The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-01-14

| moved. A woman studied and rehearsed
her part all Sunday. and appeared wsh
me on Monday. or course. she was a ~
| uncertain OF her lines. l. too was so
bothered about Mrs Boumans condition
that | was not at my best. The PERFORM
anee went very well. and the papers treat
| ca US generously. Had the piece not been
/ done smoothly We should have suffered.
| Ana cannot help marveling II the men
VINO condemned would ever have known
the difiiculties under which I Iabored on
| my nrst evening in Washington"
| When last was here" remarked Della
stacey, OF the "a Bachelors Honeymoon
| company on Thursday at the Regent. II
| read an interesting article in The Times.
The story in question spoke OF the manner
| in which failures containing a quantity OF
good material are laid aside and forgotten.
| remember the column because. at that
date seriously thought OF writing n sors
of sequel in which I should have diIated on
q detail that you only mentioned-the fact
that the meritorious bits in these pieces
generally are not lost but are used again.
Only yesterday I observed that George
Broadhurst has bought a shelyed farce. His
Absent Boy with the intention OF requisi-
tioninS several of its incidents. "A Dog in
the Manager which came to so disastrous
an end at the Lafayette was rehash OF
an earlier Hoytian effort. Doubtless. ten
years from now. Mr.. Hoyt will steal the
best thoughts from the Dog and inject
them into livelier theme. Mr.. Broadhurst
has done that with his greatest current hit
why Smith Left Home was exploited by
Fred Whitney long ago under the title OF
"A Domestic Skirmish' / had the role Of
the 'touchingly clever maid and Kate
Davis. who y dying at Providence Hospi-
tai. originated the part in which Annie
Yeanlans now Is appearing. "A Domestic
Skirmish was out two weeks"
You are Washingtonian, are you not %
was asked.
More Washingtonian than anything
else" replied Miss Stacey. MY mother
always says that was born in the army
My father Colonel Stacey. was we'll known
in this city. After his death. I studied
for the stage with Rosa Rand here Gem
eral Sherman got me an engagement with
Augustin DAILY. I remained at Days but
one season before joining the Casino forces.
'Erminie' was the bill at the Aaronson
house then. and the cast Included Francis
Wilson. Fanny Rice Marie Jansen and
Pauline Hall. 'Nadji' and The Brigands'
also were produced. Jimmy Powers will
tell you that he took me with him when
he went starring in "A Straight Tip and "A
Mad Bargain I was the Kitty OF Char
iey's Aunt and had a prominent part in
number Of Digby Bells operas Next.
1 followed Flo Irwin as leading woman
with Pete Daley in ~ Good Thing was
the eldest sister in The Lady Slavey,' and
made hit as Julie Bon Bon In The Girl
From Paris Since that time I have been
with y Bachelors Honeymoon Which
reminds me that want to thank you for
your kind mention Of Tuesday"
I am not believer in plots and coun-
terpiots. motives, and sub-motfves in vau
deytlle sketches. think that people 90 to
see specially performances wholly as a re-
Iaxation-beeause they are not Obliged to
keep their minds on any subjec. for a con-
length of time. Were authors OF
eomediettas to compete with dramatists
they would have absolutely no chance
\ theme cannot be properly worked out or
treated in twenty minutes, and. IL nonsense
Is an evil. it is a lesser one than crudity
and incompieteness. Personally. | don't
pretend to be either Bronson Howard or
an Augustus Thomas. l simply try to en-
terrain. and in that effort seem to have
been fairly successful
This from Joseph Hart
Mr. Hart is exceptionally frank Orli-
nariiy. vaudevillians tell newspaper men
how intelligently they could write il there
were any probability that audiences would
stand for their efforts.
En- route to a Wednesday matinee st tba
theatre, Elita Proctor Otis. whose magni-
fcent scene In Sporting Life" saved the
piece from utter mediocrity, submitted to
being interviewed. II really have done a
great deal for myself with this play she
said "A number OF casual amusement-loy-
ers were forgetting me rapidly when Jacob
Lift produced the offering in New York
and | succeeded in scoring n hit Never
theiess, | shall hardly be sorry if present
plans are carried out and the company is
closed in March. The work l am doing is
not altogether congenial, and it is a terri
bic strain. The wear and tear is physical
as well as mental. Charles e Gotthold,
the Philip of the presentation used to ex-
cite himself so in the murder episode that
frequently he nearly choked me- At last
[ was obliged TO ask that he simply close
his hands around my neck and let me do
the rest. The sofa on which I am thrown
is mere frame. Now. when the boy lifts
up my body. I catch my heel in
the wood and hold my own weight This
lessons the danger of my having my
breath shut of some night. but il hurts
The muscles Of my back dreadfully. You
ian see that"
Before l ever witnessed your perform
lnce'' Guoth The Times 'lan. II heard Of
me detail in your acting. Eugene Blair.
Robert Patton Gibbs. Sydney Drew. and
,ther people spoke to me of the manner in
which you mopped your face with your
during the dialogue with Mr..
i0tthold."
Il have been told of that. too. was the
eply II also have been commended for the
winging devil-may-care walk across the
tagc-the walk accompanied by the line.
Well. don't whine about it. tried to put
deal OF the courtesan into that half dozen
aces and seem to have succeeded But
he business with the handkerchief was an
ccident. merely did it one evening when
felt the pegspiration on my face and con-
nued it thereafter I recognized that
he common woman showed through it, Be-
1s praised for the bit however, has made
lie self-conscious. and now do not like it
S well as | used
Il observe that you still play bad wo-
len'
There is nothing else at hand. have
lentifed myself with such roles. and man
gers continue TO procure them for me.
hen. authors appear to Relieve that good
'omeu never have emotions. II is we'll
gh impossible TO purchase a strong drama
n which the female part Is not that OF
arlct or a murderess. | remember that in
magazine article you once said: "A light
lnnot be made without striking fire That
the ease with my vehicles. A prominent
.ngIish actress has found the same diff
nifty Mr.. Lift has protested his wi ling
ess TO star me II can get suitable pro-
uctiOn. but
However, the two reached the stage door
the theatre. The conversation was ter
inated abruptly. and the reporter still
ignorant OF the obstacle between Miss
tbs and stellar tour.
---
ppEco ACEMrS, pOIrNTn mADTr