The morning times., 1896-06-14
GreenrOOm and Lobby.

| III ouldOu tsauOfIOW CtChth6- no q
matter of fact 1t has been in realistic
action for several days, the scene
shifting from Aliens TO the Ma
tional and back again, and Managers Rid
| die and Buckler In the star parts. MIR.
| Buckler says that he contracted with Mr..
| Allen for his theater Tor ten weeks, that
he is in possession, that Mr. Bond is under
contract with him to appear at Allen So
| Mr.. Riddle, manager for Mr. Bond, says he
came to Washington several days ago to
prepare for his star aud stock company to
appear at Aliens, that he paid q heavy
royalty for the use OF his opening play;
that he found that Mr.. Buckler was un-
able to keep his contract as Mr.. Allen had
repted the theater for two out Of his first
six nights. including the opening night;
that he only took the National when he
round this state of affairs: that he will
open at the National tomorrow night and
Frederick Bond and the stock company
will appear in Confusion" There you
are.
Mr. Riddle says he will. Mr. Buckler says
he won't. Meantime the public is most
anxious TO see the good players OF the stock
In the pleasant comedies OF their repertoire.
II Mr.. Bond appears at the National, as his
manager insists, Mr.. Buckler will continue
his vaudeville bill intact at Aliens, with
out dramatic subdivision. The successes
OF this week will be retained and new
Gotham specialists will be added.
The news OF the death of the venerable
actor, Frank Mayo, last Monday, was
shock 20 everyone. He had been in
the best of health. was touring pros
perously in '.Pudd 'nhead Wilson, and
gave promise OF many years to eujoy the
fruits of his latest and welcome success.
when. without warming. death claimed him.
He died of heart disease on Union Pacific
train bet ween Denver and Omaha. where the
play vast have been pr0ducedlast week.
Frank Mayo was born April 1S, 1889,
in Boston. When very young he went to
the California gold fields, but the fever
for gold was not so strong in him as the
fever for acting, and he served as super
and made his first appearance as an ac-
tor as the waiter in Raising the Wind
in San Francisco July 10, 1856. Then hi
spent five sad weeks without getting a
cent of his weekly $50 salary. In 1865
he came East. Under Henry jarrett he was
q stock star in '.Streets of New York"
"Richard III "Otliello," 'Ingomar" and
"Don Caesar" After season with Juniss
Brutus Booth. jr.. he played his round of
parts at the Boston Theater. Mayo pre-.
sented "hisuwn notion of a play" the mem
orable .'Davy Crockett" in 1879, at Roth
ester.
At first it was hooted at. but later the
demand for it became SO strong that he
lived TO play it so often that he couldn't
keep track of the number of times. The
lines nearly set him crazy. He broke off
once, but made very little with Nor
deck" and The Three Guardsinen." Fred
Berger once met him in New Orleans,
when living was problem for Mayo,
and advised him 10 make an extensive
scenic revival of Davy, to mount ii with
all the elaboration and detail possible.
But Mayo thuInped the table and vowed
l,.,Txj f,.,f hA
lines again. The alternative presented
itselfin few weeks, and he seems to have
preferred not to starve. for he went back
to Davy and made u living on the old
play for several years. Finally the staff
gave way. Davy drew no more, and Mayo
without this resource found himself in
straitened circumstances again. One day
he whiled way an idle Four reading Mark
Twain's "Pudd'nhead Wilson,"
He made arrangements with the author
and dramatized the story into play that
is one of the marked successes of the past
two seasons. Frank MayO's name and
fame are known toa s man y Of his generation
as Edwin Booth or Joseph jefferson. .'Davy
Crockett stood shoulder to shoulder in
popular favor with RIP Van Wrinkle"
The memory of Mayo and the success of
Dayy have passed into a CoEspicuous place
in the history of the American stage along
with John T. Raymond and Colonel Sellers.
William Florence and his Almighty Dol
lar Charlotte Cushman and Neg, John
Z. Owen and Scion, ice Emmett and Frits,
and others who were the pets of the nation.
HE sudden death of Frank Mayo under
present circumstances presents q
problem in dramatic ethics. and an
other whose answer is in the re-
sources of the stage. Mayo died in
the height of a great popular success. His
play. '.Pudd'nhcad Wilson," is well adver-
tiZed. &c is now identified with the late
star with exceptional intimacy. and is what
is called in the profession good piece
of property. There is still plenty of money
in its production. Moreover 1T is n drama
of exceptional charm. No one who sees
it can help being moved by the delicious
flavor of the characters. he geDtleness
of the eccentric PUdd'nhead. the frank
ness of the deceived boy. the fire of ne
wroDged mula ito mother. Roxy, the vicious
ness OF Tom Driscoll. the humor OF the
twins. the harmonious accessories of vii
lagc character. especially in the jury, the
consistent dramatic strength of the sue
cceding scenes of tie story. the fire dress
ing. the wholesome satisfactory and en-
nobling effects which it left after the
curtain had shut out the mimic wG-.l |
from the real, hut not the reality of the
mimicS.
Such a play as this is the property of |
the people. 1t is their right to see it. The |
passing of the gentleman who made it |
what il is should be but an incident in its |
career 1t is not as il Mayo had |
identified himself with the role through a |
decade The play is better known of its |
merits, than his association with it. There |
is not in the history of our stage |
the duplicate Of this state of affairs. There |
is no question but that this beautiful play |
should be kept before public which is |
starving for such nourishing, wholesome |
food. There is little doubt but that the |
public would set aside sentiment and ac- |
cept our other worthy portrai ture of |
Pudd'D head. But who can play it? A |
careful canvass of the actors of authority |
and maturity who could take up Mary's |
mantle leaves one with the depressing con-
viction that there is none.
inere wasin his personationa a fine generic |
union of gentleness and personal strength.
He was u fool. he was no fool; he was the
stock of his neig hbors. he COM
maUded them and they obeyed: he was de-
voted to yagaries, his vagary proved q mar
felous discovery. Sometimes he inspired |
pity. always love. A man must possess |
flexible temperament, able to dare nat
lralism in his portrayal, yet convince of
the fascinating sympathetic dualism Of
character. The name of noliving actor W who
can do this suggests itself. James A.
Herne might but will not. Louis Aldrich
n some way comes into the suggestion hut
he could not give it the delicate touch which
IS its particular charm. Mr.. Compton of |
the Empire would give Puddn head sym
pathetic gentleness. but it would lack in
u