The Topeka state journal., 1902-12-13
MAKES AUDIENCE ACTORS.
Manager Brady Makes Startling In
novation in Wellington Comedy,


Talk about novelties in theatricals!
William A. Brady concocted one for his
wife, Grace George. in her new comedy,
Pretty Peggy" this season which
makes the innovations of other stars
seem os conventional as a church war;
dens' meeting. 1t happened at Harris
burg, Pa.
The effect of it is to trasform, sud-
denly, his entire audience--parquet,
boxes, balcony and all-into actors, ana
to make them all contribute, in spite of
themselves, to the big situation which
is the climax of the play.
1t doesn't mean that the audience
must prepare themselves for the parts
they play. What they are compelled to
do as supers is begun so quickly and is
finished so suddenly that the thing is
accomplished and the impression is reg
istered almost before they realize it
The pretty Peggy" of the title Is
Peg Woffington,' the celebrated Drury
Lane and Court Garden actress of a
century and a half ago, who has often
figured as a stage character but never
before as Frances Aymar Matthews
represents her in Miss Georges play.
The new Peg is many years the
junior of the traditional Peg" 1t is
her early career that is used for comedy
purposes-from the time she first be-
came known in Dublin up to the time
of her love affairs with David Garrick' y
in London.
Peg" as Miss George plays her, IS a
buoyant, impulsive headstrOng. sharp
tOngued and good humOred girl with a
broad brogue and an aheetionate heart.
She picks her way gingerly and diplo-
matically through many love affair
until she fascinates the handsome
David Garrick"
As history has recorded. "Garricks"
treatment Of the clever impulsive ac-
tress was no credit to him, and it led
finally to the most painful event of her
career-when she was Kissed and in
suited by Drury Lane audience in
May, 1857, at a benefit for a French
dancer in which she had consented to
appear The recorded story is that
Peg fell. fafnting and hear broken. as
she attempted to speak the closing lines
of the epilogue from .'As You Like It."
This picture of torment and laWless-
ness. with Peg" as its central figure is
the climax of the new play. The scene
on the stage is the foyer of Drury Lane.
filed with Fallants. wits and the populace
The talk of the chara acters gives an ink
ling that the big Drury Lane is crowded
TO overnowing and that the curtain has
been rung up on the benefit. The audience,
therefore. can form definite picture in
the Imagination of exactly what is hap
pening in the story, but out of view.
Suddenly the theater becomes dark. tt
lasts only a minute and then the lights
flash up again to disclose the stage set
for scene of AS You Like tt Peg. -
as its central figure. is speaking the cpl
loSue
All at once a derisiye shout is raised
from the real audience and the people.
looking about them. find the boxes, front
seats and parts of the balcony and gallery
occupied by the actor folk. 'Garrick's''
rival bent upon undoing Peg in the
moment of her triumph. shouts insulting
reproaches upon her. in which others from
all parts of the house join 'Garrick's 81
friends come to her rescue, pounce upon
the offenders and, struggling drag them
from the theater- There is confusion all
over the house.
Then, as suddenly as before, darkness
comes again, and with the return of light
a moment afterward all the actors have
disappeared and are back in their proper
places, while Peg" trembling and faint