Show I I ENGLISH THEATRE THEA TRE TALK TA LK I ONDON Jan pall pail ot of pan pantomimes pantomimes LONDON L has descended upon Eng England England land From Lands Lanas End to johno Johnc Groats the principal boy boythe boythe the old lady technically known know as the Dame and the red nosed comedian who Is baron king or magIcian according to th the Inspiration or story hold unquestioned sway and draw hundreds ot of thousands to the playhouse nightly It Is surprising how conservative the British playgoer Is Except In the merest details there has not been a single neW Idea In the pantomime for tor years past There are the same meaningless ballets the same anachronistic jumble ot of scenery and costumes and the same topical tres trespassing trespassing passing on the authors text The production of an English panto pantomime pantomime mime Is a curIous thing The oracle against whom there Is no appeal is the costume designed He Is the autocrat or of the theatre and his word Is as un unalterable Unalterable alterable as the law ot of the Modes Medes and Persians Long before a line or of the book Is written he Is called In to consult with the manager and It t Is he with an eye to loffy sartorial flIghts who suggests suggest the subject or of the big scenes Then the author and scene painter are called In The first has to distort his plot so as to give prominence to the costumers Ideas the second Is told to paint his scene in a subdued key keyso so that the dresses will be all the more brilliant by contrast and the triumph will be purely sartorial This always Is tile Hie signal for disturbances The Theauthor Theauthor author mildly refuses to sacrifice the plot for Signor Pan glorification tion and the artist declares he wi will paint the scenery as he likes or not at nIl threatens to wash his hands of the tho whole business and the manager deluges the troubled waters aters with copious libations of oil The same petty jealousies in the breasts ot of the artists each en endeavoring endeavoring to get ahead of the other In some way that will bring him or her Into unusual prominence and some stars even go so tar far as to insist that they and they only shall be the mouthpiece for tor all topical allusions and for all catchy songs And the end ot of all the strife strite Is the same old gUtter glitter the same old bowing company ot of ecstatically ecstatically happy artists and the same old howling success |