The record-union., 1897-11-14

ranged by Mathews and Bulger which
tells consistent story in the melodies
and parodies of a number of different
songs. 1t starts with Christopher CO.
Jumbo" and runs through the gamut of
"On Broadway" Better Than Gold,"
Isabelle Elsie from Chelsea" THE
Blow That Almost Killed Father Il
Love You," The Girl He Left Behind"
and many others, ending with '.OId
Town"
The number of people who have writ
ten play, compared to those who have
had play produced, are so widely at
variance that one would fma gine there
was but small incentive for any new
competitor to try for the prize offered.
There is probably not a half of one
per cent. of the plays which are sub
mitted that ever reach the footlights.
Still, II won, the prize seems worth
lot of toiling and disappointment, as
the following paragraph from one OF
our exchanges would testify: Made
| lene Lucette Ryley's fame as dra-
matist is ever on the increase. Judging
from the standpoint that that is best
which pays the biggest profit, then
Mrs. Ryley should perhaps be accorded
the distinction of being the leading dra-
matist of the day. She now has four
plays running in this country, and on
very recent date. the box office returns
for one performance of each of these
plays may be authoritatively stated
as follows: THE Mysterious Mr..
Bugle" in Chicago, 81 ,242; Chris
topher Jr.," in Youngstown. Ohio.
S5i3; AN American Citizen" in New
York City, 1881, and "A Coat of Many
Colors'' in Brooklyn, N. Y. 81 0O2. Mrs.
| Ryley's royalties on this one evening,
therefore, must have aggregated nearly
$400, and as each play is booked for a
season of forty weeks, her income for
the current theatrical year may be cas-
lily calculated" !" 1t may be remarked
that Mrs. Ryley is said to have writ
ten eighteen plays before one was pro-
duced, and that she wrote for six years
without any recognition at all. Still
she can now afford to look back on
those days with at least comparative
equanimity.
Daniel Frohman has acquired the
American rights to THE Tree of Knowl-
edge" the new problem play, by r. c.
Carton, which was produced recently
at the London st. James Theater.
Members of the dramatic profession
and by these are meant both manage
and actors-are proverbially thin-skin-
ned, says Theatrical Topics They
shrink, not from prolonged and repeat
ed adulatory messages, put the inciden-
tai pin prick of criticism causes them to
howl in anguish
The term vaudeville, which is now
understood in the old sense of variety
show, originally meant a short, light
dramatic piece in which songs set to
familiar tunes were introduced. 1t took
the name from the village of Vaude-
wire, in Normandy. the birthplace of the
poet Oliver Basselin, who was the first
TO compose such songs. He died in
his
Mrs. Patrick Campbelrs poor luck
since her first sensational season in
THE Second Mrs. Tanqueray" has been
almost uninterrupted. In "Magda,"
The School for Scandal" For the
Crown" The Enchantress," and 'Ro-
meo and Juliet she failed to reveal
again the qualities which had won sud
den renown. Now in Hamlet" her
performance of Ophelia has gained
scarcely a word of praise Yet every
other actress who tried Mrs. Ebbsmith
was unequal tosthe task of making that
woman interesting.
writer in the London Musical
Times" relates how Beethoven's (now)
most popular symphony came near be-
ing rejected by London's leading or
chestra at a rehearsal in 1914: THE
playing of the first two bars was fol-
lowed by bursts of laughter and
conviction that the author had at
length become decidedly insane One
of the members, however, suggested
that they should persevere, at least
down to the double bar Accordingly
they recommended, preserving their
gravity as much as possible, but as
the movement unfolded its beauties