The Washington herald., 1908-05-10

of $500 a week. and another Shubert at 1
traction, Girls, IS a sea- a week mag
net az Days Miss Hook OF Holland
played to good business for some time
at the Criterion, and f. II. S0theTn kept
the receipts at a high average during an
unusually long run for legitimate star
In repertoire at the Lyric. Among the
money-makers Of the season, also, were
Williams and Walker, at the Majestic,
An important gathering OF the magnates
who control the popular-price play cir
cult. now in session at West Baden. Ind.
poTteGds a change in the policy of produc-
ing cheap melodramas at the minor play
houses ali over the country. and is sig
nifcant In connection with the steady de-
cline of this form Of amusement, denoted
by the falling OF OF receipts during the
present season. The better class Of man
ayers openly rejoice in the latter condi
ton, while the men who have so long
profted by the production Of plays like
THE Queen Of the Opium Ring. The
Gamblers Bride. The Fatal Wedding.
&c. frankly admit that the public has
outlived that class OF play. They have
lost heavily this season, and some time
age, Stair. head Of the well-knozyn firm
which controls the minor theaters in the
United States, sent word to his New York
representative to stop booking dramatic
Nightmares over the Stair & Havlin cir
cult. AS a result of the conference In In
diana IL Is hoped that a better line of
plays will be encoura ged. playwrlghts
who have been catering 10 so-caiied first
class audiences, too. see In this waning of
interest in vulgar hippordramatics a hope
ful sign for an extension Of their useful
ness and incidentally an enlargement OF
their profits
Now that the public is growing tired
of trash, maybe there will be q chance
for plays that have outlived their popu-
larity in the high-priee theaters TO ac-
quire an added lease Of life in the popu-
lar-price circuit, remarked a well known
author TO me last week. For many years
the belief prevailed IN the minds Of sec
ond-rate managers that the people who
support their places Of amusement could
appreciate nothing but distorted heroics /
To their eyes these people were all low
brows- That opinion has received a Sc
we're shock this season The plain people
those that can't afford 10 pay 81 a seat
and must be satisfied with what is within
their means-are suffering from a severe
attack Of indigestion. They have swal-
lowed elaptrap until they are surfeited
They now lsnow quite as well as the play
wright the tricks by which they have so
long been deceived. II is fatal to a pro-
fessionai illusionst when the audience
finds out how his miracles are performed. /
And these minor dramatists have invented
no new stunts. As long as they had a
smooth-faced lover. a glossy villain with
WaXed nlustache. and a dove-lke her
ONE IN their plays, and these necessary
ingredients were well mixed with gun
powder, a pile driver, q railroad train. a
dynamite explosion, a burglary, or a muir
der, IL was all one how the stuff was
pieced together or whether there was any
manifestation OF the principle of simple
consistency and cause and effect in the
action or not. The villain had TO be an
unqualified lend. and the hero and her
oine paragons of sanity virtue Human
nature was an intangible substance In
these connections, like the spindrift Of
the surf. II was, IN fact, the old morality
play in vulgar garish trappings-the pan
tomime OF Harlequin and Columbine' set
20 words"
b yond all doubt. the lively competition
between the two big opera companies has
had a benevolent and far-reackipg infiu-
ence on the development Of popular ap-
probation Of music in this city I; re-
quires no gift Of prophecy to foresee that
New York is destined within a compare
lively short time to become unsteady as
advanced as London and Milan. That
this Is no extravagant prediction Is evil
denced by remarkable revival Of interest
in opera among the plain people. for lust
now no less than three grand opera CON-
panies ara established here or about TO
begin work. At the West End Theater
the Helen Mold Opera Company is play-
ing grand opera at popular prices. Mon
day night the Italian Grand Opera Com
Dany moved up from the Academy Of
Music TO begin an engagement at the
American Theater, where the blood and
thunder drama has held sway all season.
Now 5. Kronberg, an ambitious inlpre-
SaTio, announces that he has formed an
opera company 10 compete with these.
II Is 10 be known as the Knickerbocker
Grand Opera Company and VIII open its
season with a week In Boston. after
which it viii be brought 70 the Lyric
Theater. in New York. the latter part Of
the month. The company Will be headed
by Adeline PadOvani a col0ratura So
pTanO from South America, and Laura
Rethy. a dramatic soprano, who has been
singing at the Royal Opera in Budapest
AT the American TheateF q very cred
table performance of Aida" was witt
messed on Monday evening. and the man
ager announced that II the support so
far accorded him should continue. ne
would give grand opera at popular prices
all OF next season in opposition to the
Manhattan and Metropolitan companies.
At the West End ''Traviata" was the bill,
with Aida" in preparation.
David Warfeld closed his eight months
engagement at the Stuyvesant Theater
Saturday evening IN a Grand Army
Man" and Charlotte Walker and Frank
keenan,, In The Warrens OF Virginia. -
were moved from the Belasco to the
Stuyvesant. opening Monday evening IN
William De Miles play. Warfeld sails
for Naples on the steamship Hamburg
May IA TO enjoy a well-earned vacation
and 10 meet Belasco in the south Of
France In June. They will go 10 London
from there, after a conference regarding
Warfield's engagement in the English
metropolis Belasco is scheduled to sail
the latter part Of May for France TO put
/ the finishing touches 10 the new play on
which he has been engaged all winter
Warfeld halls with a feeling OF genuine
relief hts prospect Of a rest, for he has
been working almost necessarily for two
years When his tour closed in The
Music Master" last June, he FASTENED
| home 10 begin the study OF his role In
A Grand Army Man." and after four
weeks began rehearsals, from which there
was no escape until the new play was
produced In October
Olga NethersoIe has returned 10 the
city and opened Monday evening at the
Grand Opera House in "Sappho," to be
followed by The Second Mrs. Tandue-
ray" and another OF her old repertoire