The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-09-19

ness to discover the face he was long.
ing to see again.
Two men were talking earnestly.
seated nt n table IN the center of the
stage near the footl;ghts. One OF these
was a short man, with grizzled hair and
masterful manner; this was Sher'
rington, the stage manager who had
been engaged TO produce the play. The
other was Harry Bracket, Carpenters
collaboration in its authorship.
Just as the newcomer had made out
in the dark house the group he was
seeking and had bowed 10 the two ladies
comprising 1t, Harry Brackett caught
sight of him.
"Well, WILL" he cried, "the Stellar
Attraction is late. as usual-and we've
got lots of work before us tonight.
! too. Sherrington isn't at all satisfied
with the way they do either of the big
scenes in the second act; and we've got
TO look out and keep them oil up to
their work IL we want this TO be any
thing more than n mere artistic sue
cess"
"'Artistic successl'" said Sherring!
-
in this thing of yours, big money, too,
IL we can get all the laughs out OF those
two scenes of Daisy's In the second act.
But IL will take good work to get cut all
the laughs there ought TO be, legit-
mately-and we've got to do it! Every
laugh is worth a dollar and half: that's
what say"
'The two scenes in the second act?"'
inquired Carpenter. "The one with
Stark and the one with Miss Marvin,
you mean?"
"The one with Marvin will be al
right, / think" said the stage man
ager.
"I'm> not so sure Of that" Harry,
Brackett interjected; "you insisted on,
her being engaged, Will, but she Is
very inexperienced, and / don't know
how she'll get through that long
scene"
"Miss Marvin is very clever" Carpen-
ter declared, eager to defend the girl
he was in love with. sand she will look
the part to perfection!"
Looking is all very WE'LL" Brackett
responded, "but IL is acting she VIII
have to do in that scene in the second
act"
"And she will do it, too" asserted
the stage-manager. "You see she's got
her mother here tonight and there isn't
a sharper old stager anywhere than
Kate Shannon Loraine.r
That's so," Harry Bracket admit
ted; II suppose Lorraine can show her
daughter how to get out of that scene
ell there is in It."
"Shannonll see The whole play TO.
night" said Sherrington, 'and she'll be
able to give Marvin lots of pointers to-
morrow. The little girl will be all right;
it's Daisy I'm moro afraid of in tha.
scene. 1t ought TO be played high
comedy, Lady Teazle,' way up In c.
and high comedy isn't altogether in
Daisy's line"
That can't be'helped now," Bracket
replied; 'and IL the Stellar Attraction
can't reach that scene, it's the Stellar
Attractions own fault, isn't it? You
remember, viii, how she kept telling
us all the time we were writing the
play that she wanted as high-toned q
part as we could give her. We gave il
to her and now she's just got to stretch
up TO IL, If she can"
II am not afraid of that scene," Car
penter declared, "for I've always doubted
whether she could really do high
comedy, and that scene is written SO
that it will go almost as well If it's
played broadly. You know there are
two ways Of doing Lady Teazle."
There are no two ways about Daisy's
being great fayorite," said the stage
manager. "She's accepted, and that's
enough. After oil. don't suppose IL
matters much, how she takes that
scene; high or broad. the public will ac-
cept her. The part fits her like n glove;
and all we've got to do is 10 keep every
body up to concert pitch and get all
the laughs we can. You took my advice
act and now the whole act will go Off
like hot calSes-sce IL It don't. / tell
you what it is, I'll teach you two boys
how TO write n real farce before I've
done with you!"
Harry Brackett was standing almost
behind Sherrington as the stage man.
ager made this speech. He winked at
Carpenter.
"Yes," he said moment later. "I
think IL is pretty good piece of the
kind, and hope IL viii fetch them.
At any rate, don't believe even our
worst enemies will praics 1t for its lit
erary merit"
Carpenter laughed little bitterly.
"No," he assented, "we've got IL into
shape now and doubt II anybody i'm
suits us by saying that Touch and Co
is well written"
"Do you remember our Joke while we
were working on IL last winter, WIFI"
asked Harry Brackett. Then turning
20 Sherrington he explained: "We used
90 Say that the managers wouldn't
touch It. so the people couldn't go"
"lts harder 20 touch the manager
than il is to make the public go," added
Carpenter. "I believe that any fool can
write n play-but that only q man OF