New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-11-09

The little one act study from the French OF,
Jules Renard. called Carrots" now being pre-
scented by Miss Barrymore, Mrs Pitt and Bruce
McRao. has brought several curious and il
Eliminating characteristics Of American audiences
and Of al least one American manager. Indeed.
the inside story OF the production of Carrots Is
almost interesting the play itself.
In the first place. there but four rehearsaIs
And that is no. because We were careless, said
Mr.. McRae the other day. hut because actually
more needed. At the first Of these rehearsals.
too read our parts out OF the book. The reason
that needed is found III the lit
erary skill with which the dialogue is put together
have been in many first rate plays which were
not constructed by a with fine literary sense.
and which, accordingly. had TO be much rehearsed
make them 60 But the dialogue Of Carrots flows
naturally. with such delusion Of life. that we
had merely 10 speak the lines We had learned and
the play reheaTsed. 1t IS, / assure you, a
genuins pleasure TO play in that little study
But after Carrots had been rehearsed came
trouble with the audiences How any one could
ma an!thpg 10 laugh at in The pathetic STUDY OF
nor her companions couid understand; but al the
iiTst performance half the audience DID laugh AT
the inopportune moments. TO the especial dis
create an opposite eject. When Bruce McIRae. the
father OF carrots slams the blind In the mother :
in.s have been cIf out OF the dialogue entirely
5ecause they caused 50 much laughter In
New-lork. as seriously to mar the impression OF
the play. For example, Carrots notices that ms
father docs not look his mother in the taee: ana
asks II he. too, Is AFRAID OF her ana the IatheI
answers. There other reasons why do not
look her in the face This speech was one OF the
Wise, and had 10 be cut out at once. Charles
Bigelow, who attended performance in order TO
asdue called Onions earned the gratitude of the
a 5 east ~ TespHs hamdTst they declare
has far appreciation OF pathos than the most
long faced layman. Perhaps there Is as nuch uuth
az ycEation in their remark
But there Vas another Gus made in Carrots"
n he
ence II was made at rehearsal. while the manager
whose FDpire is not confined 20 Broadway and
Fortleth-st was present When the play came 10
this city many people remarked Oh the fact that
The mothers hard hearted attitude toward Carrots
not sufficiently explained To be probable ana
some who had seen the piece in London or Paris
p declared that something had been omitted in Miss
Bsfrymore's version. Then Il developed that In the
original play after The mother leaves the yard IN
tantrum, the father explains TO carrots the feS-
for his mothers unmOtherly feeling BEFORE the
boys birth he saws husband and wife had quar-
relied and when Carrots came he was not wanted
The passage IN which This explanation occurs does
OCCUPY over page OF the text. nor does II re
Quire more than three minutes IA PLAYING AS soon
But al the rehearsal the manager whose name name
.azls Carrots should cross the stage and go
through the business OF shaking his fst as soon as
szid. was the dramatic moment FOR the action
~ may be guessed that the menDes s 81 ~. az ,eWt
ana essential ~ brief cut. But y they ga
6s wss , 70 no svS 1s seized more than
hundred and hfty seconds Of precious ume vas
EFF 20 wonder what had happened TO the play:
rss5 s9nsl direction by an baon "''
niss Hllda sponS left fhs cast Of I1 fast
week ~ Join william Falershsm In hls ne" play
'' Lsmond and her place as Fanny sylFein vas