Life — December 29, 1898 — page 12: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

A Few Reflections. UCCESS such as has greeted de Bergerac,” both abroad and here, means something more than the gratl- fication it has given the large audl- ences who have witnessed it, and tho money profit and professional credit gained by the managers who have produced it and the actors who have acted In tt, The success of “Cyrano de Bergerac” gives the Ile direct to the mercenary element in theatrt- cal affairs, which has been bawling aloud for the past few years that the public had to be pandered to. Through the writings of its hired crittes tt has Insulted the Intelligence of Amertea by the {mpitcation that Americans could not understand and would not give thelr support to anything that was not tawdry and meretricous. The ‘Theatrical Trust, against which Live bas waged continnal and consistent warfare, has declared this bellet by word and act, and the newspaper writers under tts control have sed the fall force of their simall abtiities to revile and ridicule every- ‘one who maintained that the Amertcan theatre- going pubilc had not been entirely debauched, and that {t still retained a little totelligence and an appreciation of good taste and good stage Mterature. Besides being a matertal success and a rebake to the speculators and adventurers, “Cyrano de Bergerac” fulfills a yet higher mission, It isa direct Incentive to the honest manager, actor aud author, Itshows the first that meretriclousness 1s not the only road to financtal success; the Second that there are other schools of art than those controlied by theatrical sharks; and to the last shows that to-day’s dramatic standard has hot sunk to the level the Trust’s putf-writers would have us belleve. What Rostand has done should stimulate every aspirant to the honors of the dramatist to write the best that is in him; to any but the pecuilar Une of moral and intet- lectual characters which the unholy alll- ance rejolces tn putting on the stage. ‘THE GOLP BALL.” write up and not down; and above all, to throw aside the carefully fos- tered bellef that all the Amerl- can public-can appreciate ts buifoonery or nastiness, o 8 R. CHARLES FROH- MAN Is a smart fel- low, but he bas not taken Lire nto his confidence in the mat- ter of his forthcoming production of * Ro- meo and Jullet.” With the rest of the public, we are permitted to know that Miss Adams ts to be the Juliet, Mr. Faversham the Romeo, and Mr. Hackett the Mercutio, It 1s to lugh. Miss Adams {s @ charming actress and her Lady Baddie 1s @ joyful remembrance, but Julfe-— hardly. She will doubtless receive a tremendous amount of coaching, and will be very charming In looks as Juliet, but there 14 not that In her ex- pertence or make-up which convinces one tn advance that she will achleve a triumph in a réle which Is held to be a high achtevement by Actresses with natural aptitude aud long study to back them. Mr. Hackett as Romeo might be better, we think, than as Mercutto; but he ts still over-young for the effort. Mr, Faversham as the young Montague 1s beyond our ken. He ts so thoroughly a product of the Syndicate school of art that it ts Impos- sible to picture him tn . But the business of GP SENE prophecy ts a danger- & 3 oun one, and. wan not always successful even tn the hands of its He- braic originators, and Mr. Charles Frohman, being, as we have said, & smart fellow, may disappoint us all with the finest, most artistic and most scholarly pro- duction of * Romeo and Jallet” that the stage bas ever seen. It is The Cro: WERE COME THE HOUNDS! AREN'T YOU AFRAID THE: “Not A BIT! THRY GOT WHIPPED THE OTHER DAY FOR LEAVING THE ANISE SEED AND TRAILING APTER ME." cttase you? certain that his abilities will show to advan- tage in certain parts, For tnstance, we feel positire that Jullet's balcony will be con- structed of mother-of-peari tnlald with yellow rubles, and,as.an accurate detail to show that the time 1s night, encrusted with Ceylon cat's-eyes, We know that Mr. Frohman’s moon will succeas- fully chase Mr. Faversham's Romeo about the Capulet garden, no matter how agile and elusive the actor may be. Me, Prohman’s abiiities will naturally shine out strongest Insthe ballroom scene. The Bowery pawnshops will be divested of their choicest Jewels to lend brilllancy, and tn the department stores there will be a famine of cotton-backed velvet. A cake-walk by the nobility and gentry of Verona will doubtless be interpolated, and no expense will be spared to make this a first-class show. HE closing year has been kind to stage folk, and the new one ts full ofpromise. Live’sgreetings and good wishes to all honest and independent managers, to all true and ambitions artists, to the intelligent public that applands their efforts, and last—not least—to the kind ladies who have assisted in the extinction of the theatre-hat, . 8 HERE ts constderable speculation rife as to whether our Jewish theatre-goers will enjoy “In the Ghetto” as much as they did «The Christian." Metcalfe, Not Built that Way. OBBINS : Did you ever try to stop a dangerous dog by catching his eye? “No; I can’t run backward.” EW men can enjoy spending the money they haven't earned, and still fewer enjoy spending the money they have earned