The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1896-08-17
MAYO AT REHEARSAL
HOW THE FAMOUS ACTOR TRAINED
THE MEMBERS OF HIS COMPANY.

guinK Was His Worst Fault.
1.-THE late Frank Mayo, whose sudden
death on train near Omaha was such
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 E. l.. Davenport, the tragedian,
and one Of the managers Of the Girard
Avenue theater of this city. "Ho knew
how n part should be played and III.
sisted on the actor playing it in that
way if it took 80 rehearsals to perfect
the role according to Mr.. Mayo's ideas. 3"
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
it played. He took infinite pains to
see that every line was perfectly read,
every accent properly placed and every
bit of business brought out clearly, eff
fectlvely and naturally. would not
have 1T understood that in this matter
Mr.. Mayo was martinez Or one who
assumed to know 1T 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 de.
manded reason for everything.
This was one Of his peculiar traits.
If a member OF the company made
gesture or pause or emphasized a
word in new or original manner, Mr..
Mayo would say, Now, why do you do
thatT He would get to the bottom Of
the idea, and, it good reason was adj
vanced Tor 1t, 1t found ready acceptance.
He was this way in everything. Ire
member that he taught me fencing
when l was mere boy, and in return
l taught him what l knew about box
ing. l usually boxed about one minute
and explained 10. would make lead
or a counter or guard, and Mr. Mayo
would say: Stop, now. Why do you do
that" And when he was teaching me
fencing he would make thrust or
parry and then stop to say, Now, you
see, ! do this because, etc.
But to come back to 'Pudd'nhead
Wilson,. Mr.. Mayo loved that play as
he loved his children. I 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
went to my brother-in-law and said:
Here is this play of mine. I know it
needs cutting down, but I can't do it.
1t is almost as much to me as one of
my children. have gone over line aft.
er line and said: I can't cut this out,
nor this, nor this. can't cut anything
out. So want some disinterested per.
son to do it for me- And when the play
was produced, though he alone was re-
sponsible for the dramatization, he gave
all the credit for the success to Mark
Twain in 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 give the public first class produce
tions 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
peare and other standard plays that
ever left New York. We carried every
thing, even suppers, but the people !
would have none Of us. Tho same treat
ment was accorded Mr.. Mayo's Nor
deck, his adaptation of The Three |
and several other classical |
efforts. But he rose superior to all these |
1t was hard that his life |
should end just as he was once more OH