The sun., 1901-09-15
AN ACTOR And AN ACTRESS.
norm TURNED INTO STARS M
AN AsTtTE MANAGER
Their Participation In the Tive Dran,As
That We're introduced IN New orb
Last wrea stage Poets Who write
Verses That Nobody WIN Purchase,


Verse. That Nobod, WIN Purchase.
by a coincidence the two new dramas
introduced at New York theatres las, week
we're led Ia the acting bv stars whom Daniel
frohman had made lie had begun his
management of the Lyceum by putting
the name of Edward II Sothern into hig
letters and his latest act there was 10 do tho
sane for Bertha Galand. Nj Nothern
had been al awkward noyic" at the outset,
with IN. fame ~ his dead father at "uce q"
recommend him to motto. AID q invite
cruel contrast The business - starring
him was profitable quickly. but his pruf'--
sipnal rise vas slow and hard II there
ever was an actor who earned distinction
by lAboriously acquired merit that actor
IL he To have at length reached an altitude
on which he can play HdmLei with marked
reeemhlances 20 Edwin Booth yet withou,
distressing differences is the best eN idence
that II was worth while. In art a. well as
commercially, TO make "A star Of him Miss
Galland II not as raw material To begin With.
She il about Rs new to the stage ~ Mr..
Sothern WAS. but. with fom'nine grace and
ductility. che has much more quickly be-
come tolerably proficient. Whether sho
vii continue In rapid progress cannot be
foptold She possessrs already a. much
facility as the average ~ young actresses
assigned 20 leading roles In good companies.
and indicates deal ~ s;ill latent talent
MI Fruhuan il almost sure 90 open career
for her
Tho newest Of the outcries ~ tho cRrpe-s.
those who believe that whatever l. un the
stage l. wrong or pretend to. s deuun'ia-
tion Of such star-makiug processes aS have
h.an applied To Mr. Sothern and NlS- Gal
land They say truly enough that very
few uf th" stars are more caiahlc than
some neinbers II their Companies, that
attractive personalities are rated above
merit iu acting. and that matinee Idols
~ both sc1es are sct out for the worship
of the inconsdcratn multitude They
ar. foolishly mistaken when they further
declare that formerly player had 10 rely
solely on dramatic art for exploitation
on the stage. and that To bc d star IN IN"
palmy davr- neces-itat"d a command ot
extraordinary Accomplishments IL was
never 80. In the by-gOne days ~ resident
stock companie- and visiting stars the
latt.r ranged lower In every respect than
do the starr of to-day Tn" frow-y mum
m-r. now seen only IN farclCal cari'aturo,
wa- then familiar type. Tho theatrical
circuits wcrr travelled by star who were
40 cheap that they often got nothing Tor
weeks work except one-third Of th" regular
Friday benefit night. and al that wore
paid all they wore worth They we're
ranting tragcdianS, grimacing comedians.
rough burlcsquers and all the other kinds
- crude players that have since h"en rc-
duced In numbers and subjected go gem
,rally improved public taste But neither
then nor 81 late has /, been possible for
Managers 10 make stars at vii only
men and women whom audiences will accept
can now bc proftahly exploited.
Tho drama VI sed last week 10y Mr. Sothern
was curiously good had and indifferent
The nr-t act Of Richard Lovelaoe- in
troduced a ragged and upSy poet, nut tho
rags we're a disguise. the tip-incss passed
of. and he soon stood revealed as gallant
cavalier That was directly In the line Of
many heroes in romantic fiction. and Mr.
Sothern was their captivating descendant.
The heroine. too. was a familiar creature
of novel and play the girl who falls head
long into the arms ~ tho chap whose y"r~"-
have captured her fancy There was moth
iug new OF strange IA the encounter -
these two. and when the curtain felI on tho
If~t Hfl iilf hlNlf'liF NhN HANl'At'Ha NANfA AtiN
situation that Laurence Irving had brought
about and waited with confidence Tor newer
and more Original excellence to follow. The
second act was, therefore. disappoint-
nent when II was found To 10 "a mere tur-
moa OF yell and pell-mel 10y tho girl, her
father and her rival wooers II had been
given out by Mr.. Sothern that Mr. lrviugs
COPY 81 the play was 80 explicit IN direction
for the performance, down To the smallest
details. that nothing had TO ne settled
NJ rehearsals II may be that the author
wished thoea four characters 20 60 through
the movements that they did, hr j. II
possible that he told them to shriok so'
The ensuing third and final act was quiet
pathetic contrast TO Its immediate pre-
dece.sor aud the death ~ the half f-cTak"d
and wholly broken hearted poet was de-
picted 10y Mr.. Soth-rn tellnRlv.
lis too late in the day 81 American uuu-
tariatiisn 90 draw tears from an audience
over a poet who stSrves In garrett l"Caus"
he cannot san his verses and will not
20 10 work At sonnet hing el-e. iorciGcs's
case ~as nathctic. however, as he was
MANNED and neglected soldier. with only
tho remnant Of wrecked hfe left in him, |
and his brain ~ added that when he re- .
proved his landlord n cruel m demanding /
the pavmcnt OF overdue rent the nonsense Of .
HIS pitiful plea WAS touching Andrew .
Nack's Tom Moore il hal" and hearty .
rhymo-ter. and one fcrls for it'll" while .
like telling him to relieve his poverty hy .
dropping his pen and taking up plckaSe,
bu, he is ~ Jovial In his had fortun', 80
good In his tricks To appeasc his
lsndlady and 20 quick 10 pay
her with the first money he gcts. that he
does not fall into the contempt which
Americans ins,inctively fccl Tor tho-c who
wall for Heaven 10 help them tut will not
work n help themselves. -Chatierton.'
Richard Savage and many another
tragedy based Oh the -,Ifferings 81 men who
insist on making things they can't sell
havs failed 60 grieNe our audiences satis-
factorily Writers ~ plays would do well
Io take COUNSEL Of the temper of our people