The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-09-20

rnmorrow night the Seattle sheate- w,,,
<e>u It's doors and the season Of fsns N
~ be tnaugurased. the attraction being
! French comedy. entitled '-rhe Gay pa
,.rans." an adaptation Of the piece which
.ctsyed sgcn e phenomenal run tn the
Yrenca capital under the title " "Hoxel
= Lsbre Exchange" The sharp corners
q French wilt have been rounded of in
ne translation. and that suyxeztlyenesx
sha, Is characterized as "risqge" has been
szfscsently toned down 20 make IL palars-
ks 70 the American taste. All of the
oay, however. that IL thoroughly good
ana even risky has been allowed 10 re-
nair. and the work has not suffered In its
change OF dress from the Gallo to Eng
ush.
A story f. told Of Mr.. Frohman and his
soaring the play that goes something ll2a
he following:
when Charles Frohman made q con-
tract with Charles Hoyt last spring 10
,roduce tight comedy at Hoyts ,heater
d the fall. he had the play In hand. but
had not yet selected a title for It. Titles
are not easy TO get. Some people imagine
eramatist begins work with a good title
and builds his play around IL This is
not So Most plays are written without
any thought Of the name which IL TO be
bestowed upon 1t. They make thu play
nfs. and get the title afterward. In this
case Mr. Froifman had a play which
ne had transpianted from the French. but
free translation OF the Paris title would
have brought all the prudes OF New York
G3cksng down around his ears. So he
had 10 get a title that would mean some
thing that would suit the story and tha.
would stu pass muster in Sunday
school While he was looking for IL ne
signed the contract with Hoyt. and this
d the point at which the story begins.
Charles Hoyt has partner, Frank Me-
Kes. and Mr.. Frohman has for his gem
eral representative All Hayman. Both
gentlemen with eyes wide open for their
associates interests and with scents keen
FOR the best dramatic material that was
10 be found, met one day in Paris.
"'What have you got on tonight,
Frankg' ASKED Hayman.
"'Soihlng In particular answered
Frank; but they tell me that the llvell-
eat play Paris has ever seen IL being
done at the Nouveaute theater. and ! was
thinking OF dropping In there and taking
look at IT,.
That's just what I wanted 10 talk to
you about said Alf. I was going 10
ask you 10 go and see II. They say SIS
81 degrees above zero. and as I'm feeling
blk frappey over here In Frogville, 1
thought I'd like TO take II In and get
eheered up
.'I'li 90 YOU responded Mckee.
so that night they went TO the Nou-
uagte and saw Hotel de Llbre Exchange
There were no ilbrettos on sale. bur they
hired an Interpreter. and by this means
and with the aid OF Il couple OF copies or
First Lessons In French they enjoyed
the performance and had good time gem
tfaily. II was a comedy in which a
young married woman. 20 get even with
her out-af-night husband, tried 10 get
even with him by going out with a friend
Of his for a Jolly evening. 1t was up
soarogsy funny and az risGue as one OF
Aunt Louisa Eidridge's Jokes. Mckee
and Hayman were ezcitedly enthusiasts
over II. But neither said word. Later
n the evening each hied himself fartively
10 the cable office and sent a message
] 10 this side OF the water Frank Mckee
cahle8 Hoyf what a good thing q was.