The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-10-20

!" far lis 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
play 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-technically called farcical
conedy-happened to be written is a
good one. Besides that, IL has never
been printed: so it will be in place here.
There Is in New York an organization
OF women COMPOSED of writer's and Ia
dies connected with the stage called the
Twelfth Night club. 1t is noted among
other things for the harmony ana
corps spirit of it's members They
stand by one another as women shouId
and will always when they know
enough 10 do so. A warm friendship OF
wears has existed between two OF the
twelfth Nighters-Alice Fischer ac-
tress. and Grace Livingston Furniss'
author and playwright. Both nave
merry sense of humor. which makes the
comradeship the more delightful
About 1898, Miss Furniss. favorably
known as a writer of short stories
concluded that playwriting offered
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 hac the mat
ter in mind, but no central idea pre-
seuted itself to work on till one day
Miss Fischer came into the Twelfth
Night club with a story. 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
wavs 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 more
nonplused by such legacies than was
Miss Fischer's widowed acquaintance.
The actress herself was so amused by
the incident that she began telling II to
the Twelfth Nighters as an uproarious
Joke. Miss Furniss heard the story
and suddenly exclaimed:
smut up, Ahce isShei' iheie youi
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 IL when she finished it, II think the
public will like It, but the critics will
dance all over IL and me-" But even
she was surprised at the phenomenal
success of Mrs Jack" II was written
around the character of Alice Fischer
the tall, merry Indiana actress. the
most unconventional of women. That
is one secret OF it's success.
Alice Fischer is Mrs. Jack. and Mrs
Jack is Alice Fischer" says Miss Fur
Mss.
Contrary to Miss Furniss' predictions
many of the critics praised the play en-
Enthusiastically because of its very un'
conventionality and originality. 9th
ers of the cut and dried cast OF minC
criticised their little best-or worst.
"They roasted me-" says the author
but / don't mind that because a roas
is not criticism"
Miss Furniss' habit of composition
is To wait till what she calls the cen
trail idea OF play comes into her mind
She does not look eagerly here anC
!. there for II, she simply lets III come U
itself. Neither does she take notes o
striking situations or dialogue to weav
into her plot. She let's these, too, com
of themselves. After the keynote ha
been obtained she begins her play an
then works with amazing rapidity. AL
ready since finishing Mrs Jack" sh
has written and staged second play
"Gretna Green" IT will open in NeI
York Nov with Elizabeth Tyree Il
the leading role.
{ Ii was the delightful humor of Mrs
> Jack" that caused ~ to make a hit a
, once The saving grace OF humor vii
redeem any play or story from disaster
Make me laugh; | don't care at what
. only make me laugh. / am overbur
, dened and full of grief and trouble
D Give me a laugh" pleads the poor oil
world And they who can still its or
OF despair are paid well by It,
E Miss Furniss and her mother. an in
4 tellectual. socially distinguished lady
4 live in New York In winter and Il
n summer in their cottage on Nantucke
{ island. The daughter is very like tn
mother Among the quaint old time