The record-union., 1891-08-08

The announcement that Daniel Froh-
mans excellent Lyceum Theater Com
pany have arranged to give one perform
ance of ''The Charity Ball'' at the Metro
politan Theater, Monday, August 18th,
will make especially interesting the fol-
lowing chat with Mr.. Frohman, as TO how
that play and its prototype and prede-
cessor, 1.-THE Wife," came to be written.
Five years ago." said Manager Daniel
Frohman, when | was about to open the
Lyceum Theater, l was casting about for
an American play with which to open the
new theater. l had invited a number Of
American writers to furnish manuscripts
for number of plays, from which the
best was to be selected for the opening.
1t was strictly competitive and the prize
an honor that the best writer might covet
that of being the author of new play,
produced by the company at the opening
of a new theater, upon which the future
of the theater depended, and with the
success of the play either rose or fell.
lone day David Belasco, who was asso
ciated with me in the Lyceum as stage
manager, came to me and said that he
and De Mile had decided to write a play
TO enter into the competition. When l
learned that he was associated with De
Mile l became hopeful of something su-
perior.
''Belasco had the necessary technical
knowledge of the stage, without which no
man can write successful play-I do not
say a great play, for the greatest plays are
not successful financially. 1t is the
play of the middle register that is most
successful; the play in which the story Is
told by the stage picture, not by the Ian
guage of the play itself-the play in which
the story is told by the picture, as the
told by the picture, with only enough Of
words to explain their meaning. BelaS
co.'s technical knowledge, com mbined with
De Miles literary art, enabled them TO
handle a familiar subject in a new and at
tractlVe manner.
"The result of their efforts was The
Wife, 1t was selected out of q great
number, and others thought they had
written better plays, but we must be al
lowed to be the judges Of those attributes
and qualities that make the most popular
play. The company was selected and the
play proceeded.
1.-The Wife was not successful, though
the company was. 1t took too long TO
reach the real interest of the play, the
strong climax which is reached now i'll
the third act. 4 great deal Of pruning
and cutting was done until The Wife be-
1.-THE success of The Wife encouraged
Belasco and De Mile TO attempt a second
play. They had considerable difficulty
in determining upon the theme-the mo-
tif-of the play, and concluded that they
could not do better than to follow closely
the example Of The Wife
''In selecting the motif they, in consul
tation with me, said that they could con-
ceive of nothing stronger than the con-
ventlonal idea, mans love for a woman.
Then they said, Let US make two men in
love with the same woman
Having decided thus far they said,
these two men should be brothers.'
During this consideration they had fire.
quent consultations with me i'll my study,
and / was thoroughly familiar with the
development and unfolding Of the idea.
when they had reached the decision
of two brothers loving the one woman,
they decided that one of these brothers
should betray the woman under promise
of marriage, but both must love the
woman, and the motive that leads to the
abandonment, said they, must be a mer-
cenary one, one of selfish interest thus
to prepare for the marriage of Dick and
Phyllis without shock to the sensibility
of the audience.
Then the thought of the woman COM
ing Ito the brother of her betrayer for
spiritual comfort, led them to make Of
that brother minister, and thus the eli
max of Phyllis casting herself at the feet
OF the brother in the quiet sanctity of the
rectory with its holy atmosphere was
built up; then the development of that
climax led to the quarrel between the
brothers, in which the minister lays
aside the garb of his holy office to de-
mand reparation as man to man. The
interference Of Angel with her Boys,
boys, which of you shall l punish for
keeping the other upY recalling their
childhood and the remark of John, Now
/ understand the wisdom of God in de-
priYing our mother of sight that she may
not see the blush of shame mantle your
cheek the confidence of the little sister
and her appeal to the brother, You don't
know what 1t means to a girl-that sacred
name of WIFE all this came as natural
consequence.
Having thus decided upon their eli
max, preserving through it all the quiet
atmosphere Of the home life they easily
constructed the first and second acts
which lead up 10 ii, and It Is in this that
their art lies. The fault OF the average
playwright lies in his beginning and
leaving IL to his characters to tell his
story, and thus it is that the successful
novelist is not successful playwright.
Henry James has tried repeatedly and
cannot make a play. HowellS has writ
ten several, but they are not successful.
Thackeray, to whom we owe some of the
greatest characters in literature, could
not make play from his novels, while,
as has been done in some instances, an
ordinary hack might take his stories and
easily construct a play. The similarity
of the two plays, The Wife and The
Charity Ball. Is thus accounted for. In
The Charity BALI we have the charac-
terS Of the one referring to those of the
other, and in the last act of each there is
the incident of the loves of the two
young people. In the one the incident OF
~ "a nT a Hac
incident. The humor and the movement
of the plays are similar.
The company was selected because OF
the strong and pleasing personality of the
individuals, and with any other company
am not sure that these plays would
have been a success. The characters
throughout are types; types in which are
recognized many characters, and it is tC
this their success is due. The plays pre-
serve the atmosphere of home life which
so appeals TO the American audience, and
without which no play is really success.
full
THE CITY DIRECTORY
Russell's Coined ans will appear at the
Metropolitan Theater in this city OF
Monday evening, August 24th. The play
had long and successful run at The
California in San Francisco.
Graceful, 1.-the, auburn I'VE don't dare
say rcd headed Amelia Glover, ''Tht
Little Fawn," has been called by New
York critics 1.-The poetess of motion, .
and in that city upon her last appearance
created furor that cast shadow upor
ali the foreign importations who held tul
sway until this charming native danseust
became prominent. Burt Hayerly a;
"John Smith, Banker" viii show all the
trials and tribulations of a much married
man as they should be shown. Burt was az
accomplished minstrel who has developed
into an excellent farce-cOme(linu BESSIE