Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-09-22

MUSIC

| against the immoral tendencies of the mod
| ern stage. The less said about MAN selle
| 'Awkins' the better She Is a departing
| guest to be joyously sped. Vaudeville was
| handsomely represented and the variety
| theaters offered interesting programs.
Monday night witnesses the opening of
| the Columbia Theater and the production of
| Viola Aliens new play at the National.
| Creston Clarke is the Columbia's attraction,
and he opens his engagement with a pro-
duction of Hamlet" The ambition to play
| Hamlet" has asserted itself more strong
ly this season than in long time past. F..
II. Sothern has just made his debut In the
part, and Julia Arthur, having reconsid-
cred her determination to forsake the foot
| lights, now declares that she will add the
role of the melancholy Dane to her roper
toire. None who saw Miss Arthur in boys
costume will deny that she will look the
part very handsomely.
The Lafayette Square will be the latest OF
the Washington theaters to throw open it's
doors to the public. It's opening is an
nounced for October 1, with Lewis Morri
son in Faust as the attraction.
Creston Clarke Is noted among his init
mates for his modesty and diffidence. In
fact, he is SO lacking in the qualities Of
self-assertiveness and push that the def
terfered with the advancement of his ma
terial interests. Mr.. Charles Hanford re-
lates an instance illustrating Mr.. Clarkes
character in these particulars. which prob
ably nearly affected both Of them.
when left the Booth Barrett company,
with which I had been engaged for four
years." says Mr.. Hanford. II went to the
Players Club to call on Mr.. Booth and tell
him goodbye. Going up to his room he re-
ceived me with extreme kindness, for I
seemed to have been something of a favor
lite with him. and we had a half hours
chat. He asked me what my plans were
and when I told. him ! was going with
Julia Marlowe the following season he ex-
pressed great satisfaction and said, L
very glad of~that: my nephew, Creston
Clarke. goes with her also. and l am sure
you and he will get along nicely together.
have not seen Creston act since he was a
boy and played with me in London, but l
am very anxious about him, and as you and
he play entirely different parts there can
be no clash betwee 1.you.' Mr.. Booth then
went on TO outline a scheme he had had
in mind concefhng his own future under
takings. He sud in substance, L have been
thinking that I wcLld like to organize
company with which could appear twelve
or fourteen weeks during the course of the
season, and which. duTin. The rest ri the
( time, could go on the road. 1 am tired of
| long seasons. 1 would like TO appear here
I
| company go into one night stands in some
of the smaller cities. and after | had taken
rest. play in Boston, Chicago, Baltimore
| and one or two OF the other larger cities
! 1t did not occur to me that there was
! hint concealed i'll the great tragedians
marks 4nd~I simply listened. He diverged
| to other subjects but finally returned to the
| topic OF the company he wished to have
! organized that would support him at short
! intervals and play without him in the
meantime. showing that the idea was prom
inent in his mind. On his recurrence to
| the subject ii flashed acrOSSSIny brain that
maybe after had told him Creston and
were to be together for the following sea-
! son, there was an invitation in his remarks
! to have II; proposition made looking ito the
t formation OF such a company headed by
! two young actors who could share leading
! parts without friction, but l said nothing
| to him about it at the time Just as soon
as 1 could get to Creston. however, / told
| him the whole matter and urged him to
push it. / reasoned that he. as the favorite
| nephew and protege of his uncle. was the
| one to go to him and suggest the carrying
out Of this plan which Mr.. Booth had so
| earnestly spoken to me about. Clarke took
| kindly to the idea and said he would do it.
We were in Philadelphia, and the following
| Sunday he went ever to New York.
| could scarcely await his return, but went
to the depot to meet him and eagerly asked
| him what results he had accomplished
| Hestating and almost stammering, he said
| TO tell you the truth, Charlie, l did not
|
| l did not have the nerve to breach the sub
ject' I was disappointed. but not dismayed ;
SO, during the whole Of the ensuing week. 1
| kept talking up the proposition to Creston,
| painting the great things 1t meant for both
| Of lis and assuring him that the scheme
would really fall in with his uncle's de-
| signs / got his resolution and courage up
| again, and on the following Sunday he went
| back to New York On his return 7 sought
| him at once, and this time, to my entire
| discontinue, he informed me that when he
| was about to propose the matter TO Mr..
Booth his tongue failed him and he literally
| could not proceed, but shifted Off to some
| other topic. Once more ! begged him to
push the project and he went back to New
| York at the end of that week. This time
| he summoned enough assurance to carry
| him through. but on stating his case Mr..
| Booth informed him that such a proposal
| came just too late, as he had signed new
| five-year contract with Mr. Barrett
| That's ten years ago." concluded Mr.
| Hanford land had Creston had little
more nerve who can tell what a difference
1t might have made In both our fortunes"
| 1t was announced some time ago that
Lorimer Stoddard's dramatization Of F.
| Marion Crawford's novel, I'm the Palace OF
| the King" would be published as soon as
| Viola Allen presented 1t upon the stage
| This is a mistake, and Miss Aliens objec-
| tons to it's publication appear to rest on
| solid ground 1T Isl D well-known fact that
it is rarely. If ievet the case that play
escapes slight revision after the first few
| performances. When play is published
| these changes are readily detected and
much unnecessary ado made over them.
Some people enormously imagine that a
slight clipping fof the text or any addition
| to it in spots Is admission that the play
was failure In It's original form. When
the play is not published these amendments
| are not discoverable; nobody Is the wiser
In former times, however. the sale of a
| published play was one of the authors
| chief sources of income. The reason for
| this was, very1Hkely, that in older and So
| called golden days dramas were written In
rhyme or blan1 verse The play then had
an interest outside Of its value as a medium
| for stage use. q
| But there is still another and more impor-
| tant reason for the non-publication Of a
/ play. at least while 1t is being used on the
| stage. 1t Is a well-known fact that actors
| are thrown into a state Of panic when 1t is
| known that somebody In the audience has
| copy Of the printed play and Is following
| them In their lines. For the prompter to
| have the book in his hands gives the per-
formers assurance. but the fact that an
auditor Is doing mimic prompt duty and
| keeping tab on the performers Is sure to