New-York tribune., 1909-08-08
OUR STAGE-PAST AND PRESENT.
A Glance at Facts.

The Present Views itself with so much compia-
cency and indeed, sntsrtains for itself such pro
found admiration, that any person who ventures 10
commend the Past COMMONLY causes irritation ana
incurs oboquy Yet all respects. the Past lie the
greatest of general teachers while IN some respects.
il still holds marked pre- smnencc over the Pres
ant. In the matter OF Acting, for example, sub
ject which, the new dramatic season advances,
will .neross large share of the public attention.
the Present makes, n some ways but poor show
ing Of itself. in comparison with the Past 1t has
been alleged of course. that fair comparison Of
the Present with the Past is impracticable.-the
Past being a broad expanse, and the Present
noyrorv plane. That objection Is ingenious but it
is not authentic. The needed comparison cannot
be made without study and labor, but IL is perfectly
feasible because it can he made by the simple
PROCESS OF contrasting specific periods. There would
b. neither Justice sense In the institution OF
couaparl.on between a group OF actors to-day with
the prodsious group that could be assembled from
a long backward vista o; centuries just ana
sensible method :s TO define the Present period ss
comprising about eight years, from 1sOl 10 1sos
end 90 compare that period with successive periods
OF years, all. OF course, preceding it-goins bach
shout sixty years for q beginning. Ihe purpose OF
such an examination. IL should De preVissc' 70 not
disbursement OF contemporary actors or their
achievement The purpose only should be 10 as
certain the condition 20 which the Stage has az
rived ana 20 learn whether, with Gil It's prsten-
sion the stage OF the Present serves society as well
as the stage OF tie Past served II.
with tho facts thst !n several OF our large elt!ee
comfort and luxury, AZ least IN the front os
the house" have been provided. 20 an extent un-
prsc~s<nt.d, and, I'm some respects. unknown, u
sorIner times But there many theatres IN our
country which. behind the scenes where the
Actors work,--tss persons, namely. who mako tls
Theatre IOssible,-sre not much better than novels
The present writer has seen many such wrstchediy
sppoinsad ths1trse and he has received cescrip-
tions os many other OF The kind Ia one town
he entered . theatre where, with i've EXCEPTIONS
kl rhs dressing rooms were under the stage, in
n cellar shesthed With yellow pine. and that cellar
could be reached ony by narrow flights OF a'sps.-
practically laddeyscne az either side cf The stage
nre ga that theatre would. inevitably have proved
= holocaust o! the actors who might have been
.here s. s theatre. "or was SO very late. which
II built partly piles. over the water, and the
waves break beneath some OF the dressing rooms.
and rata peIvsds the place. In theatre In IL con-
siderable town, only few miles from New YORK.
tbs dressing rooms are aH beneath th. stage;
through one half OF them extends = large steam
heating pipe. and there 10 not q window 70 the
ery1, containing them; they have not received
frsah air since the theatre wAs built.
In New York, . short distance from Broadway.
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