The times., 1898-07-31
PEOPLE I'VE LAUGHED AT.
Memor,e. Of contemporary Players

caused them ones personal friendship
with him hangs utterly and absolutely
upon what one may say of him either IN
an Individual or professional capacity. III
YOU value his acquaintance you must per
force praise his work and you cannot do
IL too extravaganutly. Under such cir
cumstances he will back your opinion
against that of the rest of creation. Hon
esty is not practicable with player.
Further than this ii Is a fact that the
entertainer recognizes no impartial crit
icism unless it is also favorable. ANY
condemnation of his work must De Que
to malice or jealousy or prejudice OF
bad dinner or anything in heaven and
earth hut the work itself. l found 1t
necessary during the summer season just
gone to occasionally say something ABOUT
the stiffness and unreasoning eHects at
tanned by Alexander Kearney, OF the CO.
lumbia Stock Company Brought INTO
close contact with the gentleman L was
much graufied at noting that my re-
marks had evidently been taken as part
of nv business and that the actor seemed
in no way disposed TO show any personal
feeling about the matter. Naturally,
was much pleased-I looked upon Mr-
Kearney as a prodigy
But my good opinion had been 100
hastily formed He was simply saving
for the last night of the engagement
what he had been afraid to tell me before
He started in by protesting his utter IN
difference to what l had said, and then
began informing me of the excellence Oh
his iabors My writings on the subject ne
laid wholly and solely TO anger and NAL
ice, brought about by his failure to
! toady" to me- Indeed. the tenor OF his
entire conversation was anything but
hattering. / should not like to have Mr.
Kearneys opinion OF critical honor.
After our little talk member of the
company who had been listening said:
He forgets that you may have another
chance at him next year" 1 explained
that criticism was judgment, and not re-
venge. AS a matter of fact. l trust that
Mr.. Kearney's next visit will be marked
with work so far above the standard that
can conscientiously speak well of him.
1t may teach him respect for the art
| of dramatic mediation.
| When The Bride-Elect'' was on the
road last season the mana cement were
anxious that local stage writers should
| go to Baltimore to see it. A number ac-
| cepted the invitation, wined and dined
| with the members of the organization
| and finally attended the performance at
the Academy Of Music All were greatly
| pleased with the general ensemble. ex-
| ceptinng only the very bad acting of
| one. Lillian CarllSmith. When the at
| traction reached this city on the follow
| ing week the local critics wrote their sto-
! ries from memories or the preceding
| Tuesday and devoted their personal at
| tention 10 other fields. Ali three had
| sonnet hing more or less unkind 10 say OF
| Miss Carllsmith. Three days after the
| publication of these notes l received an
| indignant letter from the lady in which
| she explained that she had left the COM
| pany in the last stand and had not ap-
| peared in this city at all. She demanded
| that l announce that ract. Accordingly
| The Times had TO say on the following
Sunday, I'VE were in error IN condemhinS 3
| the work of Lillian Carllsmith in this
CITY Sh. was not bad in Washington but
in Baltimore"
Perhaps the strangest thing that ever
occurred 10 a theatrical writer formed
the nucleus of a lasting friendship be-
tween myself and that excellent melo-
dramatic actor Thomas E. Shea. The
affair occurred during his first visit tc
this city. l had witnessed the Mondey
| evening performance, and, delighted with
his intelligent work, had praised the stai
in an unqualified way. Particularly hac
1 spoken well of a certain bit of bushes:
that had struck me forcibly. On the fol
following afternoon received from Mr.
Shea a letter asking that l would cal
upon him He greeted me pleasantly
thanked me for my presence and asket
| me 10 be seated. Il have been thinking
, deeply.,' he said, ''in regard to your re
marks upon a line of business l inter
polate in the part OF Jack Conway.
, For quite month l have been arguing
the advisability of the move, and deter
mined to try 1t. In reading your praise
| however I noticed that you were pleased
| with two things that may appear to be
but are not really in the impersonation
7 have. therefore, determined that the de-
tail to which you aliude is bad, and
want to see If you can convince me 9TH
| erwise.r Our conversation on the subject
lasted some time, and in the end proved
70 me that l had been wrong, and Mr.
Shea wonderfully right in his estimate
of the weak points in the business. Ills
earnestness in trying to win me over, anC
: his general demeanor betrayed conclu
Siyely the fact that he had sent Tor mt
| that one of US might learn something
about the disputed question, and for NJ
l less worthy reason.
Mr.. Shea is the only man to whom
ever showed criticism before publish
ing IT He assisted me once In pennins
an opinion of his DIR. Jekyll and Mr.
HYDE" for a metropolitan journal, anC
insisted that 1 should condemn his read
! ing of certain lines. II know that
t sneak them poorly" he said, land unit
I can find some better accent 1 deserve
credit only for the effort to improve
them"
Everyone in this country who has eve
| watched a burlesque performance know
| of E E. Rice-Edward Evergreen, the
t | call him in New York. Mr.. Rice Is
very large man. with very large mus
Y tache, and--sometimes-a very large ca
= | pacity for emptying "the flowing bowl
1 | Among his last years road shows was IN
| notorious "Girl from Paris, a piece c
y the grossest and toughest nature. Goth
r am was much pleased with the affair, bu
g Washington less so. and all of the locs
writers took it's manager pretty severel
to task Shortly after his French Maid
came to the National, and during Its firs
, | night I met Mr.. Rice. He informed m
n that he would like to see me about VIVA
had been said of his Girl" and that h
4 felt very badly about 1t. One could nav
e | seen that through a telescope. Edwar
= Evergreen was really on the verge {
- | tears. and he presented a decidedly con
: | ical appearance.
''You said the show was dirty"
snfffied. You were unjust. During
~ career of thirty years I have never hs
: ! ANYTHING of that kind said of me before