The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-03-16
THEATRE SEASON CLOSING;
GOOD PLAYS ARE COMING
"QuO VadiS" and care You Mason" at MOntgOn-
cry Theatre; Rentfrow's Pathfinders at
McDOnaldS All Week.

be Elsie de VOLTS departure from the
Savoy in The Way of the World to be
followed on March II. by Robert Edeson
in Soldiers of Fortune Sky Farm,
succeeding Charles Hawtrey, in "A Mes
sage from Mars. at the Garrick, March
ID. and the production by William Col
lier at an early date, not yet announced,
1T the Madison Square. OF Martha Nor
tons new comedy. The Diplomat. The
long run of ''Florodora ended last night.
This run nas been longer, than any ever
achieved In New York with the exception
of "A Trip to Chinatown "Florodora"
stage of the New York theatre roof. en-
titled The Belle of broadway"
Joseph jefferson. the dean of the Amer
in the country. will begin mis- annual
spring tour of five weeks, March 81 In
Mobile. His repertory as usual includes
the familiar RIP Van Wrinkle The
and Lend Me Five shfllings.' 1t will
be welcome news to thousands of Mr..
Jefferson's admirers to know that he Is
in splendid health and strength. and good
for many years of active work. His sup
porting company this season is an excel
lent one and includes Folliott Paget.
Blanche Bender, Georgia Mendum, Myr-
tie McGrain. Boyd Putnam. John Jack,
Joseph Jefferson. Jr., Henry L. Keane,
William Winter Jefferson, George Den
ham and others. with Mr. Charles B. JEFF
ferson as manager. Mr.. Jefferson will
appear In Montgomery the first week in
April In The Rivals
II can feel the effect and character of
an audience almost as soon as l step
out upon the stage" declares Hilda
Spong, who was seen in Montgomery this
season as the cook in Lady Huntworth s
Experiment
Before 1 make nv first entrance in
a play. 1 try to ascertain from those
who have been on, what kind of
house Is in front One time 1t may be
feel more confident of the bright points
being taken up. Then there is the
fashionable house the society element,
who come to be seen, and not to see or
enjoy. Usually different audience, in
temperament, assemblies at each per-
formance, and as a rule find Satur-
day night house is the coolest. l ad-
Just my efforts as strongly as l can,
therefore. to the temper and quality of
the people in front. On opening nights
an audience is usually inclined to en-
courage those behind the footlights,
and so l scarcely am affected by a first
night house-because / feel more at
ease"
The following story may prove inter-
esting to the admirers of Paderewski.
When he was at the Warsaw Conserva-
tory. he associated with Swietochowski.
Mozart They were talking one night
about Mozart, and the poet said that no
modern musician could approach his idol
even in the merest trife. Paderewsh
shrugged his shoulders for a reply. He
visited the poet one day. sat down be-
fore the plano and said: II should like to
play a little piece by your friend Mozart;
l don't believe you know 1t. He played
the minuet. The nearer was ezra ptured
and cried out: Now tell me honestly,
who today can compose anything like
that? We'll. l don't know answered
Paderewski, II wrote this minuet'
Richard Mansfield rather startled Gin
cinnati interviewer last week with the
statement that he hopes to retire not lat
er than five years from now.
Il am anxious to get away from this
existence on a veritable treadmill. said
the actor. Here we are travelling from
your horse you can't carry II around the
country with you. II you want to paint
or devote some time to literature you
cannot do 1t. It Is work, incessant work.
To the theatre and then back to your
hotel. passing strangers and meeting
strange faces until you long for home and
its comforts.
And then. again you go on and act,
putting your verv soul into your work,
and hungering sometimes for Just a little
applause. and maybe at the end OF an
hour of this terrible tension YOU do not
get even faint ripple. 1t Is hard You
have done your best. and sometimes 1t is
all for nothing. Do not understand me
that am complaining. I love to act. 1t
Is a grander art than painting, but there
are so few artists who take TO their work
seriously Playing a part that was Sc
lected for you owing to some marked in
divduality is not acting"