The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-01-04
HAS A new PLAY.
Miss Blair to Be Seen No More
as GA Lady OfQuaIity.''
Her New Piece Is Romantic
Civil War Story.
LIKE JULIA MARLOWE
She viii Be Seen in Part Of a
Southern Girl.
Refuses to Give Name of the
Author.
LIKE JULIA MARLOWE

Eugene Blair viii leave "a Lady Of
Quality the latter part of this season
and viii take the road in a new play
which is now being written for her.
The new play is q romantic war story
and deals with the events surrounding
a southern girl and her northern lover
during the time of the civil war; The
new play will be the simple romance of
a typical southern girl The description
sounds much like Barbara Fritchie-"
The plot is laid in and around Rich
mond, Virginia. and part of the stage
settings will be adapted from scenes at
Miss Blair's country place, Edge
more
The play has not yet been completed
although Miss Blair has been Furnished
a synopsis of the piece Three of the
four acts have been completed and at
ter undergoing a few changes will be
adopted
Miss Blair has not yet selected 8. name
for the new piece and will probably not
do SO until shortly before it is pro-
duced
Miss Blair is very much pleased with
the new play and anticipates Tor II as
much or better success than that OF \
Lady of Quality" When talking of it
Miss Blair's eyes light up and smile
plays around her mouth as if she al
ready saw the public and the papers
praising her in her new role
Although Miss Blair is really getting
on in years she still plays the part OF a
young girl with cleverneSS and it is not
unlikely that she will portray the ylVac-
ious southern girl in her new play to the
satisfaction Of those who see her
Who is writing the new play for
your she was asked by a reporter who
called on her at her dressing room last
night at the Crawford.
'*Well,'' she said with a smile, Il am
not at liberty to tell you now. There IL
T&ra
ing the piece and it is the wish of the
author to remain unseen until the time
the play is first produced. You know
some authors are cranlxs about such
things and we cannot diyulge his name
until the proper time comes
ed.
Yes, a man. He has completed the
first three acts and / have looked them
over like them very much and after
making a few changes I think the play
will be produced as written
Miss Blair is one of the few stars who
directs and manages the stage as suits
herself In assigning the parts to the
various actors she reads the lines to
them and shows them what interpreta-
ton she wants put to them and works
with each individual until everything is
mastered and when it is produced it is
just as she wishes 1T. This is one of the
reasons for her great success. Failures
and dismal ones at that have been made
than does Miss Blair's, but it is on ac-
count of the fact that each individual is
pulling and doing his best to attract
praise to himself. This mars the work
of the company as a whole. With Miss
Blair's production this is eliminated. She
directs personally the work of each
member of the cast during the time they
are learning their parts and when the
play is produced a finished piece is the
result Her stage manager under her
direction goes over the piece with the
ia
players coached in their parts.
"A Lady of Quality" with practically
the same cast as presented it here last
night, will be kept on the road next
season, and Miss Blair will engage a
complete new cast Of well known people
to introduce her new play.
Frances Hodgson .Burnett's "a Lady
of Quality" as dramatized makes a
strong play AS staged and interpreted
by Eugene Blair and a well balanced
company. at the Crawford last night, it
gave pleasure to a fair audience.
There is no denying the fact that
Eugene Blair is not as young as she
used to be, but Of course she can't help
that and she certainly makes an almost
ideal Clorinda. Wildairs Miss Blair
might say with jolly Jack Falstaff. who
says: If to be old and merry be a sin,
then many an old host that know is to
be damned: if to be fat is to be hated,
then Pharaoh's lean kline are to be
loved
Several other capable actors are in
cluded in the supporting company. There
is James CareW, whose impetuous part
of Sir John Oxen, played opposite to the
lead, was smooth and well sustained
throughout. CaFew created a part in
James K. Hackett's Purple Lady,
Frederick Backus, the ubiquitous chap
lain, is a recent acquisition from the
Richard Mansfield company and he is
certainly a. pronounced success. Harry
Robertson left opera to assume the ten
der role of the Duke of Osmonde but he
doesn't look the part In the brilliant
serni-court dress and the courtliness
that accompanies the action of the play
some very pretty pictures are obtained.
The prettiest staging effect, both in
scenery and costuming, is presented in
the rose garden Of the second act Here
also is the very clever parting scene
between Sir John and CIorinda Wildairs
Eugene Blair rose tragically to the in
tensity of the untamable woman, when
told she was cast off as a toy, and the
whitening scorn she cast upon Sir John
was given great naturalness and effec-
tiveness-
When, goaded to desperation by her
pursuer, she kills him with her riding
crop, in the fourth act. the climax Of
the play is reached. A fine frenzy and
deep emotion is called for here and her
talent is taxed to the utmost. The