The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-07-12

TIME tendency OF managers to
lessen the number OF stars In
their productions is just now
noticeable in certain quarters,
and In some cases this disposition has
attracted attention. Whether IL Is The
result OF economic principles, or what
ever the reason may be, there have been
cases recently in which It's effect is mos;
noticeable.
VIVA. managers find II necessary to
do as business move is something that
does not affect the commentator on their
productions. His concern is with the
stage. What he sees there is the field
Of his Judgment He may say that y.
Ia not efficient and keep altogether
within his functions. 1t is not his affair
however, 10 ask why the manager has
engaged A. and not b.
One OF the principal reasons for the
tendency Of managers TO offer persons
less well known in their performances
Is the demands Of actors who make a
more or less ephemeral success. The de-
velopment OF personalities has not been
without Its difficulties. once the per-
sonallty has been established with the
public and made valuable to the man
ager the demand of the man or woman
knows no limit. Managers are al the
mercy Of the geniuses they have thus
created II one manager Is unwilling to
pay the rates demanded another is, and
the Stars created by one manager are
thus handed over to the profit of an
other.
So there are some less expensive ar
lists in important posts and managers
are making this effort to discipline them
and make Il plain that none OF them is
Indispensable. Only managers ever think
tina, an actor or actress is Indispensable
10 the success of play. There Is an
example Of the falslty OF this theory TO
be seen now In this city. Scarcely an
actor In the original cast of certain
play remains. But the material with
which they have 10 deal is so mertori-
nus that audiences are Just as much
pleased as II the first cast OF actors was
there. But for the superior skill OF
some of the players in the first company
there would be no idea on the part OF
anybody that the piece could be better
acted than Il Is now. Certainly none OF
these players was Indispensable. And
Il is Just as certain that in few per-
formances of any kind Is this or that
player necessary He may be an i'm
provement or she may be prettier. But
where there is merit enough in the play
manager may be independent OF the
most popular member OF his company
and let any one Of the players run down
steep hill into the sea whenever he
feels like f..
Eleonora Duse, who has retired from
her profession at the age Of 90, con-
fesses that she has been on the stage
since The NTH year of her life. She
living quietly now In a hotel In
Rome having presented all her pos
sessions such as pictures. books anc
objects Of art TO the home for her sis
yer actresses which she has Just opened
near the Por'a Pia In a grove of cy'
Dress trees. Here she is putting into
eHe1t her plan of providing her les:
fortunate colleagues with what sh'
hinks IS certain L aid them in theil
search for happiness. "a book and {
mower That Is the motto she ha!
AIKEN for her propaganda to help heI
PROFESSION. She Is determined to oper
sun larger home for them and ther'
%ain VIII be found for every inmate
book and a flower" Her plan ha!
no' me- with unanimous support ever
rom the members of her own profes
.oh 'rma Grammatical, her intimate
,rend' opposed It on the ground tina
was food, not books and flowers, tina
nu'gent actresses need But Eleonori
use proposes 10 give them both Sh
allowed 10 see little OF the work.
nowadays and under the advice of he
pnyS''.an spends mos, OF her time on
'ouhsN Evidently the stage has reall,