for
the dainty type of person or the superbly theatric artist such as Miss
Gordon, Valeska Suratt, and the few other remarkable women of the
vaudeville stage.

I am more concerned with the less appreciated artists. I would see
that they glitter by their own brilliance. Why, for instance, should a
fine act like the Four Danubes and others of their quality be tagged
on to the end of a bill, at which time the unmannerly public decides
to go home or hurry to some roof or other, or dining place?

I should like seeing the Brothers Rath likewise, perhaps as refined
acrobatic artists as have been seen on our stage for some time, in a
set that would show them to better advantage, and give the public a
greater intimacy with the beauty of their act than can be had beyond
the first six rows of the Winter Garden. They are interposed there as
a break between burlesques, which is not the place for them. I would
"give" them the stage while they are on it. Theirs is a muscular
beauty which has not been excelled. I have no doubt that if I
attempted to establish these ideas with the artists whom I spend so
much time in championing, they would no doubt turn aside with the word
"highbrow" on their lips. They would have to be shown that they need
these things, that they need the old-fashioned ideas removed, and
fresher ones put in their place. I have expressed this intention once
before in print, perhaps not so vehemently. I should like to
elaborate. I want a Metropolitan Opera for my project. An orchestra of
that size for the larger concerted groups, numbers of stringed
instruments for the wirewalkers and jugglers, a series of balanced
woodwinds for others, and so on down the line, according to the
quality of the performer. There should be a large stage for many
elephants, ponies, dogs, tigers, seals. The stage should then be made
more intimate for the solos, duets, trios, and quartets among the
acrobats. I think a larger public should be made aware of the beauty
and skill of these people, who spend their lives in perfecting grace
and power of body, creating the always fascinating pattern and form,
orchestration if you will, the orchestration of the muscles into a
complete whole. You will of course say, go to the circus, and get it
all at once. The circus is one of the most charming places in
existence, because it is one of the last words in orchestrated
physical splendour. But the circus is too diffused, too enormous in
this country to