The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-09-12
FILM PLAYS AT THE KNICKERBOCKER STIR
Founded by Henry E.
Abbey and Built by
R. ". Go.ict Theatre
Has \iviGi history Well
WORTHY OF Record

OOKlNG Rack over the period Of /
stage n.s.o-y determined 10y the
rts.ing o. the frohman in
forests gAl tht Triangle lease
,bp kn.ck,g'uchc Theatre one
s,,,s that the b storlc knickerbocker's
a,si,.rn a. the lead ny PLAYHOUSE was
400 ,p . combination of circumstances.
W., mos. particularly to the en-
usb,erpI and free harGcd policies first
~Suenr, T.. Abbey and then Of Charles
yrobman. Harry Il. Altken, Adam and
Charles kcsscl and Charles O. Bau-
n.rn the Triangle chiefs, intend to
carry on the same liberal tradition
.o- their art directors, Messrs. Griffith.
lace and Spnnett.
The Kn.ckerbocker, Il may not be
s~sseral.y known. was the first 50
,ssatre IN the United States. Ac-
cor5lnE TO Harry Sommers 1t was the
Hrs, OF the playhouses to install. an
electric lighting system. 1t was built
by Robert Walton Goelet and had
the support Of all the fashionable play
soers. Furthermore. It's first man
sger was Henry +. Abbey. and 1t was
known FOR the first three years of it's
career as Abbey's Theatre.
The firm Of Abbey, Schoeffel & Grau
hu!ked large before A.. l.. Erlanger
discovered that a string Of theatres
rather than a string of actors was the
real secret " theatrica. control. Grau
was the famous operate impresario.
John Il. Schoeffel. the husband of
Agnes Booth. looked after financial
affairs. MIR. Abbey was equally inter-
esed in the opera and in dramatics.
One Of the big exploits Of the firm
was the bringing over OF Bernhard.
The guarantee sum was enormous,
and Il Is recorded that John Il. Schoef-
tel made an advance our of the prin-
c!pal theatres OF the country, getting
the house managers each to put up a
small part OF the vast total. He got
the money easily. the French TRACE
dlenne came over and the firm,
together with the allied managers,
made a cleanup.
In some such fashion as this Henry
Z. Abbey started the extensive impor-
talon Of European stars. Cd play
gers will recall that at one time the
sten labor law vas invoked as an at
tempted bar to such contracts, but for.
tunately the courts decided that 1t die
rot apply to the services of such stars
Bernhardt. Rejane. Hading. Her.
bert Beerbohm Tree and the like.
So the policy of Abbey's when 1!
opened November 8. 1898. was TO Civ,
the american public the chance L
see the most celebrated foreign artists
Henry Irving. bringing Ellen Terr,
with him. opened the Playhouse will
his beautiful production of Beckett
he was followed by Jane Hading an,
the great Coquelin in repertory, afte
which Irving returned for a month.
In the same season were seel
Mounet-Sully. the wonderful Frencl
tragedian, and Ellaline Terriss an
Seymour Hicks In Cinderella"
musical burlesque which they ha
brought over from London. The onl
American actor that first season wa
Stuart Robson, and he kept up tn
classical tradition by his Shakespear
ian production OF "A Comedy of Er
rors."
Right next TO the Knickerbocke
. stands the Casino, which was tn
recognized home of opera bouffe an
musical comedy. The leading man G
leading woman of one season becam
the star Of the next. Gradually tn
Knlcoerbocker began to house man
A" thu more %pretentious spectacula
musical productions. often with fol
mer Casino favorites as the star
Thus n the fall Of 1894 Francis Wi
sn opened the theatre in "Tf
Devils Deputy" surrounded by Lul