The times., 1901-06-09
THE PASSING SHOW.

CHEEKY Come i'm from the other side
I ventured into what at first appeared t.
| be an unoccupied apartment, but, after
/ searching glance around to ascertain
! whence the voice had emanated, a mar
I was discovered in comforta bic armchair
! behind a desk literally piled up with i'm
| portant looking books and papers. This
man was identified as William Seymour
stage director of the Lafayette Square
stock company, and on being informed
| that the public generally and The Times
I in particular harbored a little curiosity
in regard Ia himself and his work an
other armchair made its appearance and
an animated conversation was the result.
Animated 1t was as far as Mr. Seymour
was concerned, Tor he talked interesting
ly of his career. which dates back to 1898,
when he was three years old, and made
a triumphant trip across the stage on a
block OF ice IN play called not Uncle
! Toms Cabin bat ''Fhe Sea of Ice"
! MIR. Seymour has, or rather had. the
| assurance OF other members of the COM
pany that ne made what is technically
known a a hit
Mir Seymour comes Of theatrical fam
lily. His father was JaTss Seymour,
whose name can mean nothing to the
present generation, but which was an i'm
poTtant factor in the theatrical history of
| the early sixties. The Lafayette director
has piaybill. which he values very high
1 ly, of performance given by the then
noted actor. +. 5. Chaufrau. on June H.
1862. in which the elder Seymour was the
main support of the star. The play was
A Glance at New York and was given
at Mrs. John Drew's Arch Street Theatre,
Philadelphia.
one might write a book on Mr. Sey-
mour 5 experiences since he adopted the
theatrical profession, for he has been as
Sociated with almost every noted star in
the country and with many whose name
and fame only are left. He has been eV-
erything from call-boy to principal CO.
median, ana from assistant stage car
IN In, h. Il
everything. but direct the orchestra and
1t Is just possible he could do this if the
occasion demanded. He has a most inter
eStng collection of photographs among
them the elder Booth. Hatkett. Barrett,
and any number of others, not TO mention
stage plots dating back to the COS. Some
of these are of the original productions
OF many famous plays. and are worth
an independent treatment in themselves
-Four photographs of Bernnardt's pro-
uuctiOn Of Hamlet occupy prominent
place on the stage managers table and
many more invaluable souvenirs go 10
make Mr.. SeNmGur'S ) room q wonderfully
interesting apartment.
When the summer season at the La
fayette is concluded Mr.. Seymour will
take a dip into vaudeville. using a sketch
which has been written for him by
Southern woman After a short season
in this line of stage endeavor he viii 90
to New York TO prepare for the produc-
ton OF The Forest Lovers in which
Daniel FrOhmau viii present Bertha Cal
land rs star NJ. Seymour viii stage
the play In speaking of his career Mr.
Seymour said:
I played my first speaking part in
1865 II q farce called To Parents and
Guardians, and then went 10 New Or
leans to play in Shakesperean repertoire
and in 'Rosedale with Lawrence Barrett.
After that ] appeared with John Wilkes
Booth. HacAett jefferson, and Edwin
Booth. and was engaged by the latter
for his New York theatre. where ! re-
maiued for two seasons and then joined /
the Globe Theatre company in Boston.
! returned TO New Orleans for two Years
as stage manager for Mr.. Barrett Char
lOtte Cushman was then appearing with
him. In 1876 ] went back TO New York
and did the greater part Of the stage
management for the Union Square The
atre company and had charge of the big
revival Of King Lear which was pro-
duced al Booths Theatre i'm 1876 and that
of Julius Caesar which followed.
staged Our Boarding House and The
Two Men of Sandy Bar FOR Robson ana
Crane, and then went to San Francisco
appearing in The Passion Play which
ran only ten nights for the reason that
the authorities deemed the piece sacri-
lesious and the whole company was ar
rested.
The funniest part Of it was that James
O'NeH who played the principal part
that Of the Saviour was fined $50 and the
rest of us got of with s.. / then went as
stage director Of the Boston Museum,
where / remained for a long time and
finally gravitated 70 New York. like the
rest / have since lived there My
early career, as YOU may see. familariZei
me with Shakespeare. and as the stars Of
tHdt DAY produced the plays with proper |
regard for form and tradition ! was fair
ly capable Of handling one when the time
came. staged Julia Arthur's big prOduc- |
ton Of Romeo and Juliet and also the |
one in which Charles Frohman presented |
Maude Adams last year. Yes, Shakespeare |
Is coming back in real earnest. as next |
season win prove. There's Mr.; Sothern in |
= NIL lgr Tar =ffGl1 i'm I
Miss Tyler and MIR. Mclean IN 'Corio- |
anus and King John Then Mr.. Hack !
TT talks Of big revival. and Sir Henry /
anus to America
During the time spent as director Of |
he Boston Museum / staged the original |
Production Of Doctor Jekyll and Mr..
hyde for Richard Mansfield. also the |
lrst production in America of "Harbor
Lights and Held by the Enemy" play
ng the negro servant. Uncle Rufus in the
he production Of The DOminie's Daugh-
err by David j.. Lloyd. Sophia" " an
daptation Of Tom Jones, and The Belle
# Haslemere,' closing an engagement Of |
general stage manager for Ariel Barney
manager for Thomas W. Keene and Julia
harlowe. ] was specfajly engaged by Abb
'ey, SchOenel az GTau 10 produce Antony !
md Cleopatra for Mrs. Potter and Mr. \
3ellew at Palmers Theatre, and in 1889
Produced "Editha's Burglar for Angus
MS Thomas. and the opening plays Of w. !
1. Cranes season.
That same year I assumed the acting
md stage management OF the fremont |
heatre. Boston, remaining there for !
lsnt years. and among the productions |
made was the adaptation Of Dumas La |
oemi Monde under the title Of THE
rust o. Society, with Carrie Turner in
ne leading role. While at the. fremont I |
,afuclpated IN the engagements of |
,harles Wyndham, the elder Salvini
5eTnhardt, COquelin and Hading Rcjane
1ounct-Sully, Beerbohm Tree, John Hare.
ne hcndals, ROsina Nokes, Irving and
Lerry. and willard. and managed the
tallan Grand Opera seasons given in
Soston during that time, and the Cadet
hows by r. A. Barnet. In 1897 / ioined
'oi Smith Russell and in 1898 became
tage manager OF the Harlem Theatre
lock company, an organization the
TeHBth OF which cannot now be found in |
ny stock company outside of New York
1 included sucN prominent people as Ed
'oucicault, Frank Mordaunt Frazer EGui- |
sr, Charles Stanley, Edward Abeles, Yer
er Charges. Amelia Bingham, Blanche |
Walsh Una Abel, Marion Abbott, Mrs |
lary Barker. Eftie Gcrmon, and Annie
larke. In 1888 ] produced THE Kings
J iusketeer' for Daniel Frohman and T. !
l, oothern, ne Last Chapter" for
ulia Marlowe, and Romeo and Juliet"
lr Maude Adams. In 1893 came THE Only |
Fay" for Henry Miller, and "Barbar.
rietchie' for Julia Marlowe; Rice's
hristmas extravaganza, Little Red Rid
lg Hood and Harry Mawson's version |
( The Old Curiosity Shop" for Mary
anders. This season ] staged In the
alace OF the King" for Viola Allen The |
ireatest Thing in the World" for Mrs |
and THE Choir Invisible" for ]