A ROYAL STAGE MANAGER.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 857, 1 July 1910, Page 9

A ROYAL STAGE MANAGER.

THE KAISER AND THE THEATRE. According to a cablegram from London two ivocks aijo, the Prussian Government proposes io increnso the Kaiser's Civil List of :C785,9G=) by .C 200.000. The reason assigned is the increased cost of living, involving higher salaries to Court officials, the up-l;eep of tin- royal theatres, ami the establishment of the royal princes. The Kaiser, it is said, has set his heart upon the erection of a new Grand Opera House in lletlin, which will cost- about £1,000,000. His Imperial Majesty spends £100,000 a year —-amounting roughly to an eighth of his civil list—on supporting the royal theatres and opera houses in Prussia. This fact was revealed in t-ho Budget, Committee of the Prussian Diet a month ago by the Minister for Finance, Baron P.lieiribaben, who was defending his demand for a Government grant of £42,500 for the purpose of modernismg the Royal Opera House in Berlin. It was that the Emperor devotes £75,000 annually from his private purse towards the upkeep of the three royal jilayhouses in Berlin alone, and Ilia Majesty contributes proportionately to the support of the three, other royal theatres situated at Wiesbaden, Hanover, jmtl Cassel. The Ivaiser's expenditure consists of contributions equivalent to the annual deficits. The expenses at tho opera houses and theatres have been vastly increased by his Majesty's fondness for lavish productions. The gorgeous revival of Verdi's "Aida," in Horlin, produced under his personal directions in 1908, cost £10,000. One of the costumes worn by the King of Egypt was embroidered in gold and cost £150. AVhat tho Kaiser likes is a stngo full of supers as in "Aida," "The Huguenots," and "Tannhauser." At the recent revival of "The Huguenots," upon which the Kaiser lavished his whole attention to seeuro abaoluto accuracy of costume and armour, ho assembled the principals around him and delivered a 'lengthy lecture on the period of tlw play. In the interval lie was so occupied in discoursing to the assistant stage-manager on tho weapons used in tho production that ho failed to hear tho bell for the next act, with the result that the resumption of tho opera was considerably delayed. Apropos, it is interesting to note that (luting the first years of his • reign tho Kaiser was an enthusiastic. Wagnerian, but has latterly entirely forsaken Wagner for Italian, and ligiit. German (Nicolai and Lortzing) opera. When ho wanted "Roland of Berlin" turned into a grand opera ho selected an Italian composer, Leoncavallo, and personally directed the rehearsals of the new work". At present the German -Emperor takes most interest in the Berlin Opera. The Opera House is but a stone's throw irorn tho castle, and ho can easily run in and conduct rehearsals. It is entirely owing to his unflagging efforts that the productions at the Berlin Opera- have attained to such a pitch of perfection in everything that concerns mounting. While the vast- stage is humming with activity the well-known primrose-coloured motor-car will drivo up to tho entrance, and tho Emperor, accompanied only by a single adjutant, will emerge. In three minutes William II will be seated at a big business-l\l;o table placed in the stalls, before him a pile ol paper and an array of pencils. When ho is in the house there is no doubt whatever in anybody's mind as to who is .conducting tho rehearsal. His general manager stands at his sido in the darkened auditorium, and conveys his Majesty's instructions to the stage, for the Kaiser never interrupts the actors himself. Ho makes a sign to von Huliwi, noribblea a note on a sheet' of paper, while the manager, who is tho pattern _of unruffled suavity, just lMises his head, and tho performance ceases abruptly. There is a confabulation, tho Emperor explaining, with that wealth of gesture peculiar to him, his views on the grouping of tho supors., the positions of tiio principals, tho dresses, the uniforms, the arms, using anything, pencil, penholder, or oven his sword, to illustrate his meaning. Again ,und again up to a dozen times the supers. will be put through their paces until tho Imperial stage manager is entirely satisfied that a dramatic eifcct has been obtained. A story is told illustrative of tho Emperor's insistenco on accuracy and the minute attention •!'? P'V® t 0 details at rehearsal. After his visit to Ofen-Post for the jubilee celebrations, wliicli had included a number, of Hungarian national dances, tho Kaiser stopped a rehearsal of tho ballet at the Berlin Opera while a Czardas was in progress and pointed out certain •details which were not correct. .