The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-04-04

barrel: FOR any sort os purse ana = ~sa.
bet" Il would be radical departure fro-n
me lines that tradition has established
for minstrel show Beginnings. But ta-n
what b TO beccm. o. Bradyg
American draDatists ara having a hard
1aHas o. u t0st now. a. q scanning OF ire
fh>axiosl announcements in ire bsx East
era cif1eS viii show. William fsFiss4a
WHO wrote ard acts IN ssecre. Service"
seems 70 BE- The only one who Is snatchIng
az tniras Ike share OF the Iaurels whlch
me present New York theatrical season
aas yielded Augustus Thomas Is wrtfing
sketches for the music halls B-ouSon
ffoNard - a. work on something bar nc
Las not had a play produced IN some tine
fana Potter has done nothing since sTr4l-
y and In looking for material FOR uex
| pay. Henry Guy Carleton has done noth
lhx iitsssor tans for a year or two. Klein
sfaa lark have done fairly well with
.sHsartsease Ar me oener amerIrv.r
crafnattsts are resting or their cars. more
Or less. vslile the English play-usaker
comes IN and gaily walks of vita the big
royalties
One Englishnan has done this now for
TWO seasons Edward Rose. who turned
anthony Hopes '~fhe Prisoner Of Zerda''
INTO a pay for the Lyceurn last year. and
who this year has furnished me Ernptre
fneater with Under the Red Rnshe NJ
Rose Is building up a fortune BY means
OF his faculty for finding romantic uiaxs
In popular books. The royslt es thai
Snarles F'rohran pays him FOR Under me
Eed Robe" at the Empire are said 10 h.
even larger than those ne got fror, 's7-he
Prisoner Of Zeada.'' They are never less
than 81. 90 a week
And so IL IS the English banner sim
waves over the American stage. With
the exception Of John Hare. hardly any
fngiish visitors this season have greatly
pFospered but Edward Rose makes up for
this deficit by drawing thousands for MS
plays. while the native dramatists must he
satisfied with IS or SO week from music
hall skits II Il were nor for Gnlette's Sc
cret Service" the American PLAYWRIGHT
would not be in it to any perceptlble
extent this year
Not content with legitirnately crowdinx
out American play writers from their own
territory. the Englishmen are even pur-
Joining the good ideas OF Americans and
Imposing them upon audiences both I'm
London and New York as the product OF
English wit case In point which has
come TO my notice is that Of Peter Robert
son. whose theatrical writings in the San
Francisco Chronicle are delight and an
inspiration. Mr.. Robertson. IN speaking OF
the new comic opera, His Majesty" re-
Gently produced IN London frey3ews a..
which are contained In the late English
papers,, charges that the authors have
made use Of the product OF his genius Mr..
Robertson has for many years been dra-
matte critic OF the San Francisco chron-
icie. and has achieved reputation as n
brilliant writer and dramatist Four years
ago. In conjunction with H. j. Stewart an
English musician. Mr.. Robertson wrote n
comic opera which was called His
Majesty" Mr. Robertson wrote the r.
bretto. which was fun Of bright lines and
amusing situations. Tire opera was frs;
produced by amateurs. and later by profess
SIGNALS a; the Tivolt. The libretto was pub
iished and sold both here and in London.
and was copyrighted. Mr. Robertson de-
eiares that the London authors Of the new
production not only borrowed the title OF
his work. but also made use OF several
scenes and original situations Although
ta.@4synonSes OF the opera printed By the
IoASon papers are very mesger. Mr.. Rob-
ersson SAYS ne has positive proof that his
work has been copied.
The charge Is one that. for Mr.. Robert
sons sake. hope he Will be able TO prove.
r
On she same subject % managerial pref
ercnce for foreign productions. Charles
F,roAn,an. when attacked for nor securing
sn American play in which 70 star Maude
Adams. said,
Adams Ir an English Or French pay,
ntneh prefer to present this Americas girs
In an American play. shall only take a
foreign piece II cannot secure salts
faci0Ty American pay. And 20 show ire
strength OF ny con-cticn. VIII make
this offer 20 American dramattsts:
ssfs they Will write A play which is
suitable oac " which % present Ms-
Adams or her first appearance as star.
xii &c oaly too clad 10 produce *. and
all agree 20 pay the author such terms
that his receipts from the royalty viii
IN me FRS, twelve months amount % az
lee 81 SO 90. Tssa,. vii guarantee. shall
he the minimum that Nc VII resolve. 7,
fhe f,iay Es more than ordinarily SUCCESS
ful MS royalties wit he larger. bat prom
ise him SO on. a. least the arss year. ana
as much more thereafter AZ fhe p,ay earns
him BY it's continued production ~ Miss
Adams.
Il want 20 encourage. not discourage.
the American playwright. he Is a good
fellow ana hrainy enc "a Mr.. What's
has-nanae says. and - 70 IS waiting foT
a market for his goods les sim bring
then along. n trey are - the right sort
Hiss Adams won't STAR oGt I'll next Sep
,eusher. - he's got plenty 90 tlnne 20 set
his wares ready"
whiie managers ard playw-l rights are
oUAFrelin< over tNa fUferna ttorAt question.
J am pleased % announce that Capt.
a-hsries KtuE. whose ARMY stories have de-
Mshted 50 many teou<e nds % readers
seems IN fair way TO add % his laureis
80 an author thcsa ~ 8 Saccsergui play
wright. He has recently signed = coatrHc.
via the Act0rS Society ~ America sar the
psosue.ion 81 bis play. Port Frsyne." -
the Broadway Freater. In New York, May
: Il AIDS 40 little hone- % the production
that this play Was chosen ~ the ScsTG %
directors from among tcxen others sub
mites for TIE choice - the tocteTy.
TIE play VAS written In collaboration
win Mn r e. Sutherland. q TIE Boztoa
Journal ana Mrs f. :. Fry. 80 leading
lads 81 ire Boston Ma-sara. several years
sso Ire play "a not. ss zaisnt - sup
-SScs a ararsatf-aston 90 ths Sssccesseal
vaxel ~ Caps. kinE . tAst naEnr. bat
- novel rsfher Is re- sGtcou1s a. t1e
~iay. After the psy vas writer u Uaz
xssg-.sftes - friends % ne author and
ern yrssffc critics far their opinion. and
ukgle anus cn the rcum<s the manuscript
- ~ rtay Wss lost. Cart King was al
vg3ea ~ NEs friends 70 write story Oh