The times., 1898-04-03

Window and Mt. Alexander have others.
and all are recognized as being exceed
tnEly clever The avdiences over there
cheer the American flag much more
heartily than we do theirs here. and. all
IN all [ think they have "A very warm
feeling for America a vast majority.
probably lwo-thirds OF the little skits i'm
the music halls. are of American origin,
and DG ou by American actors
How wiz Too Much Johnson go over
thare2 Well I Go not expect TO make
very great hit in il. The piece IS fun
of Iocalisns that they cannot under
stand. For instance. who in England
VIII know where Gonkers is? However,
We hope for the bes.. and as the British
puhlic like that Of America. is mighty
uncertain we may have a long run
How did come tp do leading business
in Secret Servicc2 Well I was forced TO.
There was 10 one who could do the part
~ we wished il done and il was a case
of some one very had or me- and ! was
adjudged the lesser evil. It IS a good
deal harder work 20 play Billings in Too
Much johnson than the SPY in Secret
Service. Billings has q great deal of
talking To do while The part of the spy
Is fun Of action. II you are an expert
enced actor or actress il is easier to act
ghau merely read lines. You wish us all
the success possible in London do YOU.
old MANI Well. same TO YOU here. Good
10y and good luck"
It was on the eve of the lrst rrcsonta-
ton Of Beside the Bonnie Brier Bush
that The Times man found MIR J. II.
Stoddart sitting in the orchestra circle OF
the Lafayette watching the stage hands
putting finishing touches to the scenery
on the first act. He was as nervous as Il
child, his hands trcmhled as he took that
Of the critic and his voice shook with ner-
yeus emotion as he said: Yes. l am
nervous and win be until the curtain falls
or the last act tonight. In the sixty
years ] have been in the theatrical pro-
fesSion ] have found that the greater
the responsibility the greater is the ne--
V0usness. Young people doing small parts
go through the thing as calmly as posi-
ble and the olG fellows who have been
on the stage for three times the life
time Of their yoUngers. are nervous as a
cat on 4 red-hot stoYe. We are easily
disturbed too. ] remember in England
some sixty years ago-I was doing pages
parts then-that Charles keene was so
annoyed by a noise in the wings that he
absolutely forgot his lines and advancing
10 the front Of the stage. said, i am &OT-
~
has made me forget my next sentence.
and I viii be compelled to ask your in
sIuIgpuue while / consult the pTGnp -er-
This he did and the performance c0ntin-
ued to artistic triumph. So it viii be
seen that experience alone Will not re-
lieve one Of nervousness
Il am greatly pleased with my role in
this new piece and think its production
is an advanced step in the effort to bring
2 TF,ir q
one another. II Is pity, though. that
these clean. moral plays are not always
supported by the public as they deserve
We are sure. however, that this piece will
be well received.
And the sequence proved that the old
actor WAS not in error.
The next play 7 write viii be nine-ienths
comedy and the other tenth legitimate
for the leading man. said David HlG-
gins in his dresSing-room the other night
Everybody viii laugh at anybody but
nobody will take serious work from any
but an actor Of great reputation Good
situations come TO a playwright by IN
sDiration and not as the result OF study
or labor The parts Of my pieces which
20 the worst are the ones on which nave
spent the most ume.
mo. the idea Of AT Piney Ridge was
not secured from Puddin head Wilson
The truth is that this piece was present
ed in California before the famous book
by Mark Twain was ever written. The
idea Of the changed children is as old
as the world. bat ] have handled the
situation ia a different way from any OF
them. ] am now working on my next
play and hope 10 make a hit in it OF
have some one else do So
people interviewed, said the manager OF
Number Nine THE fact is that Mr.
DAILY Is sending these people about and
presenting them as a company and not
as individuals. We do not seek nOtOrie-
" for our people. II you desire 10 say
anything complimentary of our organi-
zatfon as such We will be gratified and
will reciprocate when opportunity pre-
/. seuts But as individuals, the members
OF the company are OF no possible inter
est 70 Us. We want and have actors and
actresses
Il am afraid that mihsrrelsy is very
much on the decline said 3iilt Barlow
the other night. as. by a stroke Of the
towel, he began TO emerge from his
Uncle Tom makeup. You see, the art
OF burnt cork has ceased TO be imper-
SUuatiOn, and become mere horseplay.
Not that in this age Of farces and mu-
steal comedies. that would make any
great difference. but the business has
been slowly deteriorating for years.
and now. where twenty companies were
making money ten years ago, two is
about the limit at present. All the
older people have left. Bad as the part
is, ] find in Uncle Tom a chance 10 act,
and ] try 10 ill it / viii never carica-
ture if-well. if the whole stage goes to
circus business and clownery.''