The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-01-20


tensity of sacrifice nor the sympathetic
attraction OF successful love. MIR Halle
ton is more natural and human Mr. Kes
ter more practiced and artificial The
mechanical development of Sweet Nell
OF Old Drury." with it's pitifuliy obvious
stage devices. gives oppor unity Tor SOM
spirited action and popular situations,
but stands no comparison with the spon-
taneity Of Mistress Nell"
May Irwin tells funny story about
some of her experiences in connection
with housekeeping. Although Miss Irwin
Is on the road a great deal, she main
tains her own home. which occupies at
least part of the actress time while
there.
Our cook left us a few days ago" said
she with depressed air. She said she
would not live in house where anyone
came in and 'bossed' things. | suppose
she meant me. for l tried to explain to
her how l wanted my breakfast prepared
| had to cook the breakfast this morn
ing myself. That was bad enough. but
this afternoon, as a direct result OF the
cooks unhappy departure, l was placed
in a most embarrassing position
And the mere recollection of II made
the comedieDne look mournful indeed.
Il started for the intelligence office.
d
cook, so that neither mother nor myself
should ever have any further bother with
the work. When / got there several al
legged cooks were paraded in review be-
fore me, but none OF them suited. While
/ was questioning one as to her reference
a good looking, modestly dressed woman
entered the place. Something about her
appearance impressed me favorably. l
said to myself There's the cook want
and | started for her. l recall now that
the prcprietress made an attempt to at
tract my attention. But l took no notice
of her. My state of mind was such that
it never occurred to me that anybody else
could want to procure servants.
Il touched the new arrival on the arm
and said: You are the very woman |
want for cook. What are your terms?'
Mercy She turned slowly, put up a
pair of those long handled glasses-I for
get what you call 'em-and calmly look
ed me over.
L want a strong washerwoman, she
said, you're large and look as though
you were strong enough to do our work.
What are your terms?'
Il vanished quicker than lightning and
my mother is still wanting a cook II
you know a good one send her around to
the theatre tonight. I've got to go home
now to cook dinner"
Away up on the top floor OF the Lafay-
cite Theatre building overlooking Penn
sylyania Avenue and commanding a SPLEEN
did view OF the Executive Mansion and ad-
jacent buildings. is a little room, beauti
fully appointed and as coy and comforta-
BILE little corner as one may find in
days search This is the study and work
room of Walter Clarke Bellows the stage
director of the Lafayette stock company
and consequently the birthplace of many
fine effects in the company's productions,
which are to the audience simply matter
of course, but in reality are the fruits of
deep thought, ingenuity, and experience.
Mr.. Bellows is an earnest and indefatiga-
BILE worker, and when not directing re-
hearsals or performances is always to be
found in this little room devising new
business for the next weeks play, drawing
plots. or devotins his energies in some
direction toward furthering the success
of the company's productions.
A glance at one OF Mr.. Bellows play
books is OF more than ordinary interest
in that it establishes beyond doubt that
while it may all look very pretty and very
easy from the front the beauty of il
stops at the footlights and-with little
juggling of 'Hamlet'-"the rest is
work" When a play is to be produced,
drawings are made as an architect makes
them for a house. and Mr. Bellows has
the plots of every play he has ever staged.
First comes the programme. then photo
graphs OF different scenes, and after that
the plot of the first act. in which the set
ting is drawn in black ink. the lights and
their arrangement in blue, while the fur
niture even down to the small hassock.
is indicated by red ink. Then follows the
list of properties. such as draperies, orna-
ments, pictures, and the numberieSs
things that go to the furnishing of
room. Next come the side properties,
meaning articles which are brought in by
the different actors, as, for instance,
lamp which servant brings in, or let
ter. There is a plot for the incidental
music, showing at what time 1t should be-
gin and when end-what style of music
must be played. when loud and when soft.
time sheet is kept on which is recorded
the time at which the curtain rises and
the hour at which ID is rung down. and
also the number of curtain calls after
each act
The same plan is followed throughout
all the acts, and the arrangement is mar
velous, every line in the book telling OF
itself the enormous amount OF thought
and careful study that has been expend-
ed in perfecting the production. The
people who sit In the orchestra chairs
Torrance should run smoothly. To the
majority it is only a question Of the
actors coming on and saying their lines
and doing just as they please. irrespec
tive of anything in the shape OF a rule.
In speaking to a Times representative
the other evening. Mr.. Bellows said:
ut appears that an idea exists that
only the original stage business may be
used in the production of play, but that
is entirely erroneous, for there are few,
il any, productions ever made in which
the business furnished by the play
wright proves adequate. As a rule, au-
thors do not understand that particular
branch of dramatic composition as clear
ly as they should; consequently many
are necessary to more easily fiji
the situation to acting purposes. The
philosophy OF It all is beautiful How
few people in the audience ever stop to
reason why an actor enters through a
certain door. or why he rises from a
chair and goes to another part OF the
stage What difference does 1t make
which door he uses? But it does make
a difference, and a great one. An actors
every move is taken with the purpose
of getting into the most advantageous
position for the scene, and at a given
cue he changes his position accordingly.
He is made to enter through a certain
door because the scene has been studied
out and It has been proved that his en-
trance from that poiLt will be more eff
fective than from any other. He goes
I'D stairs, he comes down; he enters
right or he exits left. In bringing on a
servant the least conspicuous entrance
is utilized for the reason that the char
acter is an unimportant one and must
be considered so in its treatment. The
value of entrances is one of the most
essential considerations in the produc-