Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-07-26

she was really as great as they sayT'
"Ah. that is it, Mr. Walcot said, n
little sadly. IAN actors fame is writ
ten In sand A painter writer or COM
poser can leave his work behind MS
tangible testimony Of his greatness.
The actors dies with II II does not die
before him Those who remember
wrangle about his qualities, and to 9th
ers he Is not even name"
"Rut a grOcer's fame Is written In
sand, u begin.
mo. his sugar" Mr. Walcot correct
ed, and laughing owned that he pre-
ferred the eyanescence " the actors
reputr 10 The grocerian oblivion.
"Yuu noted much with B0oth-to
sneak Of gloriuus memuries-did you
not2" | inquired.
yes. Routh was much with us ot
the Walnut street theatre A noble
playcr" replied BOOTHS uld-tinc con
frerc. 81 would play lago In his 9th
clio one night ile next Othrlo to his
lago. or In Julius Caesar We would
change about ian turn PLAYING one MI
Cassius. the next RruuIs The ncNt
Marc Antony oh. an actor had 10 have
q repertoire in those days. Think, re
would give in one week during ~ Booth
starring engagement SIX tragedies
putting them on with one rehearsal
apiece. OF course, the actor would
know pretty much what was expected
Of him For example, when Macbeth
was done Lewis Morrison, who was
with us then as second leads. >ould
know that BanQuO would be given TO
him. knew that I had to do Macbeth.
And 30 on The leading heavy or IN
genue. or juvenile was expected TO be
conversant with all Of the pNtb of the
kind I'm the legitimate repertoire, and II
was either do them or get out"
But in these days Of new plays
at is Of course different assented
the actor THE public viii no longer
tolerate the old plays. and with the
gentle disbelief Of another day do
not blame them There is no one now
10 play the old repertoire, The cry Is
all for the new play, and look at them.
each one worse than the last and their
writer's making fortunes | remember
Forrest paying only $4,000 for the
Gladiator one Of his most successiul
ventures. He could not now buy such
a play for $50. 600 And, besides, the
author must have his 70 per cent OF the
gross earnings Then practically all
% them are plagiarists'
And Mr. Walcot. instancing told how
a one-act farce, written by his father
for Joe jefferson. was taken TO London,
admired there by a Frenchman. who
translated II for the French stage.
seen in Paris by an observing American
and adapted by him TO the American
stage under the title Of Jane. a
great money-maker too" he added
Profitable business.
"Why don't we all write plays l
asked.
"Why. indeed" Mr.. Walcot smiling
" returned. 1T needs no brains now
adays! II is a simple matter, too
either frock and frill drama. or the
'sapho and Za2a" unspeakab'es. But
1t is wretched mistake. Scenery ana
costumes go only so far; the pays the
thing. after an Give the people some
thing to feed their souls and they VIII
hardly notice the trappngs of the
show"
Then. partlcularizing, Mr.. Walcot ae-
knowledgeed a strong liking for Plnero
and Wilde OF the moderns a half liking
for Henry Arthur Jones and a disliking
for Ihsen with r. c, Carton, captain
Marshall and II. V. Esmond coming
well into the vista OF consideration as
the more talented triilers.-San Fran
cisco Call.