Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-06-09
MORE ABOUT PAYNE.
ACTOR, DRAMATIST, EDITOR AND
MANAGER.
g. EVERY THING By STARTS AND NOTHING
LONG"
HIS EXPERIENCE AS A JOURNALIST, AND HIS
FAILURE AS A THEATRICAL MANAGER.

Payne, during his life, Was engaged at different
times as actor, dramatist, journalist and ma ger
HIS Journalistic experience appears, however, to
have been limited in scope, and it might be more
| accurate statement to say that he was a critic
than to speak OF him as 4 journalist. He edited
and published at different times periodicals. which
were devoted chiefly to the drama. His precocity
was manifested as much In his editorial enter
prlses as in his predictions for the stage When
boy OF thirteen in Boston, he published In con-
junction with his young friend Samuel Woodwork
apaper called 1.-THE Fly" Shortly afterwards when
sent to New York, he found relief from the uncon-
genial labor OF the counting room by editing a
little paper styled "The Thespian Mirror" which
h aSe means OF o tine notice ana win
gentlemen to the surprising talents OF the boy Just
! entering his teens. or this paper but thirteen
numbers were printed when Payne started to COL
lege, and 1t was discontinued. AT college he pub
| iished for time paper called THE Pastlme. y
After leaving college he wrote for awhile for The
Mlrror." paper published in Boston. In
an actor was practically at an end, he
critical journal, which he called the opera GLASS;
He fell III, however, and the journal was soon
abandoned. After his return to America In 1892
he issued a prospectus OF weekly International
| literary journal, to be published in London, for
which the most distinguished literary people on
posed to call it jam Jehan Nina" which means
In English the goblet wherein one may behold the
universe. The scheme involved great expense,
the undertaking, so jam Jehan Nina" was never
issued: The only other journalistic labor per-
in connection with the Old democratic Review"
in this city, When here, between 1898 and 1912,
prior to his appointment as consul TO Tunis he
amused himself by contributing to that journal
PAYNEs WORK AS A PLAYWRIGHT
Payne began his work as a playwright very
early in lire He wrote his first play while boy
In college. The title was "Pulaski," and Payne
played the part OF the heroine. His career az a
playwright, however, commenced when he visited
Paris, after starring through England as an
actor
In Paris he met Sir John Cam Hobhouse. the
friend OF Byron, and through him Payne was
offered clOo by the managers OF the Drury Lane
"Maid and Magpe." Having performed his task
satisfactorily, he made an engagement to reside
In Paris to translate and to adapt French plays
with that theater he wrote the play OF sBrutus"
for Edmund Kean, which proved such success
as not only to revive the languishng business OF
the house, but to restore Kean to public favor
Payne, as usual, made bad bargain, and received
as his share of the prots Of the play only elSS Cd
when eoeed ne tbe T59
prison after his failure as a manager
he received one o day parcel, sealed In black,
gloomy mind, ana found two French PLAYS which
he threw aside as an ANONYMOUS mockery. AZ
teew Ws,s ne he that
two days he translated and adopted ssTherese "and
offered 1t to the new manager of the Drury Lane,
1t was accepted. Payne br1bed his keeper to re-.
lease him. He disguised himself, and Supervised
the rehearsal, and attended the first performance
The piece was 80 successful that he was soon ena-
bled to satisfy his creditors and secure his freedom
He wrote in hts journal: II am Indebted to Mr.
Victor for the compliment he paid me in 40 mys.
teriouS manner. beg to return my thanks for
1t, and at the same time to ask his INDULGENCE to-
wards some alterations In the construction OF the
drama" After his release he returned to Paris as
resident playwright for the new manager OF the
Drury Lane. Soon afterwards he sent to Charles
Kemble, then manager OF the Covent Garden the
ater, batch OF plays, In manuscript for which he
asked ESQ., One OF these was "Clari," the
opera in which occurs the song "Home
Sweet Home" and for which Kemble
Second" in which Charles Kemble made a ere eat
shit" Then he wrote the tragedy OF "Richeiieu,"
which the Lord Chamberlain it is said
required to be changed at the request of the
French minister at the Court OF St. James, ssWh0
did not wish his profigate ancestor to face him on
the stage" Among Payne's manuscripts were
lished The names Of sixty plays, opera and farces
which he wrote or adopted have been preserved
OF these the only one known to the az
to-day Is "Brutuas During Payne's life his works
received great compliment In the English high
court OF chancery: When the Lord chancellor
tents: who In tho present day has produced plays
which may be considered 40 established and de-
serving to be so3" Mr.. Payne Was one Of tho frSt
quoted, and several OF his works were enumerafed
as part OF the stock dramas which did the most
credit to England. Payne, in the view of some Of
the ablest critics, still stands at the head OF Amer-
can playWriters "Bruius, the best OF his TRACE.
dies, is strong piece OF dramatic workmanship,
fuu OF acI0n, though somewhat pompouS In die.
ton. It u considered, however to be by Tar the