The St. Louis Republic., 1900-12-23

stem The WI, the biggest parts ,,"r
played in 'Iiam,.t' until .ss,.rrd the chi'f
r"l". h.li.v. several members "i my t'''ii'-
pany hav. played every part in the irt-' d,-
DID / see Booth Ns~. for a few minutes
only. just the churCn-Hrl s,ene-that - ~.
| regret tn say. | was engaged at anoih'r
theater when Mr. Booth played n. part.
but as Hamlet is a long performance. "iIe
night, after had washed up. ! marag'i
IL see the last scenes. The graveyard is ihc
only memory Of The event have Comm: VT
on the performance? one must leave that
10 the critics. my work i to act
For Christmas week. commencing with
to-day's matinee. the Imperial company VIII
present its holiday attraction. Arthur
w. Pinero's beautiful domestic drama.
Sweet Lavender" A play more in kccpirG
With the general good feeling Of Christmas
time would have been hard To select. siuce
Its pure. wholesome ard elevating atT0s-
pEere make IL particularly arropOs. Ny.
1inoro's name is rrcre widely known than
that of any other dramatis; IN this country
or England. and Sweet I.avrrder'' is hi,
best-known play. IL ls written with all of
lis great beauty Of diction. and with -
sweetness few other plays have ever pos
sassed Its comedy is as remarkable its
sentiment. and its dramatic roles are al
most dramatic canoes. Lavender will tr
played by Miss Graycn Scott. ard tn. par;
iS snitesi 10 h"r personality to uig.lN
that seldom occurs. Mr.. Pascoe in element
Hale will lind one of the most spre,3bi,,
roles In which an actor could bo cast lts
sympathy, beautiful speeches and thcrrI:-i,
maniiness MAX. tine part a great fayuri,.
With actor and audiences alike Mr. Hen
EinCs. IS Dick Phenyl. will have one Of lie.
most delightful and grateful roles ever
written. Miss Douglas, who will arrear for
the first tim. in n high comedy part will
to seen IN the best adyantag. since hcr
IT,,
signed to Miss Ia Verne. Miss Irwin. Mr.
IsOwles, Mr.. Tockcr. Mr.. Darcy Mr. I.avI,
ard Mr.. Labadie.
The plot of ''Thc Battle of tho Strong in
which Marie Burroughs will appear at the
Century Theater this evening is character
fzed by rapidity of action. The scene is on
the island of Jersey, in the latter part of the
Eighteenth Century. at the commencement
of the outbreak of the French Revolution
The heroine. Guida. has been married secret
~ TO Philip DAvranche, who persuades her
under a solemn compact. to reveal the mar
rtage TO nobody while he goes to France In
that country. tempted by the inducements Of
wealth and rank. he enters the
bonds OF w.tilock with the daupb
ter Of French nobIeman In Tho
meantime troubles fall th,ckly aroun,I
mis- poor wife in the island OF Jersey
She il shortly to become "A mother and tho
knowledge of this fact shocks her neishbors
she was infected by the plague 1t also re-
suits in tire death Of her infirm old grand
father Still she believes in her absent hus-
band and holds to her promise to keco her
marriage secret. Finally the news PhiIjp
has been welded again comes to ber m.
blow falling with crushing force. Her chi!d
is born, and for years she endures mseor-
tune with fortitude. Her chief sympathizer
is Detricand. whose character Resembles
somewhat that of Sidney Carton. in Dick
enss Tale of Two Cities" He has loved
her from the first. but through all the densa
gloom of her life she has been true 10 the
1s!se-hearted Philip The latter returns To
the Island of Jersey French Admiral He
visits the hut Of Guida. where a ssoru,y
scene ensues- Convinced of his perfidy she
refuses to love him any longer or to consent
to his demand TO take away their child An
attempt to kidnap the little one IS frustrated
by Detricand. who. In the last act fights a
duel with Philip. Guida's faithless husband
however. does not meet death at the hands
of his honorable rival. but falls a victim TO
Dormy Jamais. the half-witted follower of
Dctricand. All ends happily for Gui,!a and
Detr.cand before the final fall Of the cur
tain.
Little lies have been SAID Ia be aan....c ans
things. and il not always Dangerous are far
reaching IN effect. There used to he an old
saw in the copy-books about a ,rb!,Ie
changing the course of a stream. An :nci-
dent illustrative of this appears I'm the ca
reer of William Gillette. 1T was the cheer
ful invention of a newspaper man whicn
was the original cause of the dramatiZa-
tion of Sherlock Holiness When William
Gillette was In London in the midst of his.
long run with Secret Service" one. ,iay
Charles FroEman showed him a clipping
from an obscure newspaper printed in n.
western part OF the United States. which
quoted Doctor A. Conan Doyle saying
that no one shOuld ever drama tize the play
Sherlock Holmes" but William Gillette"
At that time Mr.. Gillette Is said II have
had a marked dislike for the stories. voting,
them almost too impossible for consider
ton. and he laughed at the idea of his ever
appearing as the great detective of rictiun.
However. he suggested To Mr.. Frohmln
that it might not be bad idea To secuT,
the title Of Sherlock Holmes for dra-
matte use, and this suggestion Mr.. Frohmau
acted upon. arranging with Doctor Doyi.
on a royalty basis for the use of the name.
regardless of what use Ii might he put to.
There the matter rested until the English
season had closed. another season had
opened and Mr.. Gillette was in California
on his farewell tour In Secret Service
when Mr.. Frohman suggested that the de-
tective story series should be dramatiZed,
and declared that that Western newspa per
man had a keen eye for the fitness of things
when he coupled together the personality Of
William Gillette and the literary personality
of Doctor Doyle's hero.
Mr. Gillette communicated with Doctor
DOYLE and asked him to what extent he
might take liberties. if he 50 desired. with
the lit cray character. and Doctor Doyle
replied hat he left the matter entirely in
Mr.. Gillette; hands ard gave him carte
blanche 10 &c as he thought best. MIR.
Gillette then arranged with Mr.. Frohman
that he have six weeks rest in Califor-
MIA for :ae purpose Of draniatizing the play.
One who knows Mr. Gillette knows that
he Is perfect demon for WORK 1t is
"A case of coat off and cuffs turned back
when the popular actor-author starts in to
turn out q plsyr spd be keeps up the