New-York tribune., 1912-03-31
PANTOM|ME NEXT?
Review Of Tendencies in Thea
tres Points to Silent Drama.

In thcatricals the taste OF the public for
particular subjects seems to come and go
in cycles Thus in recent years We have
had the college play represented by
Brown OF Harvard. The College
Widow etc. then we had I've Indian play,
represented by "Stronghealt." The Squaw
Man etc; later We had the morality play.
r-Iresented by The Servant in the House.
The Passing Of the Third Floor Back
ETC. Suu more recently We have been
literally dcluged with dramas of Oriental
LIE, as seen in such productions as The
Garden Of Allah" and "Kismet," which,
closely followed 10y Professor Reinhardts
extraordinary wordless play "Sumurun,
would seem TO indicate an impending re-
yiral Of the art OF pautomime.
The Younger generation Of the present
day lheatrcgOers has, OF course, no recoi-
lection Of pantomime as 1t once flourished
on the American stage. Hopes were enter
taincd with the advent Of our present splen-
did Hlpp1drome in New York that panto-
mime which a generation ago was a most
popular attraction, would be revived, but
year after year passes without the least
EFFORT 20 give this special style of enter
tainment which, in the days OF George l..
FOX. drew vast crowds 70 the theatre.
Poor Fox. When he died he took panto-
mine 10 Lis grave with him. He was the
idesi Gl.maldi If tie era in which he lived
When he pro.iiced "Humpty Dumpty at
the Olympic ;Theatre Uhen at No 6lS
Broadway. ID had the prodigious run OF
sx hundred nights. and this was only sur
passed .r America once by The Black
Crook" which had d run in excess OF seven
hundred nights. But FoX's career was not
a particularly happy one. He aspiTed 10
sy..o., work. and indeed was a most 'dI-
snled actor bat when the audiences VINO
veta wont 20 mold their sides AT his gyFa-
tons as clown were asked 10 applauo
MS Hamlet they laughed so that II
troae the pautomimists heart
All of the clowns In FoX's day-James D
Mahu. Robert Butler, Robert Fraser ana
Tony Deuer-were fine actors. Ihey al
rrotr.g as long as Fox lived, but at MS
demise q gloom was cast over this super u
art. and until the last year or two there
has been 10 attempt to revive II IN thIs
country although IN London and through
oGt Great Britain pantomme is as potent
as eyer, and during the holiday and Easter
SEASONS the majority Cf the theatres pre-
ssnt modern as well as old-fashioned pan
tom.Mes
Il is 20 Ruth ST Denis. Maud Allen, Ger
tclle HOFFMAN, and other art dancers
that we owe the present renewed interest
!a plays without words. yet none or these
artists have been able 10 draw the puohc
Very long Even that exquisite master
pecs. Il Enfant Prologue when orlgi-
La.y presented here, al DAILY Theatre
with Nine Pillar NORM in the title role
NE, with only a lukeWarm reception, ana
the superb art Of Nine NORM has gone
begging ever since for want Of venice
WITH which she could conjute the pubic.
Al present there is little indication tnat
the real o.Gtime pantomime Will ever ne
revived. though 1t is probable that II
"Humpty Dumpty" we're done again II
would create a furore among those new
tIeatregoers VINO would thus see it for the
fist time
Spectacle and psntomime 60 hand IN
haGd, and both seem to be buried for all
tine. II IS strange how public taste as
seFts Itself there has not been spectacle
On large scale presented here since Ben
H1r. yet that production IS now in It's
twelfth year and has enriched its pro-
o-cers TO the extent Of over 81 OO0,0oo In
ciy Ike Altoona, Penn.-a one-night stand
II has twice had a weeks run, and In
each instance has played 20 gross receipts
IN excess Of 5000.
The next two years Will witness a period
o. reyiyals Of old plays and grand opera in
EhsAsn. Why may not some intrepid
ehtrepreneur' tempt fate with pant1-
NINE? Perhaps in modern times a spec.
'scl.ar setting would be necessary, but
Nat nowadays presents no difficulty.
The New Theatre had It's greatest sue
eess-in fact, it's only public response-wi.h
4he Blue Bird" production not wanting
~ The very elements that 90 to create
vogue for what in olden times We called
pahtomime There is a fortune awaiting
'ne manager who viii have the courage 20
s'e the vast public q women and children
ul.s big metropolis glorious revival Of