Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1909-11-28

, season is known weeks In advance
BY the Discrimination OF the librar-
lies" 10 buy further and by the gradd-
al. not sudden. diminution in public
attendance. One reason behind this is
that London playgoers know fairly
well the quality of play they are go
Ing to see when they attend a theater.
Nearly every London playhouse lis
Identified with particular kind Of
amusement The Duke Of York's Is
generally place to see Barrie play;
The Comedy likely place for som
erset Vaughan comedy OF "Penlope' or
P'Mrs. Dot timbre; The haymarket
lfor admirable. What we should call all
star company acting Shaw or some
similar comedy of Ideas; The Gaiety
for musical comedy; His Majesty's
for classic production; The Globe for
ldrgma OF the type OF Nine. X" and
so on.
| But the theaters Of New York can
, not be similarly identified, with the
sole exception OF The Empire, which
F, Is devoted exclusively TO three or four
wei Frohman stars. AS rule the
New. York playgoers must read pretty
carefully as he runs 70 the tneater II
he is at all particular to know what
| he Is going to see.
| Hence. play producing, play acting
and play writing are far more iucra-
! tive rs PROFESSIONS, far more stable
as careers, and much more clearly
| among the permanent arts OF lie In
England than In America. Practically
speaking. one good success in Lon
don 81 worth two in New. York. This,
as has been said. is most cogentiy
shown by comparison OF remark
able example at hand-"Arsene Luz
pin" in New York and "Arsene I4upin''
! in London.
T. The company at The Lyceum Is, In
numbers. exactly the same as the Lon
! don company. The Duke OF Yark's
production of "Arsene Lupin" is an
exact copy of the mise en- scene. the
costumes. properties, electrical ef-
fects and furniture eused at The Ly-
ceum theater. Two days after its
opening performance In New York
models, built upon reduced scales,
were made of every scene and act in
The I.yceum theaser production. just
as these acts look fully equipped with
furniture and drapery. The scenic
models. looking much like so many
chIldreu's toy houses. along with sets
OF costumes plates. for ell the world
resembling the variagated patters one
associates with kindergarten days,
were carefully Grated in so many
boxes and shipped to London. There
they were Immediately distributed
among the carpenters. scene painters,
furniture makers. upholsters and prop
erty makers. until the little models
again grew into four acts of the play
as performed In New York.
The night that the play cabs out
In London Charles Frohman was
cabied: Libraries L500." That as
sured "Arsene Lupin'' run of indef-
mite length in London. and. as IL
turned out. at a much greater profit
than an even longer run could bring
the New York production. Bit By bit
there came from London to Mr. troh-
name New York Office various re-
ceipted bills-incurred and paid for
during this process OF duplicating a
New York play for London.
For example. the scenery for Ar
/ sene Lupin"--exclusive Of carpentery
work costs $4,000. for The I-yceum
production. But the exact duplicate
LOT this scenery. painted. stretched. and
inclusive Of the necessary carpentcry
work--costs s.svo fer the London pro-
auction. Property to costume Ar
sene i-ppin" for the New York pre-
duction cost sSeoo.--an amount al
most efficient for amply costuming
two ~Arsene Lupin" companies for
London.
Until Charles Frohman entered the
theatrical field in London, and. as Is
wanted Il. introduced American sala-