Los Angeles herald., 1908-01-12

David Belasco with those of Sardou, Sii Henry
Irving and other distinguished dramatic auth
ors and actors.
In a chapter entitled 1.-THE Art Of the Stage
Manager and by stage manager Prof. Matth-
ews asks especially to be understood as mean
ing the producer Of q drama-he enters into a
keen and circumstantial analysis Of the whole
philosophy of stage production. and inciden-
tally pays a high tribute to the man behind
the scenes.
Only the expert ever thinks of giving due
need Of praise to the hidden stage manager" :"
writes Prof. Matthews. who is responsible
for a more arduous victory In the theater than
any ever won on the river by the professional
trainer of a college rowing crew. All the credit
he gets is contained In a single line which re-
cords mot In large type on the play bill)
hat the play has been produced by him"
+ The producer of play he adds. the
poIson who assumes the responsibility for the
production In all its details, may be q dra-
matist himself Mr.. Sardou and Mr.. Belasco
have shown surprising skill in bringing forth
all that lies latent in the inert manuscript Of
their plays"
ay. Rostand, Bronson Howard and other noted
producers and dramatists, particularly with
reference to the force of suggestion as a means
Of enhancing desired impression on the audi
ence, Prof. Matthews declares:
So, In ths 'Tosca' of Mr.. Eardou the tor
ture OF the hero, Ii we were to see 1t, might
be received with incredulity. but we are far
more likely to accept It as real when per-
heroine at the sight Of 1t.
so again in The Darling of the Gods the
destruction of the little band Of loyal Samural
Is far more effectively conveyed to us by the
faint voices which call and answer and
again In he Red Bamboo forest than II would
be by any actual presentation of combat and
carnage
The skin in heightening stirring effects by
suggestion Is further commented on by Prof
Matthews by reference TO the same play.
In Mr.. Belasco's production OF The Darling
of the Gods, the accompanying music was al
most incessant, but so subdued. so artfull,
modulated, so delicately adjusted to the actor
that perhaps majority Of the audience was
wholly unconscious Of the three japanese
themes which had been insisted upon again
and again. To evoke the atmosphere Of Japan
Mr.. Belaseo also had a special curtain de-
signed for the play which co-operated with
the exotic music to bring about feeling Of
vague remoteness and Of brooding mystery"
Throughout In this ineisive manner Prof.
Matthews throws the light Of keen observation
on the little understood and even less appre-
ciated art of the man whose conception de-
ternines every detail of the production, and TO
whose direction the ert OF the scene painter
and costumer as we'll as OF the actor, is
wholly subsidiary.
Tom Jones'" the English comic opera at the
Astor theater has the distinction Of being
probably in the world, for which seats wei e
ordered from the high sea. The Hamburg
American, line established a Marconi wireless
system on its ships for the convenience of pas
sengers so they might reserve hotel accommo-
dations, pending their arrival, order cabs to
meet them and the like. One passenger took
advantage of this telegraph system TO reserve
seats at the Astor III ater for Tom Jones" :"
The message was sent from the steamship
America, and read:
Steamship America, via Halifax.
''AIuenchenberg 1161 Broadway, New York;
Reserve two seats Tom Jones' Astor theater.
Wednesday night. ''Whitehouse.''
Muenchenberg Is the uptown agent for the
steamship line, and he at once sent to the
theater and had the seats set aside as re-
quested. This is the first instance of theater
seats procured by wireless telegraphy.