Omaha daily bee., 1911-01-15
Some
Notes of the
Managers Troubles

,ERE's another case Of "woriSrng
both sides Of the street. 4" Mr..
Daniel Frohman allows himself
.VVru to be interviewed for the New
ExtIk3I York Herald, and Celebrates
A0 plan TO have a dramatic de-
partment established in connection with the
great universities Of the country. in order
that our future actors may receive compe-
tent instruction from tutors who can train
them In THAT we lack Of being equal to the
foreign stage; IL will bring. argues Mr.
Frohman, to the American stage class Of
young men and women who are especially
trained and naturally gifted, and will
surely tend to elevate the standard Of act
ing. Comes also Mr.. Marc TIlaw of TX. &
T." and adds his mite to the debate. only
Mr.. Klaw pleads for tho child who Is being
deprived Of his privilege Of acting until
he has reached the age OF Il years Mr.
Klaw works himself up to a real concert
pitch in his remarks, as witness this sem
tence, in which he deplores that fact that
the managers have not checked the ten
dency to restrict the use Of children on the
stage:
We have sat idly by while bigotry has
run riot in this direction. and while the
men and women composing this child labor
committee may be most reputable they are
going about their work with a fanatacism.
"A
Of the Salem witch-burners.
The stage child Of this country has been
neglected all too long. There has always
been too much or too little done for t. both
operating to the disadvantage Of the child
There turks suspicion that back Of this
child labor committee there are many neo-
pie who are simply using this agitation to
gain little publicity and to serve personal
ends. IL reminds me Of the story of
Dlonyslus the tyrant, who robbed the
statue Of the Oympian Jupiter Of It's man
lie OF gold and replaced Il with a wooden
CLOAK. saying that the gold covering was
too cold In winter and too heavy in sum
mer and I'VE must look after Jupiter"
In support of his argument Mr.. Klaw
cites few plays that may not be enacted
without the use of children, among them
king John" "A Midsummer Nights
Dream" Materllncks "Bluebird." 'Rip
Van Wrinkle, and others. king John" is
80 rarely acted that few people who pat
ronize the theater for their entertainment
ever saw 1t on the stage. "a Midsummer
Nights Dream" has been played, and very
successfully without children; The Blue
bird Is freak play, and is not at all
likely to ever become especially widely
familiar; RIP Van Wrinkle" has been very
well and often played without the as
sistance OF children under the age of "a
years. and well nigh any play can be pro-
duced under the restriction. But Mr.
klaw's chief support for his plea for the
stage child is that It is essential for the
actor to begin early i'm order to achieve
greatness on the stage. He boots at the
theory that the child should not be allowed
to walk upon the stage until It is IA years
old us absurd; II the child is to become an
actor. It should spend its childhood upon
the stage, and grow up In the atmosphere
This theory doesn't quite square with Mr.
F'rohman's notion that the future actor
should be the product of a great university
but one must be reasonable in dealing with
the New York managers. 1t is unfair to
expect them to be consistent always. In
passing. It might be said he said that the
arguments Mr. IIlaw makes have been
urged by every employer of child labor in
favor OF his particular industry.
.
When next q foreign star comes TO deal
with George c. Tyler for any work in
America, he viii probably land in New
York before he handles any considerable
sum of the money belonging to Lieber &
Co The experience Of ths firm with
Pietro Mascagni. the composer, has been
such as will render It extremely unlikely
that it will be caught that way again. Con
tracts for the presentation of Mascagnis
new opera, 'Ysobel," in America were en-
tered into, and plans laid for the premiere
in New York in November The composer
agreed TO come over and direct the re-
hearsals and conduct the first perfor-
mances, and was paid $4,000 in advance for
his services. Liebler & Co went ahead
with their plans organized a company,
and announced the presentation of the
opera for November. Then came word
from Mascagni that he could not get the
Orchestraton ready I'm time, and the open-
ing was set for January. In the meantime.
the company had been formed with Miss
Bessie Abbott as the prima donna. and
that It might be held together, short tour
OF the south was arranged, the company
singing some of the older operas. To this
Mascagni entered objection, saying that Il
was not fair that Miss Abbot should sing
in another opera when she was to create
the leading role I'm his new composition.
This objection was dismissed by the pro-
ducing firm as trivial When January
came, no Mascagni was I'm sight and word
came that the orchestration was not We,
complete. Also, that Mr.. Mascagni desired
some further payments, and that he had
some changes to make. Liebler & Co
finally tired Of his tactics and have decided
not to produce the opera but TO enter
whatever illegal proceedings their counsel
may advise in the matter. Nine Mas.
cagni, explaining the peculiar course OF
her husband. says Il was because Bessi,
Abbot had been selected to sing the lead
ing folei When the opera was first under
way and contracts were made the part OF
Ysobei was one well suited to Miss Abbot,
vocal equipment. but as the work OF com
posing progressed. the part was changed
until the maestro deemed 1t no Longer
within Miss AbbOt's capacity This and
similar excuses are offered. The opers
has been produced IN italy and halle,
there with mingled blame and praise Tit
episode serves 10 illustrate the eccentricl
ties Of genius and the uncertainties tina
beset the managers way in life