Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-09-11

good plays come
only from the other side Of The pond the
personality Of the man or woman y no up
sets sLis delusian IS a subject OF which tn.
public az iarge and the sucking SardOus"
IA particular delight t0 read.
Genius Is a very rare thing. and there
are always lots - purchasers after It. IA
fact I'd shrewd a manager As Mr.. Field. OF
the Boston Museum. has ordered from
Miss Aerington serious play called
"Goodby." which viii be produced IN De
toher OF November
ON the surface CAPTAIN Lettarblair"
appears T. the outsider only As a play
which was given az a trial matinee last
spring. and produced ia August al the Ly
cum rhcatcr. New YORK | was curious
O. know how this young woman, entirely
ignorant of professional theatrical matters.
bad been able even % secure a hearing for
her play from Mr. S0.hern, and | confess
that the story "a told me By Miss Mering
tou, has increased rather than diminished
ny surprise
Mss MeFlngto has long taken an inter
ct iu amateur theatricals She has a lady
friend u similar tastes, and the EN- bFyO
playwright was constantly su ggesUing that
This, that or the other thing would make "a
pretty sceae. As Miss MeringtOn i a lady
~ high literary attachments, as her con
trbuJions 10 the magazines viii attest.
her fr.rnd who = also an intimate &C
Qaintalce % Edward Sothern, suggested
that she adopt dramatic writing as pro
fession. and promised 10 send Mr.. SOthern
20 see her. A the actor was AZ that time
sadly IN need 81 play the preliminary
portion Of the programme went through
without . hitch.
Three years ago Mr. SOthern first visited
Mss MeringtOn AZ the request OF the mr
tuai. and IN this case IL must be admitted
helpful. friend The interview on that o.
casiOn was not a particularly comprehen
sivs one, as the actor only explained 10 thu
aspiring playwright the line OF characters
which he desired TO play Ap4ong others
be mentioned that the Irish gentleman
would be type new 10 the stage.
For few days Miss Merington busted her
mind with concoctIng interesting stories re
yolving about the central figure Of an Irish
gentleman Then she wrote first act. sew
eral times Too long. which she sent 10 Mr.
Sotbern, who paid her another visit in the
following spring, and told her very frankly
that her work was unActable, but the story
"a detailed 70 him possessed vitality. Then
10 MNAa A"at.f AAsA& MS .AFAAA-AOI III
stead Of becoming disheartened. resolutely
set 10 work. rewrOte the first act and after
ward finished the play.
On the occasion Of Mr.. SOthern's next
visit. after the close Of the season, he ex-
planned that ~ bile he liked "Lettarblair."
as the piece was then known, very much.
be- believed that it would DO more 20 his
interest 70 play Henry Arthur Jones'
"The Dancing Girl" during his next tour
lie ads sed Ter % sell her comedy to any
one who would produce IL promptly. but
also told her that IL she cared 10 wait
uutil he got ready be would put 10 on.
Later In the season, after there had been a
good deal Of revising done, Mr. SOthern
notified Miss Merington that ne would
give "LeUtarbiair" trial matinee at thu
Iyceum. This was done, and the press
uotices were on the " hole extremely favor
able. although there were manifest crudi-
ties to which Miss Merington told me that
even she was not blind, Next morning
Mr Sothern delighted the hopeful author
with the announcement that he had de
cded To Use "LettarbleiF" for the season
OF isf2-3
Miss Merington spent q part 81 the past
summer with that prince Of kindly men,
Joseph Jefferson. By his advice much
pruning WIS done. and two irrelevant char
acterS wore ruthlessly eliminated so that
the piece "a produced NJ the 1.yceum last
month stood forth a nearly faultless piece
Il dramatic construction.
Miss McriugtOu is probably less thar
twenty I've years Old. Her face denotes
rhs strongest intellectually. and she has
e. terse aud 0cisive manner Of expressing
herself which IS positively captivating.
SHE l. tall. rather slender. ard though not
robust IN constitution Is devotee OF
SWIMMING Sbe lives in little cottage