Life — January 18, 1900 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

Mra, Bird ory THE BxOW. Mr. Bd! 17°8 HARD POR ME TO SEE YOU DO IT, AND HARDER YET YOR ME TO MAKE UP MY MIND TO DO IT MYSELY. Going Contrary to All Precedent. tacts, OW strange! Following tho opinion of the people who are vory wiso in the dramatic business, “Naughty Anthony” hould be a popular success, And yet, with a first-night ; audienco which could not possibly have been better selected to appreciate and applaud tho very end-of-the-century merits of w pieco written, cast, und acted to suit thelr fancy, “ Naughty Anthony” failed to please, The first performance of this play was tho apotheosis of the drama brought thoroughly up to date to sult an up-to-date New York audionce. It was precisely what the commercial spirit in affairs of the stage to-day thinks will please its patrons, Tho occasion was a performance to fit an audi- ence and an audionce to fit a performance, It was the highest height of two things 1 THINK IT’S HARD THAT I SIIOULD HAVE TO CLEAN -LIFE- brought together to sult each otber, the result intended being a long and profitable run for the play. First, wo havo as a dramatist Mr. David Belasco, who has the technic of tho stago of to-day thoroughly at bis command. He, if any one, by right of long training, former successes and personal ability, knows how to please the present public, His undoing comes from giving to the pleasing of a false public too much importance, Ho follows the teaching of his commercial men- tors and does work which is unworthy of his technical knowledge and personal ability. Ho socks to follow the de- bauched taste instead of leading it to better things, Now York’s theatre-goors want French farce—ho gives them an imitation of it, ‘Thoy want salaciousness in tho scenes—he gives it to them, They want double entente in the Mnes—ho lots them have it. Mr. Belasco has all the qualifications for good work, Ho is earnost and sincere, but he has let himself be led as far in ono direction by commorctal notions of the work of tho dramatist as other wholly un- practical stage writers have been led in the opposite path by their lofty ideals, In short, Mr. Belasco has, with all his experienco and ability, gone as far wrong in ono way as the beginning playwright does in the other. The professional has consulted tho public taste too much, the amateur con- siders it too little, Next, wo bavo in “ Naughty Anthony” a cast mado upof popular names, Apparently the people of the play have been solected mostly with reference to their drawing power with the public, Many of thom aru mis-cast, Miss Blancho Bates, who has made her fleeting reputation in serious parts, is given the highly dramatic task of trying on io full view of the audience an assorted lot of silk stockings, This is not as bad as it sounds, because the ordeal is largely deceptive 60 far as the audience is concerned, but it is hardly a test of dra- matic power. Mr, Frank Worthing, whoso name is well known, but whose acting powers have not been demonstrated as great ones, plays tho absurd leading part which could only be made poscible by an actor of positive genius. Ho makes it neither seriously possible nor humorously laughable. Mr. Charlos Le Moyne is about tho only actor on the American stage to-day whocould make endurable the character of Budd, whoso mistaken characteristics fur- nish the foundation that makes tho farce, “ Naughty Anthony” is calculated to appeal only to the vulgar public which Mr. Bolasco’s teachers in the theatrical business have ovidently made bim think 1s the only one worth catering to. e ee « HEN it comes te modesty, the violet and fleld daisy aro not in it with tho members of the Theatrical Trust and their satellites, Ono refreshing instanco is the frauk and admiring way in which that able and honest dramatic writer, Mr. Franklyn Fyles, reprints in the columns which the Sun entrusts to his management, copious extracts from his own articles previously printed in the Ladies’ Home Journal, Another refreshing examplo of this de- lightful modesty, and one which throws a pleasant light on the character of- the persons who rule the destinies of dramatio art in America, is shown in the following advertisement which appeared in the New York Herald ot January 4th: EMPIRE THEATRE, B'way and 40th St. Evenings, 6:20, Matinees, 2:15. CHARLES FROHMAN.. -. Manager. THE LATEST FAD. NOVELTY THAT 18 DELIGHTING NEW YORK."—CHARLES FROUMAN Matinees Wednesday & Saturday. CHARLES FROHMAN PRESENTS. Ul. V. Eamond’s Whimsical Romance, MY LADY’S LORD, MY LADY’S LORD. Pretty soon wo inay expect to see in the newspapers such mercantile endorsements as “THE WIGGINS HOUSE 18 THE FINEST HOTEL IN NEW YORK CITY."— BONIPACE wroorNs, “TKEY ISAACS IS THE MOST REFINED GENTLEMAN IN THE TOMBS,"—IKEY I8AAC8, * PELIX DAUBER IS THE GREATIST ARTIST IN THE WORLD.”—FELIX DAUBER, “JONES & SMITH'R SHOES ARE THE LAR. GEST SHOES IN NEW YORK, JONES & KMITH, “MISS REBECCA WANSENPULVER 18 ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL LADIES IN NEW YORK CITY,.”—REBECCA WANSENPULVER. “CHARLIE DUDELET IX ONE OP THE POPU- LAR AND PASHIONABLE YOUNG MEN IN NEW york's 400."—CHARLIE DUDELET. Metcalfe.