The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-02-18

/ the Columbia's boxoiIice and locked about
I her. Joseph Luckett, the manager OF the
theatre. stepped up laughing. What are
| you intending to do with all the money you
| are to get?" he asked. spontaneously.
'Ah,'' replied Miss Grey, you refer to
my suit against Richard Mansfield. Well.
| 10 be candid | shall not care much II Mr..
| Mansfield is not Obliged to give me dol
| lar. l simply want to show people that.
/ though he may be a perfect actor the Beau
Brummel is not perfect gentleman. The
New York papers aired the affair SO thor
oughly that there is little for me to tell
/ you concerning it, Mr.. Mansfield was
brutal-nothing more. | am very nervous
and the remarks he made to me. together
with his own eccentric habits. ruined ms
health. He used to stand in the wings and
mimic me when | was going through my
scene with Christian in 'CyranO de Ber-
I gerac.' Think how pleasant, And. II some
| one coughed in the house while he was
| talking. he would stop and begin his speech
over again. Imagine working to such an
opposite, When I threatened to leave him
he declared that he would injure ne as a
player and n woman. was in such a
state that believed him. He rendered me
dreadfully ILL.,"
MI InlS nOtOEleIy mas nut pEOuuteu q
starring bee. has u" queried Mr.. Luc&ett.
Mol have no desire TO star. My con-
stitution is bad and / could not stand the
ambition-bre responsibilities and worries
attendant upon such a venture. l find 1t
easier to do my best with another person
and draw a salary. Then. I'm not vain. |
| understand that a few years OF labor will
help me considerably. | have a great deal
to learn yet-don't you think so?''
The Times man, who overheard. did not
ask Mr.. Luckett's opinion. He had one Of
his own. but he did not care TO disagree
with lady.
Says Lew Sully: Did you see what
Alan Dale wrote about the Primrose and
Dcckstader fun makers while We were on
Broadway? Shouldn't you think that
would sicken some of our comic opera
favorites? The fact OF the business is that
few theatregoers know how to appreciate
the work of an end man They don't real
lied that. whereas Charles Klein or Stalls
laus STANCE. or another of those fellows
may be responsible for half of a stars
laughs. the minstrel is his own author ard
interpreter. Then there is the difficulty OF
sitting down and being humorous. Lack
of action robs chap of lots OF oppOrtuni-
ties. The face and the voice have to do
the whole thing for him. I'll tell you. the
end-man who succeeds must be an artist.
and the general coldness with which he is
greeted has its foundation in ignorance
Until Wednesday last The Times report
er never had met woman half so In
tellectual as is Marie Wainwright. On
Wednesday. at the Gordon, he met Sarah
Cowell lie Moyne.
Selecting her as the best possible person
to whom TO put the question. he asked:
Mrs. lie Moyne. to what do you tribu
the fact that many actors still raut and
roar at their audiences?"
Well" she answered. 81 have a some-
what original theory on the subject. be-
lieye that, in order to reach the tue
source we must go back TO the cary days
of the Greek drama. Then players were
obliged to appear in a great amphitaeatre
"a building without roof or aeous lie Mop
critics and vast in its area. Naturally. the
impersonators were forced to blwl at the
tops Of their several and individual lungs.
To that start, too, l lay most of the other
eXaggerations still notable. The mask
gave way to heavy coats of paint as lie
spectators were brought nearer the age.
and when gas superseded lamps ard ran-
dies. this coat was lessened in thickness.
The strong electric light. which reveals
everything and enables the ve.y gallaTyite
to tell real lace from imitation. in lily
mind, is responsible for many improve
ments in the Thespian temple and it's Of
ferings."
Electric lights have been Used for
twenty years-small houses for six cen
turtles
Still a century is but little time in
concentrating so marvellous a change. De-
velopment along any line is slow. Actors.
too. are conservative and even a suspic-
ious class. They are so occupied with their
own efforts that they have scant opportuni-
~ for watching those of contemporaries.
Minnie Madden Fiske retired. She went
to the play continually and o. served the
faults OF the players. She obtained ideas
that formed ard required hearing. Then
she said: 1 viii. go back. have something
to tell them That something was truth,
and it was generally accepted. Women like
Mrs. Fiske will improve the stage"
And you?"
lin doing good work. | should be
foolish IL did not acknowledge it. But
| am not doing what | hope to do. | have
ambitions beyond the success OF The
Greatest Thing in the World though, OF
course because / respect myself, l want
to triumph and. because | respect my !
managers. 1 want to make money. | do not |
think we shall go to New York this sea
son. Summer soon will be here. and Mr.. |
Tyler expects the piece to have long run !