Life — April 6, 1899 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

BY does Mr. William Waldorf Astor =f send Mr. William Archer over hero SJ to write a series of articles on’ tho American stage? Have the English people become so deeply interested in America that scholarly articles on our theatre will be a drawing card in a maga- zine that caters to the English masses? This scems hardly likely. British interest in the American stage is confined to the professional element, which regurds this as a flold for onterprise, and to such of tho theatre-going public as aro entertained by a few American productions which have succeeded in London, The former is a small class, Interested only by the business and technical aspects of the theatro, and the interest of the latter class may be judged by the fact that its greatest evidenco ‘LIFE: is the success of a Casino production called “ The Belle of New York,” Mr. Archor is | competent and honest critic—his head a trifle among tbe clouds, perhaps—but it is not likely that his obser- vations will be read by either of the classes mentioned, and bis topic is not one to be an attractive feature for a popular periodical. Mr. Astor must have u deeper motive, then. Can it be that he has sent Mr, Archer to study the organization of The Syndi- cate for the Strangling of Dramatic Art? This seems unlikely, for that is simply a specalative concern, which Mr, Astor’s busi- ness representations could describe better than an accomplished critic. Thero seems to be only. one other solution, Mr. Astor is going toatono for removing himself from America by endowing for his bereaved PuzZLe. FIND THE AUTHOR. 305 countrymen a National Theatro where they may forget their loneliness while witnessing artistic performances of dramatic clussica, For this purpose, doubtless, bo has sent Mr. Archor to spy out the ground, and on the return of bis emissary the necessary five millions will probably bo sent over by return steamer. If Mr. Astor will do this, we will gladly forgive him for living in London, Metcalfe. Hear Him Out. AGGLE: Yes, sir, a man never knows what happiness is until he marries— Mrs. W. that. ‘And then it is too late.” I'm glad to hear you say