The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-31

| Chdnce Ormondc VIII have to go. and
| Just want to see the way he looks at her
| you know he was awfully In love with
her.
When the next theatrical season open.
\ 1t is very probable that q new star vii
| be flashing in the armament o. shakes.
pearean tragedy-a star of magnitude
whose scintnlatlons will cause other bo-
dies in the theatrical heavcns TO pale into
| the insignificance OF nebulous desuct ude
May Irwin threatens to play Juliet,
The making of this announcement Is
authorized by the hefty comedienne. who
| has been scaling the attitudes of comedy
| for several years and who now poses on
| so lofty pinnacle Of success that she
| requires q SpyglaSS to discern competitors
struggling below her-so her press agent
! states in a burst of confidence unusual
| t0r one engaged in an occupation Of which
| the chief requisites are redcence and
modesty
But comedy has begun to pail on Miss
Irwin. She is so funny at all times
another betrayal of the press agents con-
| hdence--that she has coptracted insomnia
| from sit ing up nights to laugh at the
comical things that suggest themselves 10
her This sort of thing, of course. dis
tresses her. for in this era Of snug fitting
garments Ii is impossible for one to laugh
| silently in ones sleeve, and her explosions
of mirth are prone TO disturb other pa
irons of the hotels in which she abides
Miss Irwin has about concluded to aban-
don the merry gag, the fOotlight chortle.
the gay quip, the festive comeback, and
other wiles of the Coincidence and have
herself warped into the balcony with other
Juliets.
why shouldn't play Juliet" demands
Miss Irwin. The public seems to
want Juliets Now. it has the bantam
weight in Miss ADAMS, the lightweight
Juliet in Miss Arthur, and the middle
weight in Miss Marlowe. Why not a
heavyweight Juliet? | could 20 on at the
weight with less than three weeks train
ing and put up a Juliet that would make
lot OF them quit. You know 1t has
long been my ambition to close my stage
career in the legitimate, and think
Juliet is a part that is just fitted To me.
have given the character much study.
and, although the part is heavier than
my past work. so am l.
Il think Juliet acted with considera-
BILE lack of Judgment to cut herself all
UP in the tomb when she found that Ro-
meo had killed himself Now. If l put
the show on. l shall change the. end of
the last act. / can't stand for that sui
eide business. I'll have Juliet collect Ro-
meo's life insurance and have a good
time with the money. 'f
Il have thought at times that other
lines could be improved and some of the
situations and business could be better
ed. Nov, you know that show was first
put on a long time ago. away back be
fore Maurice Barrymore got into 'voad-
veel, and they weren't quite the goods,
don't you understand? They had lot
to learn. For instance. when Juliet locks
the door of her room and drinks up
lot of dope that the druggist fixed up for
her, nobody knows what it is. If l put
on Juliet I'll have a light Manhattan
cocktail served for that potion scene.
I'm looking over the cast of charac-
tiers I see they have one named Samp-
son. Now. when L put on Juliet III give
Schlcy and Dewey a show. too. / don't
know that Sampson is so very many if
hlf1 met M. hfrf0Sa al To- M he
only admiral on the bridge. And. speak
ing Of the cast. L think 1t would be bet
ter from all standpoints. including the
balcony, TO cast Ignaccio Martinettl for
Romeo, and Joseph Sparks for Mercutio.
AS fer the other characters ii might be
good idea to work the Uncle Toms
Cabin idea and have a double company
two nurses and fouE CaDulets. and all
that. Certainly if Maude Adams is en-
titleu to one nurse | ought to have two
one to guard each side of me. or they
could take turns. four hours on watch
and four hours off. or something like
that | have also been thinking that it
might be feasible to get up an all-star
company. and have Mabel Fenton, Marie
pressler,. and myself cast for the Merry
Wives of Windsor although. | suppose
there would be difficulty in finding some
one to play the part of Mr.. Windsor.
Il have an ambition to play repertoire
too had some thoughts of 'Desdemona.
You see if | play Juliet / couldn't intro
duce my coon songs because Juliet had
no voice. But as Desdemona I could cut
loose. In that show l could have coon
making dates with Iago | could give
Othello the laugh and sing All COons |
Look Alike TO Me Then, later on. when |
he gets wrathy, and starts to hunt up a |
new fiat l would sing Well. You May
Co. But This VIII Bring You Beck and |
he'd have chance to sing i Guess That |
VIII Hold You for a While when he |
plants that pillow on my face After all. |
m beginning think IleSQarnnna
character would be the better of the two. !
don't want to drop my coon songs and |
Lhat would give me a chance to use |
them. | could sing my new one to Iago. |
i We Got Troubles of My own and |
Othello and | could work in Il cakewalk |
md buck dances, just before he hands me |
scene Othello could ring in another new |
song of mine by changing the sex and |
sing I've Laid Her on de Shelf. The
more think OF that DesdemOna charac-
Ter the more | like it
The Rentz-santley is about the only !
trademark left Of the multiplicity Of
attractions which NJ. b. Leavitt at one
line owned and directed, and it's survival
md popularity may in a large measure |
&C attributed to the shrewdness of Abe
i.eayitt, one of his brothers. who for
ears was its advance agent. and who,
vhen the crash came that sent his broth |
4
TJl of the organization. and has tena- |
iOusly chung tU it until today he enjoys |
more tangible than reputa-
ion. while his brother gets nothing but - |
mail royalty from the success he found |
d quarter OF Il century ago. Another |
,rother-Ben-Who managed the Ecntz- |
,antley company when Abe was in ad- |
'ance, died recently. but not before he |
iad established two theatres at Pater-
ION and acquired other interests which
much more than he could have |
Yer hoped for in NJ Is. Leavitt's service
rom which he withdrew, it might be
aid. Just in time.
IL might be impossible to trace the
auSe of NJ. 3. LcaTitts revsrses at this
ate day, although it has been scarcely
ishr years since he was one of the lead
~ and most responsible burlesque mana
-rs but his failure is no more remarkl-
lc than the success of men who were at |
10 time or another in his service. nota-
ly George W. LedercF until recently Oi |
he New York Casino and London ShafteS-
ury. wh" was one Of his managers.
nj the late Sam T. Jack. who was one of |
IS tr1asurers. II may be Interesting To
-call In this connection. especially when |
he RcntZ-Santley is all that survives. |
he success with which sam 7. Jack met
-hen he boldly booked the Lily Clay
ompTny in his own name and turned 10 |
tyaut1ge an attraction which NJ u. |
.tdvitt had abandoned. but which he |
vcntuully claimed. and for which ne de =
landed recompense when he saw another |
lcceed where he had failed.
The public often hears strange stories |
bout the fabulous salaries paid operate s
-arS for appearing before the footlichtS .
n about thirty minutes, the time occu-
led in dressing. etc. being, of course. G
!rOWn in. THESE amounts are often I'M I
lubtedly exaggerated. but it is a fact =
rat the services of musicians and singers
ere never valued as highly as they are
present. IL seems to make no differ [
nee whether a man is a singer or q play (
b: if he is a the top he can command his ! y
WI salary. The star pianist can make | (
much money as the star tenor. {
\ I'm * Of | =