The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-10-26
F new dramatic presentations this

| - T new dramatic presentations THIS
- season the most successful thus
lE7 far is Mrs. Jack" by Miss
Grace Livingston Furniss, New
York city girl born and bred Its
opening is greeted with a smile. which
intensifies into hilarious mirth as the
pIav goes on. Women destitute Of hu-
NOR? Hear the dialogue. witness the
actors in Mrs. Jack" and never say
that again.
The story of how this new humorous
| drama-technicaIly called a farcical
comedy-happened to be written is a
good one. Besides that. 1t has never
been printed; so it viii be in place here.
There is in New York an organization
of women composed of writers and Ia
dies connected with the stage called the
Twelfth Night club. 1t is noted among
other things for the harmony and
corps spirit of its members. They
stand by one another as women should
and will always when they know
enough TO do so. A warm friendship or
wears has existed between two OF the
Twelfth Nighters-Aliee Fischer &C
tress. and Grace Livingston Furnlss'
author and playwright Both nave
merry sense of humor, which makes the
comradeship the more delightful
About 1893. Miss Furniss. favorably
known as a writer of short stories,
concluded that playwriting offered a
fine field for women. and she accord
ingly devoted herself to it.
Write a play for me-" said Miss
Fischer and she kept urging il year
after year Miss Furniss had the mat
ter in mind, but no central idea pre-
sented itself to work on till one day
Miss Fischer came into the Twelfth
Night club with story. A lady-an
acouaintance-had received under her
deceased husbands will some unusual
and embarrassing legacies. The lady
herself was a refined woman, young
and not experienced in the worlds
ways TO the extent of knowing what to
do with shares in a baseball team, a
race track and other sporting posses
sions. The unmarried superintendent
of a Young Women's Christian associa-
ton home would have been no mora
nonplused by such legacies than was
Miss Fischer's widowed acquaintance.
The actress herself was so amused by
the incident that she began telling it to
the Twelfth Nighters as an uproarious
Joke. Miss Furniss heard the story
and suddenly exclaimed:
'Shut up. Alice Fischer! There's your
play"
Miss Furniss had found her central
idea around which to build. That was
last spring. In two months the play
was ready. Miss Furniss herself said
of it when she finished it, Il think the
public will like it, but the critics will
dance all over it and me-" But even
she was surprised at the phenomenal
success of Mrs. Jack" 1t was written
around the character of Alice Fischer.
the tall, merry Indiana actress, the
most unconventional of women. That
is one secret of its success.
Alice Fischer is Mrs. Jack. and Mrs.
Jack is Alice Fischer" says Miss Fur
Miss.
Contrary to Miss Furniss' predictions.
many of the critics praised the play en-
Enthusiastically because of its very I'M
conventionality and originality. 9th
ers of the cut and dried cast Of mind
criticised their little best-or worst.
They roasted me-" says the author:
but 1 don't mind that because roast
is not a criticism"
MISS fuTDlSS udDiL OL SDiIpObll4on
is to wait till what she calls the CEN
trail idea Of play comes into her mind.
She does not look eagerly here and
there for it; she simply lets il come OF
itself Neither does she take notes Of
striking situations or dialogue TO weave
into her plot. She let's these, too. come
Of themselves. After the keynote has
been obtained she begins her play and
then works with amazing rapidity. AL
ready since finishing "]drs. Jack she
has written and staged a second play
"Gretna Green" 1t viii open in New
York Nov. with Elizabeth Tyree in
the leading role.
It was the delightful bumor Of Mrs.
Jack" that caused II to make hit at
once The saving grace or humor VIII
redeem any play or story from disaster.
Make me laugh; I don't care at what. /
only make me laugh. I am overbur-
dened and full of grief and trouble.
Give me q laugh" pleads the poor old
world And they who can still its cry
Of despair are paid well by It.
Miss Furniss and ner mother an in /
telectual socially distinguished Iadv /
live IN New York in winter and In
summer in their cottage or Nantucket
island. The daughter is very like the /
mother. Among the quaint old timey