Omaha daily bee., 1909-01-10

Way" signing that folks don't care for tho
real thing in comedy. while Dewolf Hopper
Is pledging himself 10 give over singing and
dancing and reciting Casey at the Bat
that he may hereafter 60 in for the real
thing. And to DeWolf Nathaniel confides
that It's no use. for the mind Of the pub
lie is turning 10 serious things and will have
little or none Of comedy OF any sort. And
Henrietta Crosman IL doing two a day in
Chicago. Just because-velI. she must eat.
YOU know. Sam Bernard Is going into
vaudeville, to see n he likes It. you know.
Well, he'll probably like II. for it's a
chance for him. Public taste may be chang
ing, but the chances are that II is in ac-
tors, rather than manners. Nat Goodwin
has played Nat Goodwin for many. many
years, and at last the dear people have
tired of him; ditto I'VE Hopper. And,
one regrets to say Il, Henrietta Crosman
seems to have outlived her welcome on
Broadway, while she has not yet been able
TO conquer her aversion to the provinces"
All the while a lot Of new ones are receiv-
ing the favors that used to he lavished on
those who now complain. The public Is
tickle. but It hasn't yet given up the old
Jokes Of musical comedy. It wants to hear
them told by new jokers, that's all
.
Some little consolation may be derived
from the fact that the real dramatic sue
cesses Of the last two seasons are those
that have had a serious aspect. People
arc thinking. apparently, of some features
Of life apart from those that merely d.
vert. and are really giving some attention
to the questions Of social relation. This
has been noted in every other way
through which human thought finds ex.
prQqsiOD qD uybu not ~ 49, ,Azu..- IT.
stage is one of the greatest agencies for
the dissemination Of Ideas. and that Il II,
now being employed in the great work Of
advancing the cause Of humanism Is the
most convincing proof CT its Importance
IL may not be that the art OF The dramatfst
and the actor will be potent to achieve all
that might be hoped for II, but II II does
even n little IL will not have been in vain.
1t fss the advantage OF being in a most
practical way able to realize the advice
OF st. Paul. and be "all things to all men. +"
1t carries its message directly to those who
are capable Of receiving It. Between
Klein and his Lion and the Mouse and
Ibsen. with his "Rosmersholm' and
'Hedda Gabler' an immense distance
stretches, and It is filled with Kennedys,
and Walters. and Thomases. and others,
each sending forth in some form the gen.
-' N''HN ~ 10 - NlIllt u dNdke0lnE,
end the theatsr is taking its full part in
the work. Though t is changing. newer
notions of personal responsibility are
springing up, and wider views OF life are
taking the place Of the narrow concen.
llcns that restricted thought and action
IL is not the dawn OF the millennium, per-
maps nor even It's approach, but It IL a
time when men are thinking more of their
neishbors and less OF themselves. when
Charity abideth as rever before, and when
lelpfulness to others is the watcbword
The workers ere all working with enc
purpose. maybe not all in the same way.
but the point of conveyance is the good
OF humanity. And the theatcr is doing a
great deal TO help II alcng.
1t is just a little bit tragic that Nat
Goodwin should find himself neglected.
AFTER all his years of triumph. And
yet, without reading him a lecture, may
we not Inquire on whom is the blame for
This to be placed? Did not Nat aniel
take his one talent and wrap It in a nap
kin and hide II securely. lest il might
be lest? II hasn't been a great many
years since his name headed the list OF
American comedians. and IL seemed that
no prcpehecy as to his future seemed
eNtravs giant, 1t was urged on him that
he Undertake more serious work, but he
contCEted himself for a long time in
playing simply Nat Goodwin. He might
have been called one name or another
on the bill of the play. butit was always
Nat Goodwin who walked out on the
stage. After a long time he determined
that he would put his talent to use. He
took II out from the ceremonial wrap
ping In which he had immured It. and
sending forth to the world that he had
determined in the future TO permit HIM
self to be referred to only as Mr.. n. c..
Goodwin. set about TO do something. But
II was too late. He had yet the one
talent, carefully preserved. but he could
find no market for II. Folks didn't know
Mr.. n c. Goodwin, and I'm trying to be-
come acquainted with him they forgot
about Nat Goodwin. And now. season
after season. he has tried to win back
a public that has turned TO som other
favoritc. And season after season his
efforts have failed. He is not alone,
though. Other actors have done the
same. and they must not complain IL
their one talent did not increase and
multiply willie they had It carefully
wrsI ped in the napkin and hidden.
8
To turn again to the serious drama, it is
a pleasure to attest 10 hee efforts Of any
ia WHO - no tohAthA 10 pICStINN NIB tat
ent. but who seeks to increase it by usage.
Mr.. Ciisbee OF the Burwood company is
one OF these. He has been known to
Omaha folks now for two seasons. a mod
est. unassumlng young man. who has taken
on a large va,iety OF minor parts, achiev-
ing each wiki whatever OF distinction comes
to one who labors conscientiously ana is
not satisfied with merely doing things we'll.
but wants to do them better. During the
last week Nj. Clisbee realized on the use
he has made OF his talent. and by hts as
sumption Of the role OF Cyrus Blenkarn,
the old porcelain potter in THE Middle
man" he stamped himself on the minds OF
all who saw him as an actor. Not merely
an actor, either, but a good actor-one Of
parts and understanding, and better even
than that, OF the high faculty OF expressing
his artistic conception so perfectly as to
make &c felt and understood by all. II was
through The Middleman' that Mr.. f. S.
Willard finally escaped going down In the
annals OF the British stage as the best
villain London ever knew, lie had won
this distinction in 9Th Silver King" and
it seemed that he was doomed to be a
villain all tae rest Of his days. He tried
10 get away from this reputation in other
roles. but never quite succeeded until he
..-s- g. - l.