The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-01-23
MAYO AT REHEARSAL
HOW THE FAMOUS ACTOR TRAINED
THE MEMBERS OF HIS COMPANY.
His Fondness For "Puddnhe&d wilson,
Ambitious Attempts rs a Manager Which
Failed-His Besetting Penchant For Ar
guing Was His Worst Fault.

= His Fondness For "Pudd'nhead Wilson.
Ambitious Attempts rs Manager Which
Faiied-His Besetting Penohant For Ar
guing Was His Worst Fault.
"The late Frank Mayo, whose sudden
y death on train near Omaha was such
$ n painful shock to the whole dramatic
! profession, was one of the most severe
! and at tho 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. HE knew
how part should be played and in
, sisted on the actor playing 1t in that
way il it took so rehearsals to perfect
J the role according to Mr.. Mayo's ideas.
Mr. Davenport created the role Of
Judge Driscoll in "Pudd 'nhead Will
son, !" Mayos 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 tho
mo,,hor. ~ tba co,p nav how, u " 49, S va
II nlovod To toot ;ntin;to na;ns 60
see that every line was perfectly read,
every accent properly placed and every
bit of business brought out clearly, eff
fectively and naturally. l would not
Mr. Movo was ,nart;uo4 ~ nnn ,,La
asunmeS RI I,ro,r IL ali NJ ono ad,,;.aJ
orioinaIitv mora thon ho III Uo I;I.aa ~
see an acton Give his own oonoon.;on "a
a nart hrt ,1ha,, th;s 'ras 49, ~ ~
manded a reason for ororntbina az W.
"Tbis wa. ono NJ b;s naorI;er .,o;t,
To a manhor ~ +ho oonn,rv ,,ado
gesture or a na,sa or emnTos;zod n
word in a nav nr or;o;naI monnor NJ
Moro yvonld SOW NV, ,,,hr do ,,o,, 10
tbatT He uonid cot ~ w. hottou, ~
the ;doo and if n good reason was Cd
vapced for n II Pornd ro,dr onoon,aroa
.Ho uas ,b;s WOW IN ovarnth;nn uo
mer,her tbot no tornht mo fo,o;m.
when 7 was a mara how and !, rat,,rn
7 torobt him What 7 inew about hor
mo nsnallv bo~od ahnr+ ono ,u;nu.o
ING. usually poAcu opouC ofie minute
anu eApiaiheu 10 "oulo maze leau
uor,d GOV. .S+o,, NOW, wiz, do ,,o,, a.
tbatp And wben ha was tcochiHo mo
tha's anu "heii ne was 'eachihg me
iehciis he "oulu make thruse OF
COO do This hooanso o,o
SEE, 40 this because, e'c'
bue u come oack 10 'fuud hhead
WILSON, MI mayo loved that play az
ne loved ms cniloleh' remember some
tlme pelore 'he play was produced lie
became convinced that IL needed prun'
ing ooLhelnlng naa 10 Dc c"C OUT, Dut
he haun Inc heart 10 40 IT, 30 ne
went 10 my prother1h'iaW ana SAD:
nero Is tnls play OF mine. know II
needs cutting down. but cant do 1t,
IL IS almost as much 10 me us one or
my children' l nave gone over line ait
er Inc and SAID: i can cut thls out
nor TINS nor thls can cut anything
! out SO want some disinterested per-
son TO 40 1t Tor me. And when the play
was produced, though he alone was re-
sponsible for the dramatizatlon, he gave
va ''N NhNot' AVA 'AiS p''NNNs' W. 4h'ti II
IVAN III 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 produc-
tons 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 tho people
would have none Of us. The same treat.
ment was accorded Mr.. Mayo's Nor
deck his adaptation Of The Three
Guardsmen' and several other classical