The Progress. (Shreveport, La.) 1892-1900, 1896-08-27
MAYO ATREHEARSAL
HOW THE FAMOUS ACTOR TRAINED
THE MEMBERS OF HIS COMPANY.
His Fondness For "Pudd'nhead WILSON,.
Ambitious Attempts An u Manager Which
FaIled-Hi. Besetting Penchant For Ar
Kuiag Was His Worst Fault.

FaiIed-Hi. Besetting Penchant For Ar
KuinR Was His Worst Fault.
1.-The late Frank Mayo, whose sudden
death on u train near Omaha was such
q painful shock to the whole dramatic
profession, was one of the most severe
and at the same time most just man
ayers that it has ever been my pleasure
to act under" said Henry Davenport,
son Of +. l.. Davenport, tho tragedian,
and ono of the managers Of the Girard
Avenue theater of this city. He knew
how part should be played anu IN
sisted on the actor playing it III that
way if it took 80 rchearsals to perfect
the role according to Mr.. Mayo's ideas. y
Mr. Davenport created the role OF
Judge Driscoll in "Pudd'nhead VII
son." Mayo's last success, and played u
during the New York run OF the pro-
duction. "During the rehearsals prcYl-
Gus to the fest production Of 'Pudd IL
head Wilson," continued Mr. Davcn-
port, mir Mayo acted every role III tho
nIav for the purpose of showing the
members of the company how he wanted
it played. lie took infinite pans to
see that every line was perfectly rehd'
every accent properly placed and every
bit of business brought out clearly, e.
fcctively and naturally. | would rot
have it understood that i'll this matter
Mr.. MAYO was Il martinez or one WHO
assumed to know it ALL No one admired
originality more than he. tie liked 70
see an actor give his own conception OF
a part, but when this was done he de-
mandcd u reason for everything.
"This was ono OF his peculiar traits.
If q member Of the company made a
gesture or pause or emphasized q
word in o. new or original manner, Mr.
Mayo would say, Now, why do You dc
thatY He would get to the bottom OF
the idea, and, if good reason was adj
vanced for it. it found ready acceptance
He was this way in everything. re-
member that he taught me fencing
when was a nero boy, and III return
| taught him what knew about box.
ing. | usually boxed about one minute
and explained Is. would make a lead
or q counter or q guard, and Mr. Mayo
would say: stop, now. Why do you du
that?' And when he was teaching mo
fencing he would make q thrust or a
parry and then stop to say, Now, you
see, | do this because, etc.
"But to como back to 'Pudd nhead
Wilson Mr.. Mayo loved that play as
he loved bis children. | remember some
! time before the play was produced he
became convinced that it needed prun-
ing. Something had to be cut out, but
he hadn't the heart to do it. So he
won't to my brother-in-law and said:
Here is this play Of mine. [ know 1t
needs cutting down, but cant do It,.
1t is almost as much to Inc az one OF
my children. | haze gone over line aft
er line and said: \ can't cut this out,
nor this, nor this ! can't cut anything
out. SO ! want some disintcrcsted per,
son to do it for me- And when the play
was produced, though he alone was re-
sponsible for the decentralization, he gave
all the credit for the success to Marx
Twain in an address he made before the
curtain the first night. That was his
nature.
ITS great success was very CRAFTY
ing 10 Mr.. Mayo, and he deserved it.
He wasted several fortunes i'll the effort
to give the public first class produc-
tons of the classical drama, which they
would not receive. Mayos famous
Forty was one of the best equipped
companies for the production of Shakes
pcarc and other standard plays that
ever left New York. We carried every,
thinx. even snppers, but the people
would have none of us. The same tire 1T
mcnt was accorded Mr.. Mayo's Nor
deck, his adaptation of The Three
Guardsmcn' and several other classical
efforts. But he rose superior TO all these
setbacks. 1t was hard that his life
should end just g 10 was once more OH
the road to fortune.
"Mr. Mayo's county seat at Canton,
Pa, adjoined that Of my father 1t
was ut his home that the noble man was
seen at his best-and his worst. His
worst consisted of q penchant for argu.
ing. Mr. Mayo loved to argue, and he
would never let up until you acknowl.
edged Yourself convinced or fell into 81.
lence in admiration Of his earnestness,
his sincerity and his marvellous com
mand of language and voice. Mr.. Mayo
had on the grounds Of his estate little
French chalet, which he bought at the
Centennial exposition in this city. he
used il for a study, and there he would
sit until 8 O'Clock at night, when he
would suddenly remember that he ought
to have supper and proceed slowly to
the house Most always he would find
Mrs Mayo, my mother, his daughter,
now Mrs. Elverson, and myself engaged
in a game of whist MIR. Mayo would
enter the room slowly and take u posi-
ton behind his daughters chair Final
ly she would make play which her
father didn't think was good, ard ne
would break in with, Now, Nellie,
why did you play IL Mt card" The game
would end soon after that, for Mr.. Mayo
would insist upon arguing the point