The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1899-01-01

whom he caters as well as he does those
he is creating Thus in 'Zaza have
tried to make the character OF the woman
touch alike the domestic and the vicious
people in the house-to make II teach
lesson TO both. In writing meiourama
the dramaiist must cater to the e!notlohs
of the spectators He has murder to be
performed and he calculates upon the time
and place and environment that would
make il most horrible. He realizes that
pathos is most effective when sharply
following humor, and understands thor
oughly dozen other little tricks of the
trade. The successful playwright is not
the man who creates best. but the man
who pleases best. and you
The company is waiting for rehearsal
downstairs sir" quoth bell-boy and Mr..
Belasco rose. You must excuse me
now he said. we are attempting TO cut
'ZaZa' down SO that audiences may get
home at a reasonable time. ! dislike 10
take away certain important portions of
the piece but il must be done. 1 am very
glad TO have met you. Good morning."
The author walked into the hall and the
mutual friend dropped his newspaper
''Belasco is a wonder" he said.
81 have come to doubt whether success
is always 4 pleasant thing" remarked
James O'NeiH yesterday afternoon at the
Academy while he was making up for the
matinee performance. 'Of course, l feel
grateful for the triumph / achieved III
Monte Cristo, but that very hit stands be-
fore me continually and bars the way to
greater ones. / have done dozen things
of more worth than my portrayal of Ed
mund Dantes, but none of them has re-
ceiyed the recognition that was given the
earlier work. People idealize a thing they
have seen in years gone by, and that ideal
ization grows into the younger generation
"a generation of men and women who may
never have seen the play until recently
In consequence l find myself unable to
drop the drama from my repertoire even
while / feel its limitations most. This
seems 10 be a striking and unique example
of the truth of Rosseaus statement, that
failures are Iadder-rungs wherein we
climb toward success. In so far as ambi-
tion for better things goes. it might seem
that that rule would apply both ways
In the lobby of the Shorenam last We'd
nesday morning a Times man met Roland
Reed and sat down with him to the pleas
ures Of a cigar and brief conversation.
Laugh and the world laughs with you
is a pretty truthful phrase quoth the
comedian. but there is a better one for
the comedian-'Frown and the world
laughs at you For some reason or other
audiences seem to enjoy trouble and
when they cant smile at it they Will take
pleasure in weeping. But the best way
TO tickle the risibles is by being always
painfully serious. If one sees q man go
ing down the street with a broad grin
On his face the watcher will probably
make up his mind that the fellow has gone
insane and pass on. But let some unfor-
tunate pedestrian slip on the ice and sit
down hard or some still more unfortunate
little boy step in basket of eggs and the
spectator will laugh so hard that he loses
his appetite. There is not particle of
gaiety in the part ! have in The Wrong
Mr.. Wright and that is probably the rea-
son that my press agent calls the farce "a
bowling success Such is the perversity
OF human nature. Do you eyer-mm-
Rhat'll 1t be-.