The Washington times., 1901-11-24

Mr.. Mayo was rehearsing his company for
the road tour in .Pudd'nhead Wilson"
which eliminated in the actors death.
These rehearsals took place in the barn
at the Mayo home-Crockett Lodge-in
the little village Of Canton, Pa.
1t was not generally known that for
over ten years Mr.. Mayo had been at work
on drama. upon the success OF which he
builded high hopes. He had just put
/, some of the final touches to the last act
one morning when it became necessary
for him to go out to superintend re-
hearsal OF the 'Pudd' 'nhead Wilson" COM
pany.
Later in the afternoon the actor re-
turned to the library. intending to con-
tinue work on the new play. To his as
| tonishment the manuscript and notes had
disappeared from his desk.
The various members of the household
were called in and questioned, but none
| could explain. At this moment the mousse
| maid, County Kerry maiden, entered,
and the actor as a last resort asked her If
she had seen anything Of his play.
PLAY Phwat's thot2' he asked.
! Everyone began to explain at once, and
| the situation was really tense. Finally
light broke in on the domestic's be-
| logged mentality.
| oh" she exclaimed. you name thin
/ scraps O. paper thot were layin' out on tn
! desk?'
Yes, yes" came in chorrs. did
you see them?"
'shure. An I didn't see any use in
havin' things Uttered up, so 1 threw them
in the stove"
| There was moments suspense; no one
! spoke, for, though all knew that Frank
Mayo was patient man. it seemed too
! much to expect that there would not be
| a violent outbreak, with the labor of
years now hapless ruin.
But the actor merely glanced sadly at
| the frightened servant, turned on his heel,
and, without word, left the room.
| And in the falling twilight he was seen
! picking up stones and silently placing
them in position on a wall he was build
! ing about his garden. He never referred
to the matter afterward.
Acting" said Richard Mansfield to a
Times interviewer, sis a most difficult
art, and presume few realize how many
elements enter into the production of an
important play or the development of a
successful character.
After everything possible has been
done to guard against failure at any
point the unexpected often happens and
scene is ruined.
| For example. the actor may study his
lines with the utmost care. going over
them time and again in different ways
| until at last he seems to find the very
| best method of expressing the meaning
and creating the effect intended by the
author.
MI he ,fyt,t .aft h. -fNr
arrives he is subject to all manner of
yexing possibilities.
AT the most critical moment some
thing may go wrong on the stage. The
| gas or calcium man may fail of his duty,
| thus creating an absurd situation which
| battles the best efforts of the actor. In
the excitement and annoyance of the mo-
| ment the exact meaning of the incident
! as he intended to convey it to the au-
dience will be lost, and when the curtain
| falls he goes to his dressing room feeling
| quite upset and discouraged.
| Sometimes unusual noises on the stage
or in the audience break in upon a scene
to such an extent that the most carefully
rehearsed effects are rendered of no value
THE other characters are ratified for
get their cues and the business of the
scene, while / am painfully conscious of
, the fact that am giving the very shade
of meaning to the scene or to the lines
which it was my desire to avoid
Confusion in the audience is a most
aggravating form of disturbance to the
actor.
1T often renders his words inaudible
and brings down upon his head criticisms
| that are not deserved. Indeed, dramatic
performance depends upon SO many de-
| tails. all closely allied and each fitting
| into the other, that the slightest failure
at any point disturbs the artistic value
of the entire scene.
THE average theatregoer is not aware
| Of these facts. He does not know any
thing about the intricate machinery of a
| dramatic production or the possibility of
some sort of a failure at every point in
the performance.
If play in which appear, for exam
pie, does not go SO well as usual, he
jumps to the conclusion that am not en-
tireiy myself. whereas 1 may have been