Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-09-17
MAYO At REHEARSAL
HOW THE FAMOUS ACTOR TRAINED
THE MEMBERS OF HIS COMPANY.
us FondrSss Fer "TnGd'nhead Wilson
Ambition. Attempts as . Manager Which
Faiied-His Bcsettins Perchant For lr-
euipe Wa His Worst Fault.

euinR Was His Worst Fault.
1.-The late Frank Mayo, whose sudden
death On train near Omaha was such
| n painful shock to the whole dramatic
profession, was one of the most severe
and ut the same time NEST lust man.
ayers that it has ever been INV pleasure
to act under" said Henry Davenport,
sou of Z. L. Davenport, the trageflian,
and one OF the managers Of the Girard
Avenue tLeatcr of this city. He knew
how part should be played and in
sisted on the actor playing it in tina:
way il it took so rehearsals to perfect
the role according to Mr.. Mayo's ideas. "
Mr.. Davenport created the role Of
Judge Driscoll in ''Pudd 'nhead Will
son." Mayo's last success, and played it
during the New York run of the pro.
duction. During the rehearsals previ.
Gus to the first production Of 'Pudd'n.
head wilson," continued Mr.. Daven.
port, Mr.. Mayo acted every role in the
play for the purpose Of showing the
members Of the company how he wanted
1t played. He took infinite pains to
see that every line was perfectly read,
N'NAy oSNShe pIst,tu itIltt every
bit OF business brought out clearly, eff
fectively and naturally. I would not
have it Understood that in this matter
Mr.. Mayo was a martinez or one who
assumed to know it all. No one admired
| originality more than he. He liked to
| See an actor give his own conception of
| part, but when this was done he dc.
mandcd u reason for everything
"This was one of his peculiar traits.
If member of the company made a
gesture or 4 pause or emphasized a
word i'll new or original manner, Mr.
Mayo would say, Now. why do you do
| that" He would get to the bottom of
the idea. and, if Il good reason was ad-
vanced for it. it found ready acceptance.
He was this way i'll everything. / re.
member that he taught me fencing
when was mere boy, and in return
l taught him what j knew about box.
ing. l usually boxed about one minute
and explained 10. l would make lead
or q counter or n guard, and Mr. Mayo
would say: stop, now. Why 90 you do
that:' and when he was teaching me
fencing he would make thrust or a
parry and then stop to say. Now. you
see, l do this because, etc.
| But to come back to 'Pudd 'nhead
wilson Mr.. Mayo loved that play as
he loved his children. l remember some
time before the play was produced lie
became convinced that it needed pr.n-
ing. Something had to be cut out, but
he hadn't the heart to do it. So he
went to my brothcr-in-law and said
Here is this play of mine. / know it
needs cutting down. but l can't do it.
IL Is almost as much to- me rs one of
my children. ! have gone over line aft.
or line and said: i can't cut this ont,
nor this, nor this. / can't cut anything,
f, out. So l want some disintercstcd per-
son to TO it for me- And when the play
wa5 produced, though he alone was re-
sponaiblc for the dr;.inatization, he gave
all the credit for the Success to Mark
Twain III an address he made before the
curtain the first night. That was his
nature.
''Its great success was very crafty
ing to Mr.. Mayo. and he deserved it.
He wasted several fortunes in the effort
To Givo the public first class produc-
tons Of the classical drama, which they
would not receive. Mayo's famous
Forty was one Of the best equipped
companies for the production of Shakes
pcare and other standard plays that
ever left New York. We carried every
thing, even suppers, but the people
would have none Of us. The same treat
ment was accorded Mr.. Mayo's Nor.
deck his adaptation of The Three
Guarlsmen' and several other classical
efforts. But he rose superior to all these
setbacks. 1t was hard that his life
should end just as he was once more on
tho road to fortune.
mir. Mayo's county seat at Canton,
Pa. adjoined that of my father. II
was at his home that the noble man was
seen at his bcst-and his worst. His
worst consisted Of a 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
lencc i'll admiration of his eancstncss,
his sincerity and his marvellous com
mand Of language and voice. Mr. Mayo
had on the grounds of his estate u little
French chalet, which he bought at tbs
Centennial exposition in this city. II,
used it for study, and there lie would
sit until 0 O'Clock at night, when hs
would suddenly remember that he ough,
/ to have supper and proceed slowly &c
4 the house. Most always he would fine
/ Mrs. Mayo, my mother. his daughter
now Mrs Elverscn, and myself engaged
" in game of whist. Mr.. Mayo would
enter the room slowly and take a posi-
ton behind his daughters chair. Final
~ she would make play which hel
father didn't think was good, ard h,
would break i'll with, Now, Nellie
why did yoI play that card:' The gam,
would end soon after that. for Mr.. MAY.
would insist UPON arguing the poin
with Nellie and kill the interest in tn,
game at once.
mir. Mayo once told me that he hat
discovered the secret of true clocution
You must emphasize only those word
which could be LETT ont of "a sentenc,
without destroying the sense. he argued
Thus, in the sentence, Get thee behind
| me- satln' he maintained that .tba,