friends that his salary
was So a week, and s. a night for every
performance Of his great success. May
Blossom, which ran for q year al that
playhouse.
Arnold DAILY missed il if he expected 90
reap the benefit Of p0stponing his opening
at the Berkeley Theater 10 Tuesday even
ing, in order to give the critics no excuse
FOR not coming 70 see him. Barnum is
credited with the saying. i don't care
what you write about me, so you don't
ignore me-" DAILY is that sort, ard the
pTessmen know H. Accordingly. he met
with Indifferent notice at their hands, and
the bottom almost dropped out Of the
reclame which the plan Of starting a sort
Of Theater Antoine in New York might
have provoked. Three little playiets were
offered, including a gruesome 0ne-act
japanese dramalet called, The Martyr"
presented by Nine. Hanako, the japanese
actress.
c. s. Mcclellan was represented in the
programme by q playlet called The
Shirkers," which preceded the japanese
tragedy a cynical Urbanite arrives at o.
lonely farmhouse on the Sussex Downs
just after the tenant Of the place has
stabbed his wife in ft Of madness re-
sulting from the sense Of utter loneliness.
abandonment, and grief over a lost child
The two men exchange places in life. The
youth nurses the woman back 10 life. and
they live together Tor year, when each
man begins 10 yeaTn for his original en-
Vlronments. When the woman learns Of
his intention 10 leave her she goes in-o
the next room and stabs herself 10 death
with the knife. The WandeTer returns.
but finds the woman dead and the youth
about "A set out on his return TO the city
AS thriller the play fills the bin. II was
Played by DAILY as the youth, HOlbrOOk
Blinn as the wanderer, and Helen Ware
as the woman.
The gloom Of the programme was some
what Counterbalanced by an airy little
comedy by Frederick Nlrdlinger. Wash
/ ington's First Defeat" In which DAILY as
I sumed the part Of a rather effeminate
young Washington, and proved AMUSING
/ in delineaung the character along the
/ lines OF a sltiTiC TebuJtal OF the cherry
/ tree story and other familiar tales that
/ represent the Father Of His Country as
( a mOllyCOddle- Washington pays court
/ % a young woman, who charges him
/ with being a fiirt and she succeeds I'm
making out a good case. After she has
I proved her case he sadly rides away. The
/ piece is moved by a rather clever idea,
/ and is amusing.
It is announced that Bertha Gauand
has at last found play. and will resume
/ her work on the stage, after years lb-
sence, the greater part Of which was de-
voted TO nursing her mother through q
/ long and critical illness.
William Morris former leading man Of
the Empire Stock Company, is preparing
TO go into vaudeville in a light comedy
and Edwin Arden is organizing d com
pany Of players TO support him in the
vaudeville houses. while Dorothy Thomas.
the young English woman who was
brought over TO create the leading fe-
male role in The Evangelist" Will BE-
/ seen in the same houses with Howard
Kyle in a short comedy by Augustus
I Thomas, entitled a Proper Impropriety.
/ Edwin Milton ROyle's latest play. The
! Struggle Everlasting has been aban-
doned by Florence Roberts. and "Zra"
viii be her piece de resistance during her
4 Western tour. In the meantime, a new
/ play called sham" by Gertrude Bon
ner, VIII be put in rehearsal and II sat
/ isfactory, viii serve Miss Roberts for her
third attempt 10 establish herself on
/ Broadway.
/ Edward Peple departs from the lines of
/ his successful Prince Chap" and fol
+ lows the fashion in toning the atmosphere
/ Of his latest play. The Silver Cir" -" To
/ conform 10 the prevailing appetite for
I the rough and rugged romance OF the
( West With this atmosphere he com
! bines the elements of the French school
| of Octave Feuillet, Meilhac, and Halevy.
/ as evidenced in Led Astray" and .Frou
/ Frou.' His latest production is not
! strictly a Western play, but IT deals with
/ Western characters In the main.
The piece was seen Monday evening at
! Waliacks, where it scored a success
d'estime before a friendly audience.