Out of the multitudinous dramatic pictures that have been presented on the stage of this theatre during its forty-three years of existence, it is interesting to know which stand out in bold relief. We need not hesitate to reply, the plays of Shakespeare, and those that are nearest akin to them, such as Bulwer's "Richelieu," Knowles' "Virginius," Banim's "Damon and Pythias." The Irish plays of Dion Boucicault, "Colleen Bawn," "Arrah Na Pogue," "Shaugraun," "Kerry," and even his "London Assurance," made very strong impressions, were very popular, and made money both for actors and managers. So with many other plays we might cite; but compared with Shakespeare's plays they have proven to be short-lived and their fame but transitory. They have never found a permanent abiding place in the world of literature. There is a strange, a marvelous thing in connection with the plays of Shakespeare. In his day the theatre was not popular, as it is in our times. The religionists held it in reprobation; actors were looked upon by the good church people as little better than vagabonds, and the occupation of play writing was scarcely reputable. The Globe Theatre, the best there was in London at that time, was little better than a barn. The art of scene painting was unknown. Candles were the best artificial light they had, all the accessories of the stage were of the most primitive description. The art of costuming plays was crude in the extreme, and woefully inadequate and incorrect. In short, the facilities for staging plays were poor, extremely poor, as compared with those of our own time. The greatest drawback of all however was this. They had no women on the stage; all those beautiful female characters of Shakespeare's were impersonated by men. Woman had not yet asserted her independence and equality with man in this domain of art; and yet under these most adverse conditions, _the greatest plays the world has ever seen were written_. Three centuries have winged their flight into the past, and in all that time no other dramatist has arisen that can rival Shakespeare. The popularity of the theatre and the actor's art have steadily grown since his time until in our own day we have the most costly and elaborate theatres. In every city, and almost every town of the civilized world, there is some sort of a theatre; many of them are truly _temples_ of the Thespian art; invention has racked its brains to supply original and costly adjuncts to the drama in the way of scenery and mechanical devices; realism has run mad in its efforts to produce novel illusions and startling stage effects. Woman has long since demonstrated her equality with man in the arena of dramatic art, and for more than two centuries she has adorned the stage with her beauty, grace and talents. There is an eager and expectant world of theatregoers waiting for some new genius to come forth and give to the stage another halo, to shed a radiance over its flickering lights, and fill the world with