The times., 1899-02-12
CHATS WITH THE PLAYERS.


Times man went TO Baltimore fort
night ago for the purpose Of seeing a
production of George H. BrOadhurst's new
play. The Last Chapter" He was met at
the depot by representative Of the author
and conducted 10 the Hotel Stafford where
ali dined together before going to
the theatre. Mr.. Broadhurst did not seem
much worried by the responsibilities upon
him. ard talked freely concerning his life
and his plans. After my London friends
had quit finding purely American charac-
teristics in What Happened to Jones' -
he remarked. during the first course of the
meal, some one of them discovered that
was an Englishman, and then there was
a silence that could be heard. AS a matter
of fact. their traceries were probably right,
for have become as distinctiyeiy a citizen
of this great republic as is the most native
of the psople l have drawn in my latest
effort. Even my appearance has changed
greatly You would not know me now for
the raw little Briton who came to these
shores some thirteen years ago and land
ed in q Chicago change Office among as
rough-and- tumble a set of fellows as ever
created a miniature hell for the benefit Of
a green foreigner The experience was
beneficial though, for it not only took all
the mothers darling nd-fathers-pet bust
ness out of me- but it suggested material
for the first of my dramatic works. / be-
gan on this some time after leaving chi
cago, and the plan was suggested TO me by
no less q person than Bronson Howard.
who came into the box office in which l
was employed in San Francisco and asked
why did not write play. We had been
talking CT some alteration to be made in
Shenandoah, and he had conceived the
idea that / had dramatic instinct.
His advice bore fruit and that fruit was
The Spectator This Offering was writ
ten with w H. Crane in mind, and that
star originally accepted the piece, though
his manager afterward cast ii out in the
way managers have when dealing with
young men from whom they can get plots.
but whose methods OF telling them are not
perfect The Speculator' was on my hands
for some time and then l sold it TO Thorn
as Q. SsahTooke who made money with II
for two years. The comedy was faulty in
construction, but it had 50 good founda-
tion, that | have always cherished the plan
of some day rewriting the story and pro-
ducing it in England.
After this effort was on the road l
proved SO profitable that ! was enabled to
stage my next venture, What Happened
TO Jones This farce has coined cash here,
has reached its 25Gth performance in Lon
don. and will be taken to France, Ger
many and Australia. Why Smith Left
Home is also giving big returns and now
my hopes are banked On The Last Chap
ter OF which l think great deal.
DO you know about my future labors?
Well, in the first place ! have just signed
with Klaw d Erlanger TO write the Ii
bretto and lyrics for the next SOusa opera.
My taste has always gone in that direc-
lion and ! feel sure of success. Then /
have an understanding with a prominent
New York manager, b. which l am TO
furnish him with play every year But
my main ambition is to visit Paris and
Berlin in the capacity of stage director
and there study the practical part of my
business. | shall make an effort to fulfill
that ambition within the next year"
And then the coffee came.
Robert Edeson says: My part in The
Little Minister is saved only by the man
ner in which it figures in the dramas I'll
tie. Were it not for this fact, theatrego-
ers would remember Gavin Dishart only
as being the indefinite someone who loved
Lady Babbie. And yet the book does not
suggest such a state Of affairs. In adapt
ing his novel for the stage Mr.. Barrie has
wisely turned il about and made wom-
ans play out Of mans story. This is
what Hall Caine did with The Christian,
too, though in that case John Storm was
so evidently the central character OF the
offering that the actor in whose hands the
role was put, came near overshadowing
his principal and the author was forced
into realizing his mistake so keenly that
IN an English version the tale Will re-
vclve about the fanatical preacher who is
most prominent in its literary form.
There is nothing unusual now-a-d days
in finding that dramatic works have been
cut and twisted to suit the star rather than
a star secured to fit the effort This state
of affairs is caused by the fact that clever
people Insist on sticking to their individu-
alities and as q result become much like
clothes-horses which retain their shape nc
matter what different burdens are laid
over them. II cannot be doubted that sucf
condition is preiudicial TO the best inter-
ests of art, but there is no question that
II Is necessary to the success of an actor
or an actress. In the old days of stocl
companies, performers remained with theil
friends always and were so well known Il
them that versatility did not become ;
cause for failure.
Often the players would appear in make.
ups that totally disguised them and hal
nized. This was always laid to their crsdi
and much appreciated. But in these time
an actor is a bird OF passage and unles
he makes himself distinctive, people viii
forget him during the intervals bstweel
his presence and his return. Versatilit
is fatal to the entertainer of today. Moth
ing will ruin him more quickly than hav
ing those who have seen him remembe
only the part in which he appeared. Whe
men and women go home and speak of m
as the fellow who was seen as Dishart
have given my success to the role. An
since Dishart does not need three meals
day and ] do / have tried TO cultivate
strong personality. Can one b,ame tn
performer for that?'
What do you think of nature in art {?
was the question asked OF Edgar l.. Dayen
port by Times man during the matine
yesterday at the Lafayette From wha
Washington knows of him it would seen
that Mr.. Davenport should be better abl
TO answer such question than any ma
on the American stage. But there is S
much to be said on both sides of the Grgu
ment that even he paused for moment be
fore attempting to reply. Il do not wan
TO enthuse in either way" the actor finalI
said. Il believe that the adyisability c
being thoroughly natural depends largel
on the sort of part one is playing Tn
least sign Of artificiality in such role q
that of Henri Beauclerc would make th
man absurd, and yet there are many bi
that please more when they are done wit
grandfloquent gestures and spoken in
fine voice. The critics would never ceas
condemning the man who tried 10 us
present-century methods in portrayin
Hamlet. And then one cannot speak silt