New-York tribune., 1911-11-29

Park Theatre there WAS nothing but
wooden bench 10 sit on. The house was
lighted dimly with oil lamps. The foot
lights were also Oil lamps, which at mo
ments Of gloom or tragedy had to be turned
down one at a time by the house manager
The stage furnishings were little more
than suggestions; the presence Of table
and two chairs on the stage would let you
know that the scene represented parlor
or sitting room. There were no furnishings
as we know them, no properties" All
trimmings were left 20 the imagination. and
the interest Of the performance hung en-
tirely and without distraction on the actor.
In these days the exquisite Oriental lamps
hanging in the auditorium and the self-con-
scious color schemes of the seats and boxes
occupy our thoughts when we enter, and at
the rise Of the curtain some statuette In
fine marble. some rare bit Of old furniture
over in one corner Of the stage, some vase
shaped like fragile dream and wrought
In the workshops Of Venice, catches and
holds our delighted attention until sud
6enly we realize that there are actors on
the stage who are saying things that we
should he listening 70.
Indeed, nowadays the scene setting with
its splendor or detail counts for so much
that audiences watch for It, and frequently
applaud it. careless that they drown out
thereby several speeches on the stage
which were intended by the dramatist TO
be important
In looking back over the seventy wears
Of stage dongs IN New York an interest
ing. vet wholly natural, fact comes TO Hight.
Through the whole seven decades there
have been what might be called play
waves" into which theatrical activity can
I'm q general way be divided. Even as we
are now having q wave of idea plays de-
veloped in the method called realism, and
at the same time wave OF broad farce
and musical pieces for the diversion OF the
publlc that goes 10 the theatre only TO see
a "show." the preceding decades have seen
other varieties Of waves In the 4Os ana
50's the plays seen in the principal the
atres-the Park, the Bowery. Niblo's, etc
were either the standard plays or the con-
tenporaneous ones, such as London Assur-
ance," brought over from England. few
native productions like Washington; or,
The Path to Honor and Glory G&l at the
PoW5ry Theatre), were produced, but moth
ing of particular importance.
Some Of the best known and most tai
ented actors of the time came from Eng
iand, Drawing the trip Of month or two
in a packet ship with the love OF rowing
natural TO most stage folk. Among these
were w. II. Chippendale, who made his
American debut at the Park Theatre In "A
Roland for an Oliver" in 1910; Edrund
Kean. Macready, Blackstone, the radiant
Celeste and many others. Among the
famous native actors Of that time were Ed
win Forrest, Thomas Cooper Hallam, the
WaIlacks. the Wheatleys. Burton and
Thomas Hambln For Mr.. Hamblin, who
was for q long time manager of the Bowery
Theatre as well as an actor there, 1t is
maintained that ne did more toward the
elevation OF the drama than any other man
Of his time
Toward the close OF the COS there was
wave of pontomine, following the LEAD OF
London where pentomime was, as 1t still
ia a very popular form OF dramatic art.
In 1888. az the Olympic in New York,
George J.. Fox and c. X. Fox gave years
run OF "Humpty Dumpty."
During the cos and 7Os the play taste
ran toward romance Of the Don Quixote
order There were dramatizations Of Sir
walter scott's novels, many travel plays
with romantic scenes laid In fair, iair
,,oces "The Fighting Brothers Of Rome"
will be recalled in this connection; also
such plays as 1.-The Bridge Of Notre Dame
ord 'Revolution in Spain" OthW types
90 Tho MAYS Of that period. although they
T,aro modelled along the same lines senu-
,,on,sl,v. were plays OF the people. such as
..portba. the Sewing Machine Girl" Lilly
nsw,on; or, The History Of Night eto. |