The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-04-21

| well done. In fact. it's a splendid thing
| for the stage. The best novelists of the
4 day are turning their attention to the
drama, ard by the dramatization OF their
novels are learning dramatic technique.
After while they will be putting their
genius directly into drama. First they've
got to master the language. You see all
| this means that the level OF dramatic
| work will be higher More men OF real
genius and literary ability will be writ
! ing for the stage Too many drainatists
nave made knowledge of stagecraft
stand for genius. The good play needs
both
The next season will he full of drama
ttzed books Look ut xhat ar, 20 handle
of Old Vincennes.' Forest Lovers Via
Crucis.' .Eben Holden Castle Inn
Richard Yea-and-Nay,' A Gentleman of
France, Joan Of the Sword Hand, and
'Are we to have a continued deluse of
French farce?"
There's always a demand for good
French farce. The trouble is to get IL
adapted well. Translation won't do.
There must be adaptation. and clever
adaptation at that We haven't much
light farce comedy OF American output
yet, and France gives us the best we can
get. English farce is usually impossible.
Clyde Fitch said to me yesterday that in
French ssTee the characters broke the
Seventh Commandment and in English
farce they broke the furniture. Well.
| there's the difference. The latter may be
more moral. but 1t isn't clever
The romantic plays haven't worn out
their popularity. either. They will always
have a good audience, and Just now they
have more than that The problem play
is the thing that has fallen or. The big
public doesn't want it. A problem play
has got to be phenomenally clever now
before I'll undertake to handle II. One or
two men can command a hearing for any
old problem they choose to exploit. but it's
the playwright who wins the interest, not
the problem. Things were different a few
years ago.
TN tell you the play in which I have
firm faith-the religious play. 1 only wish
could get a whole batch of good ones.
Look at Ben Hur.' The receipts have
been simply astonishing. No play has
excelled ii. 1t floats on n tremendous
wave Of sentiment. It's magnificent thing
for play to have the endorsement OF a
big percentage of the clergy of n country.
the play. If it is well put on, and then
there Will be an immense public for it that
would never dream of going to an ordi-
nary play.
Ben Hur' will sweep England Just
mark my words. And I'll tell you some
thing else that / firmly believe. There's
a great public waiting for Ben Hur' in
France. No, don't laugh. / know what
/ am talking about. In spite of Waldeck-
Rousseau and the anti-church talk, the
bulk of France is devoutly religious. No
public would respond more quickly to a
strong spectacular religious drama
They've got to have Ben Hur.' Just give
me some fine religious plays. L wouldn't
ask anything better"
at was in Washington that 1 Joined the
Lawrence Barrett Dramatic Club. which
at that time included in its membership
Wilton Laekaye and Charles B. Hanford,'
says Tim Murphy in a recent interview.
81 took part in number of plays pro-
duced By the club but my chief talent
was for initiating famous actors and pub
lie men. Washington was fine field for
the study of types. and although / did not
know II at the time, l learned then and
there how to play Col. Maverick Brander
in A Texas Steer That. l take 1t, is not
a bad example of the working process Of
a character actors art. The Brander that
presented TO the public view was a COM
posite picture of Il score OF Western Sena-
tors and Representatives. The smile Of
one the attitude of another. the favorfte
gesture of third. all went into the CHAR
acterization. An actors mind is sort
of junk shop, filed with motley oollec-
ton of human characteristics. When he
gets a new role he goes to his mental
attic and selects what will suit the TART
Then he patches these characteristics to-
gether and he has an .mpersonasion-one
that is human, because every movement
and expression is drawn directly from a
human model. At least, that IS my idea
Of tiny working system n1;, = wo.,,,
tom Yes. yes-well. in 1885 / came to
New York and made my first real pro-
fessional appearance on Tony Pastors
stage. / gave limitations of Lawrence
Barrett, Henry Irving. John Mccullough,
John A. Mackay, NJ. b. Curtis, and Frank
Mayo. in their famous characters. and for
a youngster / think / did fairly we'll At
ter doing my limitations in all the i'm
portant vaudeville theatres for several b
seasons. and travelling a season with
Frank Sanger. was engaged by Hoyt &
rNasal ~0ta rna
Hoyt farces. l originated the role of
Dodge Work in "A Brass Monkey and
acted it for two years. Then L originated
Col Maverick Brander, in A Texas Steer
in which role l appeared for four seasons.
My first theatrical venture on my own
account was in 1893, when | organized
company and went on the road in Lem
Kettle. The piece was not n success,
so i secured the rights to "A Texas Steer
and continued through another season as
Col. Maverick Brander. My next play
French theme, upon which at least TWEEN
ty pieces, including "A Pair of Spec
tacles. have been written. II is one of
my favorite plays. and some of these
days l shall revive IL. -
Early this season the Bostonians made
a tour through the Southwest and in
der to make the trip bearable a special
train, with the adjunct of dining car and
Pullman, was secured by the manage
ment. The porters who were in charge
of the sleepers Were not on good terms
and one of them was quite a character,
relates W. II. Macdonald. the popular
baritone of this company. Always a lover
Of good story and keen observer of
human nature. he tells of Bob" the
porter in question, with great deal of
relish
While Bob" enjoyed life in general.
ne didn't care much for the theatre and
spent his time when off duty and during
the intervals of the various stops en-
route shooting craps Finally, at Mr.
MacDonalds solicitation, he was induced
to witness performance of THE Sere-
made, and when questioned about it af-
ter the performance replied that he only
heard two acts and had left because the
third act was the same as the first This
apparent paradox was explained by the
synopsis set forth in the programme,
which read. Act 1. The Castle of the
Duke of Santa Cruz. Act 3. Same as
Act l."
This will be the last week of the La
fayette stock company under the manage
nent of Walter Clark Bellows and Thorn
as d. Long until next season. Contracts
were signed last week whereby these eff
dcient managers will have control of the
Lafayette stock company next year, and
the announcement comes as welcome
one to the people of Washington.
Too much cannot be said in praise of
the company's efforts during the season
which is now about to close Mr.. Long
IS a manager who knows his business
since he assumed control Of the front
IF the house Mr.. Bellows has a wide