The times., 1899-03-05

like the building. Well. 1 think that the
girl who said that lobby was too cute Tor
anything wasn't so far wrong after All
Cute comes Just as near describing 1t to
my mind as grand or gorgeous would
One would have to get a new vocabulary
before attempting TO speak accurately OF
the STRUCTURE That's my opinion, my
whole opinion, and nothing but my opin-
ion.''
Tell him to come right up was the
hospitable remark brought forth by card
sent 10 John c. Rice the other day at the
Regent. And when. In pursuance OF di-
rections, The Times man took an elevator
and went up he was most cordially
greeted By the light-footed and light
tonsued entertainer himself. Greetings
were exchanged and the interviewer asked
If as much difficulty was experienced in
getting good vaudeville sketches as there
is in procuring meritorious plays More.
quoth Mr.. Rice tersely. II read from five
to a dozen skits every week OF my life
and have still failed utterly in my efforts
! to purchase what | consider a thoroughly
suitable vehicle for my wife and myself.
The fact is that turning cut drama or
| comedy in one scene is not as simple a
| matter as some people might think. The
plot must be sharp and strong, the story
| told concisely and without long explana-
4 llOlS. anu Ine Wnoie tnlnB SnOuid prove
| powerful or laughable all the way through.
| II an author misses fire on the first or
/ last act of an evenings entertainment he
| still has two or three more in which to
recover himself. but his counterpart OF the
| halls If given only from twenty to thirty
| minutes TO show what he can do and IL
| there is a dull moment In that time his
work is a failure. watch audiences all
! through my portion of the bill when stag
! ing something new and the instant that
see seven or eight men turn sidewise in
their chairs / know that our efforts are
not successful. That attitude does not
/ mean that the spectator likes one-it
means that he is going to bear the sketch
! and that he intends to be as comfortable
as possible while it is going on. The in
\ terested auditor always faces the footlights
and lets his programme alone. But themes
! that be crowded into half an hour
! are not easy to get, and when one gets
them there are few writer's who can spin
| them smoothly and satisfactorily. Indeed.
| good sketches are few and far between. II
I were a really able playwright / should
go into that line and expect to reap not
only fortune but the gratitude ef every
vaudevillian in the ranks"
Yes, sir" added Mrs. Rice, emphati-
cally.
The Times man walked down Pennsyl-
| vania Avenue yesterday with Joseph Sparks
and this is what the clever entertainer
said: II observe that most OF the Wash
ington critics. in speaking Of Kate Kip
have commented upon the little that is
given the support to do. The condition
undoubtedly exists, though I had no idea
that it was so notable. Personally, / have
never had so few opportunities since /
went on the stage-quite long time ago.
l am a graduate Of the variety houses,
having left that class OF work some twenty
l n Edward HarriPan when
the naturalistic actor was forming the
stock company which for fourteen seasons
held forth in New York. When that organ
ization disbanded | joined May Irwin In
The Widow Jones', and afterward was
with her in 'Courted Into Court and The
Swell Miss Fitzwell. Generally / have
been seen in Irish dialect parts. but several
reviewers have also spoken well of my ne
| gro creations. which were somewhat in
favor while l was with Mr.. Harrigan.
LAS soon as an entertainer attains any
degree of success he is anxious TO star.
and am no exception to the rule | was
| out for some time with Mr.. Harrigan's
plays and always managed to make money.
Some local folk may remember when 1 ap-
| pearsd at the National in The Squatter
King Just now the trend of affairs seems
TO run toward Irish farce and l feel as it
as any man in that. So it's not improbable
that may have try at big type soon."
Mr.. Sparks is a short man with a strong
personality. He is rather thin and has a
! long face, in which are set two small,
merry eyes. Though he speaks without a
touch of the brogue. there is quite an ac-
cent to some Of his words. One who had
never seen him before would have no diff
fieulty in picking him out for an Irish
comedian.
Digby Bell looked crestfallen and un-
happy the other evening when he was ap-
preached for an interview. Joe Hurst
| Gentleman" the piece which he produced
here proved an unqualified failure. and
the loss of time and money involved in
such an occurrence does not incline the
I unfortunate toward great JOY. There
have been many things against us in our
presentation of this play said Mr.. Bell
and yet the manner in which it was taken
by Monday nights audience was complete
surprise to me. l had perused the manu-
script carefully and had read it to my
friends. all OF whom were greatly pleased
with it. Newspaper men in the little
/. towns we visited before reaching here ex-
! pressed emphatic approval OF the ,tory
and the manner of its working out And
, finally We opened up at the Columbia te-
fore an assembly that was scholarly and
| fashionable and very cold Personally,
felt that chill the moment l faced the
footlights and | knew just what was go
ing to transpire. Years OF work have not
made me hard to such influences. and such
gathering throws me all out.
ITO me there is still some hope for
Joe Hurst Even Washington seems to
have agreed that the plot was good
one and the offering may make money
still. The people of this city fix a verdict
that counts for much when kindly given,
because it is thoroughly critical. and
We shall still expect something from out
siders. l should endeavor to have the
comedy rewritten, but Mrs. Burnett is in
England and the miles of ocean between
us acts as barrier to such project She
might object to having anything done with
her manuscript Consequently the effort
will be left as it is and if it fails alto
, gether | shall merely wait until next sea-
. son. when | can get a vehicle from Au-
gustus Thomas, whom | consider the
greatest author of dramatic works alive.
And speaking Of Mr.. Thomas-the finan-
cial loss occasOned by the production OF
his The Hoosier Doctor is one Of the
things that has broken my heart. l loved
, that play as / might have loved a child
, and never expected TO have to take it of
the road. There was no one scene which
would have changed, and the company.
no member of which was well known, act
ed the piece perfectly. My own portrayal
had never really been studied. l felt so in
grow into it. But The Hoosier Doctor
. was too sOmbre and dark and natural Peo-
, pie want to laugh in the theatre nowadays.
done my best to provide them with good.
bought pieces from abroad because
| I,a -a,,Hr haI 81 Hrr- 7 tiaN- frfal