The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-07-24
DRAMATIC LYRIC
A Chat With Ned Royle About
"Friends."
CHICAGO CAPTURES SOUSA
ChlcagO's Newest Dramatic sensatiOn-F Frank
Gamels Next-Dixie in Opera
Again-Notss.


sit down with Ned Royle, and hear him re-
late something of the trials ne had to con-
tend with, and something Of his feelings
while those trials were on-during the
time his play of ''F'rendsn was undergoing
the test Of q New York production. That
he is through it all with no silver streaks
in his hair, and no wrinkles around his
eyes. shows what the human frame is
really capable OF in case of an emergency.
The first thing to be considered in ar
ranging for New York production is O
stiff bank account; young and unknown
author might have another 1.-TWO Or.
phans" in his possession, and if the play
had not been tried, he would stand
no more show OF inducing a man
ager to risk anything on its pro-
duction, than he would of being able to
rent the dome Of the National Capitol.
The bank account assured-and Mr. Royle
was fortunately provided in that regard
the next thing TO get Is a decent theatre.
This was one of the main difficulties and
IN Mr.. Royle's case, as in many Others ii
was difficulty that could not be gotten
over. All the frst-class theatres are al
ways occupied, either by stock companies
or by attractions which have a known
/ y,
rented for trial productions are narrowed
down to a very, undesirable few. When Mr..
Royle entered the arena, there were Just
two, the Standard and the Union Square.
neither OF which could be called popular
house. But he was forced to decide on
something and he took the Standard. which
Is notorious in the profession as the grave
yard of more theatrical hopes than
any house in New York-with perhaps
! IN w bio frtr d.;
nediately set up mournful headshaking,
but Royle disregarded them and plunged
on. The work OF selecting company was
not difficult so long as the money was
Forthcoming. and an ideal cast was gotten
together. Mr.. Royle says he could not
have obtained q better by ransacking the
whole of New York. Then commenced
the worry of rehearsals, not the lightest
part of which, rs may be imagined was
the direction of corps of old, experienced
actors by one whom they would naturally
regard as mere stripping in the profes
sion.
We said to Mr.. Royle that that must
have been one of the most trying Of all his
ordeals.
"Well, " he responded, ''most OF my peo-
pie were so excellent that they left but
little room for suggestion. One of the
company did cause me some terrible anx-
iety, l confess, by coming to rehearsal
after rehearsal and merely reading his
lines mechanically. When the date of the
performance drew near and had gained
no idea OF what he was going to do with
his part went to him and told him
frankly that this thing was all in all to me,
and be must pardon me if told him that
he was not making Of the character what |
thought he could. His first tendency was
to throw up the part, but when l remon-
5trated with him and told him | knew he
could do the character if he only would, he
consented to try, and eventually he made
one of the hits of the piece"
Tine thing that came nearest to plung-
ing me into despair and wrecking the piece
before 1t got trial at ali was the Henley
incident. There is not finer actor on the
stage in certain lines than Mr.. Henley, and
l expected great things when l engaged
him for the part of Jack, which l played
IN Salt Lake. While we were rehearsing
in New York he was performing in Boston,
and the only way we could get him
TO rehearsals was for him to take the mid
night train from Boston after his perform
ance, give US an early morning rehearsal
and get back to Boston in time for the
night This was very unsatisfactory, but
1t was all we could do. But imagine my
feelings when on the day of the perform
ance, after wrestling all day with sets of
furniture, musicians, stage carpenters.
gas men, property men ard heaven knows
what besides, got word that Henley was
i'll and couldn't appear. OF course there
was nothing for it but to hnstle my war
drobe together and go on myself, though l
was in no condition for it, not having re-
hearsed with the company for ten days
and being generally upset with nervous
ness. Then, too, everyone else was
thrown out through having rehearsed with
Henley, and worse ratified set OF people
for first night performance you couldn't
imagine. Oh, that night We couldn't get
the curtain up till o'clock and that was
the fret damper. We had to announce
Henley's illness, and that was the second.
The house was crowded down stairs, up
stalrs there was no one. The gathering
was made up of Two classes; one the news
paper critics, cold, passionless. impassive
and anxious 70 get out into the air. The
other was my personal friends, wins were
there solely out of regard to me, who were
as anxious as was, and who couldn't
have enjoyed the performance If 1t had
been perfection.
The first act fell fat and I had prided
myself on that act When the curtain
went down said, she's goner, and sat
down with the calmness of despair.
thought Of the newspaper fellows sharpen
ing their pencils, and my head swan. The
second act things picked up little. Hen
derson got tremendous encore for his
solo, and Miss Fetter's faintinr
Clawson did so well here-got great
call. Then my spirits went up a little.
All the actors pulled together better, and
the third act was finely done. The climax
where Otto dies Of delirium tremens
caught the house; Mr.. Lyons was a tri-
umph; 1 really believe no actor in Europe
or America could excel the terrible effect
he got out Of that scene.
1--WE didn't get out till midnight; we all
went home hopeful, but too nervous to
sleep. l waited all night for the morning
papers, and had them all dumped into my
room as soon IS they came The first one
opened was the World. Well, you re-
member the roast it gave the play laid
it down heart sick. l waded through the
whole list and when got through | was
was almost dizzy. Such divergence OF
views it had never been my lot before to
hear about, much less experience. One of
them said it was the most puerile of plays;
another that IL was the strongest Ameri-
can play yet put forward by an American
author. [ didn't know what to think. but
l averaged them all up and found the ma
1ority was favorable. This encouraged me
little. wired home that the first act
fell fat, but that thought the play was
all right We spent the whole of the
day after the performance in the thea
ire, cutting, sIashing and revising. We cut
1t down fully half an hour, and that night
it went splendidly. The house was filled
people had their curiosity excited by the
different reports-sud IL was q strange
audience; an audience whose Judgment
would tell how the great public was going
to regard the piece We got an ovation,
and at the end of the third act everyone
was called before the curtain. After that
1t was easy sailing. Our business went up
every night. The papers which had been
unfriendly turned around. and the Worlds
managing editor Mr. Ballard Smith, not
only personally complimented me- but sent
an artist up TO illustrate scenes in the play
for Sunday issue Of the paper. The piece
went four weeks, and GU are aware OF the
favorable notices it received and