... LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. A SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL. SIR,--A melancholy truth is contained in your admirable leader on this subject in last week's STAGE. I refer in particular to the sentence A few more yearn at the present rate of decline, and actors at large will be wholly unversed in the art of playing Shakespeare. Save for the members of the four or five provincial companies touring with ...

... SIR,--Of course the usual shriek will go up against tradas unionism on the strength of Mr. E. Edmonds's spirited proposal. Why should we actors be ashamed of trades unionism, if it comes to that? The solicitor is not ashamed of it when he takes his six-and-eightpence for a single letter--and six-and-eightpence is all that Edmonds suggests as tho minimum salary for the night's work f an ...

... MY SWEETHEART. Sin, In your last isBue you credited Mr. TMliston with having paid to Mr. John R. Rogers ft large amount of money in fee, for playing Mi/ Sweetheart. This i wholly in correct All money paid to Mr. Rogers for the piece was paid by mo. It is true that in November, 1888, Mr. Elliston and Mr. Bogers mot by arrangement, and for the ?urn of £250 paid to Mr. Rogers as a final payment ...

... MUSICAL CONDUCTORS. SIR,--Musical conductors were corresponding in THE STAGE some time ago upon theatre bands. Many interesting points were brought forth, and I believe led to important improvements, but as regards the position, &c., of the musical conductors themselves hardly anything had been said. Tho majority of managers of theatres, and especially of travelling companies, who era- ploy ...

... THE QUEEN IN HAMLET. SIR,--The complaint of the leading actor's indifference to the minor characters surrounding his impersonation, and of actors, subservience to tradition generally, with which Mr. Leonard Outram introduces his remarks on the character of Queen Gertrude, will commend them to the attention of many who feel the justice of his observations on these two points. The ...

... t'TSiR, I havo watched |with great interest the various lottors in your valuable paper on this subject, and am glad to eoe that some thing tangible seems on the way. It soeme to me that someone capable of organization is now important, and that the shilliug fund, to start the thing, should become more widely known, both iusid, and outsido the Immediate circle of scenic artists, those who can ...

... PROVINCIAL NUMBER TWOS. SIR,--In spite of the opinion of Mr. Henry Arthur Jones that realism is bad art, and that plots and situations are secondary items in a play, the fact remains that to a large percentage of the playgoing public they are of foremost importance, and any play built or designed on the principles laid down by the new apostle of the drama as it should be will have for thom ...

... THE TIVOLI, PORTSMOUTH. Ssir, You doubtless have heard the story anent the sudden closing of the Tivoli Palace, Portsmouth. My family and myself were engaged to open there on October 7. Wo made a journey of nearly 300 miles to Portsmouth, arriving there on Saturday night. Just try and imagine our surprise when we found, the Tivol closed, it having been open for the unpre cedented period of two ...

... Sir, Your correspondent, Gerald Sing- ton, evidently does not know what he is writing about. The pieces he mentions wero never on my tariff-list, and no fees have ever been accepted or demanded here for them. Ho is, of course, alluding to tho general catalogue of plays sold in this business. You originally published a letter on the above subject, in which a statement was made that 50 per cent, ...

... THE SONG-WRITERS' ASSOCIATION. Sir,-- I bog to inform you that Tho Song- Writers' Association was started last evening at the King's Head, Bear Street, with a roll of nearly sixty town and country members. The title Union was deposed in favour of Association. Our principal objects are protection, brotherhood, and liealthy aggression. I was chosen secretary without a single adverse vote.-- ...

... FRESH PANTOMIMES WANTED. Sir, In all directions wo find worn-out pantomimes beina produced every Christ mas, again and again suoh as Dick Whittington Cinderella Forty Thieves Robinson Crusoe f and a few others. The wonder to me is that audienoes can be found to witness these repetitions. Surely wo have good pantomimo writors capable of producing a new set of panto mimes if only managers would ...

... LETTER TO THE EDITOR. THE GRAND, FULHAM. Sib, We are instructed by our client, Mf. A. F. Henderson, the leasee and manager of tho Grand, Fulham, that in some unaccount able way, and for some unknown reason, malicious and unfounded rumour is being diligently circulated in London, especially n Fulham and tho immediato neighbour hood, to tho effect that the Grand Theatre has sunk 2ft. and is in ...