VOL. III., No. 9.

THE

HE THEATRE: AN ILLUSTRATED MAGAZINE OF DRAMA, MUSIC, ART AND LIterature.—Published at No. 26 West Thirty-second Street, New York. DESHLER WELCH

EDITOR AND MANAGER

The price of yearly subscription to THE THEATRE is three dollars in advance. We cannot undertake to return manuscript that is not suitable, unless we receive sufficient postage to do so. Care is always taken not needlessly to destroy valuable manuscript.

The Editor solicits contributions from the readers of THE THEATRE, and suggests that old play bills, and scraps relating to the stage, notes, news and items appertaining to the different arts, would be acceptable. It is the desire of the Editor to establish a widely-circulated magazine, and to further that end every good idea will be acted upon so far as possible.

*All articles appearing in THE THEATRE are written especially for it unless credited otherwise.

Advertising rates of THE THEATRE will be furnished on application. Address all letters on this subject to GEORGE W. HARLAN, Manager Advertising Department.

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT.

As stated last week, the publisher of THE THEATRE has decided that, during the summer, it will be best for him to issue THE THEATRE once a month, instead of once a week. Theatrical matters are not particularly seductive in warm weather, and even those most interested do not care to think of "shop." The publisher feels that several issues in monthly visits might be made very acceptable, and it is the intention to thus serve out a magazine which will contain some valuable and choice articles under the heads of drama, music, art and literature. To carry out this purpose, ar

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very little whether an actor is pleased or displeased with its opinions, fairly and faithfully expressed. If that is the truth, then the average actor has certainly been debauched by a low journalism, which praises him or attacks him in proportion to his willingness to pay for what he gets. But it seems impossible that actors of fine intelligence should be willing to regard themselves as puppets of men who write. This is not said as a bid for THE THEATRE, which, it was declared long ago, regards the stage with perfect independence, and has no other motive than to prosper as a journal of the best class. THE THEATRE appeals to all persons who admire the play-house, and to all actors who believe in the integrity and progress of the play-house. Such actors ought to be in sympathy with our project, and ought to assist it gratefully. Their indisposition to offer sympathy and support would prove conclusively that a paper like THE THEATRE is not to their taste, and that something considerably worse is to their taste. Meanwhile, encouragement comes to THE THEATRE from all parts of the country-from play-goers chiefly, and occasionally from men and women who have not heretofore been play-goers.

DRIFT.

NEXT season Wallack's Theatre will be un

der the management of Mr. Henry E. Abbey. The contract was drawn up according to the details published in THE THEATRE May 2. Mr. Abbey proposes to follow out the original scheme and make Wallack's Theatre what it

writers and artists. THE THEATRE will be next issued on June 16, after that on July 16, August 16, and September 16. Then it will return to its regular weekly issue.

Among those who will appear as contributors to THE THEATRE during the summer months are: A. C. Gunter, Helen Dauvray, Mrs. C. A. Doremus, Alfred Ayres, Henry E. Dixey, E. H. Sothern, C. M. S. McLellan, and Edgar S. Kelley. The next portrait of the amateur series will be that of Miss Alice Lawrence.

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THE prejudice which has existed, and which still exists appreciably, against dramatic journalism, will not disappear altogether until this kind of journalism shows itself worthy of its purpose-to treat the stage seriously, thoughtfully, and honestly, and to avoid making actors the victims of malicious gossip or blackmail. It has been contended that the mass of actors do not really desire to support a journal based upon right principle and upon a dignified conception of stage art; nor a journal which is independent enough to care

highest and best form of comedy. Occasionally it has lapsed into sensationalism of a kind which has, I think, materially hurt it. The cause of Mr. Wallack's retirement from active management is that he has reached an age when it is a physical inability for him to undergo the worries and constant labor which it necessitates. His proxy is thoroughly in accordance with his wishes and there is no reason for presuming that Wallack's Theatre will ever lose its identity. Mr. Wallack's New York career has lasted nearly forty years. He was stage manager for his father, James W. Wallack, when the old Wallack's Theatre at Broadway and Broome Street was opened in September, 1852, and acted also as stage manager of its successor at the corner of Broadway and Thirteenth Street, which was opened September 25, 1861. The elder Wallack died December 25, 1864, and Lester Wallack became the owner of the theatre. On January 4,

1882, Wallack's new theatre was opened at the corner of Broadway and Thirtieth Street. The play on the opening night was "The School for Scandal," and in the cast were John Gilbert, Osmond Tearle, Gerald Eyre and Rose Coghlan. On December 18, 1883, Judge Barrett's new play "An American Wife," was put upon the boards, but it only ran a month. The season closed with “She Stoops to Conquer," in which Mr. Wallack appeared. During the summer months the stage was occupied by the American Comic Opera Company. In September, 1884, Mme. Théo appeared at Wallack's in opera bouffe under the management of Maurice Grau, and remained until October. Henry Guy Carleton's "Victor Durand was produced on December 18, and was a great success. It ran until February 16, 1885, when B. C. Stevenson's new play, "Impulse," was put on, in which Mr. Wallack played. Then came a revival of " Diplomacy," with Mr. Wallack in the cast playing his old part. The season closed with "Old Heads and Young Hearts." On May 4 the McCaull Opera Company produced "The Black Hussar." On October 1, 1885, Mme. Judic made her first appearance in America at Wallack's, where she remained for three weeks. Then the regular season was opened with In His Power," in which Kyrle Bellew and Annie Robe were seen for the first time by an American audience. Then followed "The Rivals," and "The Busybody" and "Hoodman Blind," which had a long and successful run. January 20, 1886, "The Guv'nor" was put on. This was succeeded by Belasco's “Valerie,” in which Mr. Wallack made his first appearance for the season. He also played in "Home and "Central Park." The season closed with an elaborate production of "The Palace of Truth, and the McCaull Opera Company opened the summer season with" Don Cæsar.'" This was succeeded by "The Crowing Hen." During the season just ended "Harvest," "Sophia," "The School for Scandal," "Harbor Lights," and "Moths," the latter twice, have been produced, and "The Dominie's Daughter," by D. D. Lloyd, an American writer, has had a successful run. During the season two new plays have been tried. One entitled "Jack," with Eben Plympton in the title part, and the other called "Deacon Brodie," by Robert Louis Stevenson, with Mr. E. J. Henly as the Deacon. Both plays made an impression. The last piece given by the whole Wallack Company this season was Old Heads and Young Hearts."

On

As for Mr. Abbey's career it began as a manager in 1869, in his native town of Akron, Ohio. On June 12, of that year, he opened

with John Ellsler's company, which played "London Assurance." In the autumn of 1871 he became the manager of Edwin Adams. The engagement was begun in Chicago in the summer of 1872, and from that city he took a company to support Mr. Adams and traveled through the New England States. On April 14, 1879, Mr. Abbey opened the Park Theatre in Boston with Lotta, and in the same year leased the Buffalo Academy of Music with an excellent stock company, opening with a star engagement of Mr. Lester Wallack in "Rosedale,"

Home," etc. The following September, Mr. Abbey opened the Park Theatre in Philadelphia, in partnership with George K. Goodwin. This was not a success, and in February, 1880, the partnership was dissolved. January 1, 1880, Mr. Abbey took Boucicault's unexpired lease of Booth's Theatre, and opened with Strakosch's opera troupe. He also engaged Edwin Booth, whose engagement in New York, Brooklyn and Boston, he managed that year, and closed the season with Adelaide Neilson. In 1881 he took charge of Patti for a series of forty concerts, which began in Brooklyn on November 28, and from which she realized $200,000. In 1882 he secured the lease of the Grand Opera House, which he opened in the following August. In the summer of that year he went to Europe and made contracts with Mme. Christine Nilsson for fifty concerts, with Mrs. Langtry for a six months' tour, and with Henry Irving for a tour of similar length, and leased Mr. Irving's theatre in London for the period of his stay in America. Mrs. Langtry made her first appearance at Wallack s Theatre. In the latter part of December, 1882, Mr. Abbey was made the manager of the Metropolitan Opera House, and so continued until early in 1884, when he retired. In 1885 he managed Mary Anderson and Mme. Gerster, and last fall took charge of Sarah Bernhardt and Patti.

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GEORGE RIDDLE has written a public letter regarding his recent press communication after the production of "The Earl," in which he says: "I was taught at an early age not to be afraid of acknowledging myself in the wrong if I honestly felt myself at fault. A short time ago, while smarting under what seemed a sense of injustice, I was impelled to write a letter which my calmer judgment declares to be injudicious and unreasonable. Emerson says: The key of one Riddle is another Riddle.' Will you therefore kindly allow me a little space to do myself the justice of saying publicly, and at the cost of a little pride, that I am able to bear defeat. I am compelled to make this statement, not on account of the amount of censure I have received, but simply