Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-10

eigners he could learn how to improve the
royal theaters by looking to Russia. me
Russian imperial theaters, which for SIZE
costliness and splendor far excel Ger
many's. also excel them in an artlsuc
sense because they have complete artls-
tic freedom Although Russia is prac-
tically an unqualified despotism. the state
theaters, by some freak OF politics, are
emancipated. They do not concentrate on
the classical the romantic ana the dy,
nastic but produce ultra-mOdern and
even semi-socialistic plays by Maxim
Gorky, Andreyeff, Kuprin, Yushkevitch
and other playwrights of the advanced
school. Likewise the Russian opera is
far better than the Prussian, and the
Russian ballet is the best on earth.
Russia has five imperial theaters. In
st. Petersburg are the Marya. for the
ballet and opera; the Alexander, for the
drama and the French Theater Michel
The Theater Michel exists mainly for the
benefit of the embassies and LEGATIONS
1t is in close relations with the Coincide
Franchise. Gabrielle Robinne, Cecile
Sorel, Marie Louise Derval and many
other Partisan actresses got their train
ing on it's stage. In Moscow are the
Grand and the Little theaters. The Grand
claims to be the biggest theater In Eu-
rope. These five theaters cost the Rus
sian taxpayers $1,O5O,OOO a year. They
are managed by NJ. Teliakowsky. who
draws a big salary, and by multitude
nous chancellery of bureaucrats. That
explains the deficit. With good manage
ment the Russian theaters ought to pay
as they are always filled at high prices.
The duma last year examined their &C
counts and thereby threw an amusing
light on state theater management II
was noticed that the sum of $a,S4S was
charged during the last twenty-one years
under the puzzling heading candles in
box" AS the boxes are lighted only by
electricity this required an explanation.
The explanation was that on an evening
1ny Dv,6n
and party were in the imperial box
the electricity failed. Candles were
brought Immediately and half dollar
was entered up for them next day. On
half a dollar for candles was entered up;
and this went on for twenty-one years,
with the result that nearly $4,000 slipped
into some ones pocket.
The Russian imperial theaters pay their
artists badly. Savina, Russia's best
actress, who plays in the Alexander The
alter. gets 5000 a year, and that is the
salary paid to the singers Tamara,
Schouvaloff and Tcherkasskaya, who play
first-class operate and even main Wag-
merriam roles Schaliapine, before Amer
lea discovered him, got $4,000 a year.
This was a record. The ballerinas get
much less. Pavlova's salary-also before
discovery-was $4,000 a year; Lydia
Kyasht, Londons favorite, got, 500 a
year. and several other ballet dancers,
whose names are now known throughout
two continents, were earning $25 month
when their merits were realized by for
eigners.
One reason for these low wages is that
the Russian imperial theaters treat all
employees as officials. After twenty years
service they can retire on pensions.
These conditions have changed radically
during the past four years, especially in
the ballet. Nowadays the ballerinas re-
turn to st. Petersburg spoiled" The
state cannot afford to pay them the sal
aries they demand, and their high and
mighty pretensions, learned abroad. Gre
ate envious amazement among the meek
artistes who stay at home. The st.