New-York tribune., 1909-08-08

o'ess'ns rooms are. in like manner. sealed from the
flesh air. and they are usually damp that gas
s'oses A-ust be used to keep them oven toleraby
o's' Those rooms accessible only by three
Steps downward. from \ hall. or passage. which is
ohis between three and four feet wide. while the
entrance thereto. from tho stage is not more than
,~o ieet ak Inches wGe anc close beside II IL an
.oH iadder, or flight o! steps, about fourteen or
sixteen inches wide. set several inches from the
Wall. That passage, consequently, Is not more
'hsh about o9hfee-s iaeh,s eide: In OF FIRE
IL would be the only OF escape for a number
I oi persons, ana, i. there panic. caused by
.,'e' is would, almost inevitably, be choked, and
'ne men and women trapped therein would horribly
peiish' theatres OF that depiorable order are
IeilheF lev nor difscult 20 find. scattered about
'"e country IN cities large well as small
Oh the other hand many Of the newer theatres
are beautiful and in some Of them much care has
oeeh taken TO provide. in every possible way. for
the safety and comfort OF actors as well as
"haitors Though IL may have been surpassed In
pretension by some OF the new theatres the
Olympic. in Il. Louis. has long been admired by
actors, because OF Its cleanliness and comfort The
iiuGson Theatre. in this city, recently awarded
silver loving cup the result Of a voting con-
pest among actors. as to which theatre IN New
York is best kept. behind the scenes There arc
some other theatres.-the New Amsterdam and the
lsyceum. for e1ample,-in which convenience. Gre
pfosiaeG and IN which consideration is shown for
s actors ss we'll as the public. 1t Is ptsul some
tHeS. though, TO observe the surprise and graft
tuds with which actors speak OF little con-
Tenences. which, In any other vocation than that
on the stage. would be considered matter OF
course The stage Of the stuyvesant Theatr. IS
kept clean end comfortable. The walls ara psintea
oafh red for few feet above the stage. and thsn,
up 70 The flies. they ere painted white Padded
strips OF carpet are laid from proscenlun TO back
WALL on either side OF the stage snd across a. g,
| the back, 80 that actors artisans when neeaful
can walk 10 ana fro In silence: there plain and
suitable chairs for the OF actors-s provision
I which, until recently. almost unknown-and
iouns'ns Of noisy stage hands and the exnectora-
ton OK tobacco juice upon the floors prohibited
Ihese provisions necessary and right, are, how
ever SO unusual that actors obseAe them with
constituent and mention them with enthusiasm
But even the modern theatres not always 70
! much better than the old ones as their owners
would like the public TO believe The Iroouo,s
Theatre. in Chicago specimen of "freproo,'
mechanical construction and of solicitous preeau-
uon relative 20 the public safety. has not BEEN
even yet. altogether forgotten.-nor what happened
in IL And, ss to of theatres behind the cur
tain. ii was not long that favorl,e performer
Mile. FRITZ Schsf. stated that when on tour a
dressing room I'm certain theatre had been as
signed 10 her which had been occupied ''.hs sreck
before by q performing pig and his srdiHcr" and had
not been cleaned
Record. description, and consideration of oil
facts about Acting and about the Theatre old or
new, may, In the opinion OF complacent, time
serving, ignorant neutrality-suspicious. expectant
be thought progressive" because they utter in
discriminate and unntelligent adulation OF all
temporary conGitions,-be regarded as evidence OF
how like 2 stubborn child man may become as
he grows old" But by judcious public opinion IT
will be deemed and t will be found to be- useful
and beneficial, Though certainly not acqusitive of
immediate popularity. II is fact with regard to
the Theatre with regard TO every other nstitu-
ton in society. that the interests of the many
have, almost always, been served. against more
less public opposition. by the labor of few. A
practical observer wisely remarked that. If
you want q post TO be white. 1t will not be
enough to paint ii white but you will be obliged
10 wash It. from time TO time and, occasionally,
TO repsint &C. The public. certainly will not suffer
IT. with respect 10 promoting excellence in theatre
cal administration and In acting, II counts moth
Ing done while aukht remains TO do"
Prodigious wealth year after year is poured into
theatrical treasures and much Of that wealth
main, in the grasp of allied spectators I'm what
they call "Amusements,"-nen who. In few
years, have by methods derosatory 10 the profess
sion o. acting and nirnical to the public welfare
advanced themselves from comparative poverty to
great wealth. Not long ago Mr.. Marc kiaw,
New York manager. exposed his opinion that man
aging a theatre is. for the manager. like having
a basket Of paper money thrown through a ladder,
the manager being allowed TO keep all that stuck to
| the rungs. The dominant theatrical! managers OF
the United States however. have not exhibited any
ardent desirp TO flna more lucrative vocation.
Does the kesdessly lavish public OF America
the most prodsal and least exactnx In the world.
receive anything like adequate return for all
the money that IL pays into the Golfers of those
enterprisins tTadesmeH?
The actors Of to-day are far more numerous than
/ they were I'm any previous period Our population
has grown enormously, and with it the number
OF setors. In 1850 the number Of regular profess
sional actors in America was. perhaps. twelve
score. The companies to which they belonged
na M 81 Ies rbraa
or four comparatively sparsely populated towns
Thirty years ago there We're. I'm the United States
and Canada, about $500 towns in which theatrical
performances habitualy given Distributed
in those towns about 5000 theatres. The num-
! Der or managers was Sx5. More than 30 companies
and stars travelling through .he land. and
/ the number of professional actors was not less
than 5000 To-day there more than $500 theat-
rical managers; there at least 6,Oo3 theatrical
, towns; and there not less than 5000 theatres
I OF regular professional actors there are so many
/ that computation Of the exact number would be
extremely difficult. IL impossible In a recent
season The New York Dramatic Mirror pub
lshed roster Of more than 1890 That
is small estimate of the total number at this
! time. In spite OF the great increase in the
Der OF actors, in the means and the Of travel
IN the luxury of OF the theatres. in monetary
investment and in strenuous enterprise. how does
the standard OF acting. to-day. contrast with that
prevailing IN past periods? For readers who pos
sess q long memory OF the FOR thOuSht-
! sul students OF the subject, the following tables
may provide significant answer:
TO-DAY.
! The prominent actors OF to-day, who. ths
American stage. represent the best OF contemporary
ability and achievement are: Robert b. Mante
Blanche Bates. Kyrle Belleu. Z. II. sothern. Julia
Marlowe, William Faversham. Creston Clarke. J.
Y. Dodson. John Drew, William Gillette, John
Mason, James ONein. Viola Allen. Theodore Rob
erts David Warhald. ". X Crane. n. c. Goodwin.