Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-10-04

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out. like Shakespeare. to write plays. Be
Deemster." had been dramatized by Wilson
Barrett. His failure wrathfully at
tributed by the author not to any dramatic
interest in the book, but to the want OF
skill in Mr.. Barrett. To maintain his posi-
ton in regard to 1.-The Deemster," he I'M
dertook unaided, the dramatization Of his
next novel, THE Christian" This resolu-
ton was received with joy by the wits, who
found in 1t a new opportunity to poke fun
at their favorite butt. The man was not
disconnected by their raillery. In order to
defeat them. and, at the same time, to save
attic venture, he produced The Christian
by the aid of his own family. At the copy
right performance, given in England, he
played the part of John Storm, his wife was
Glory Quayle, and the little Gaines filled the
lesser roles. High sport was aroused by
that performance, and the humorists be-
lieved that they had finished the preten-
sions of the ManXman. One of them said,
contemptuously, Hall Gaines look alike to
us and held that that ended the matter.
1t didn't. The tiny Manxman assisted
by accident. THE Christian having been
passed up" as they say Electrically, by
all the leading managers, finally fell into
the hands of Viola Allen and Liebler & Co.,
with the result known to all playgoers En-
riched and encouraged by his first drama,
the ManXman has attempted second in
The Eternal City" which also is to be
played by Miss Allen. Thus Hall Caine, be-
lieving himself to be like Shakespeare. is
really becoming like Shakespeare, at least
to the extent of being recognized play
wright. AS one wit has put it. he will be
writing sonnets next. holding himself TO be
the father of English drama and the alter
ego of Lord Bacon.
Cyporpa he representative
of The White Slave" company, tells of the
following experience with a hotel keeper:
Last season while in the far southwest
1 was hooked up for a day in Tucson, Ariz
about the last place on earth. After fin
ishing up my work around the theaters
and newspaper offices l had time on my
hands to burn. The train 1 was to catch
to the next jump did not arrive until
am. So upon retiring l had a heart-to-
heart talk with the landlord, and told him
to be sure and call me at $3.50. I retired
and slept the sleep of the just until there
came loud rapping on the door and upon
inquiring the reason for such commotion 1
was informed by the landlord that 1t was
$50. l hurriedly dressed and grabbing my
hand baggage hustled down the stairs into
the hotel office. l rushed over to the desk
and asked the landlord where the hack was
that would take me to the depot "Depotv
he exclaimed, there's use going to the
depot, the trains four hours late" Wei,
l was dazed at that proposition, but as the
landlord looked like human being only
every now and then, L saw that argument
was useless, SO l went on back upstairs
l threw myself dressed on the bed thinking
TO read for a while, but soon / was DOING
and the next time l remembered was the
sun streaming into the room in broad day
light. Thinking it must be train time
rushed down again, and a glance at the
office clock told me it was S:15, exactly a
quarter of an hour after the train was
due to hesitate at that village. A glance
outside showed the village hackman bring
ing in a few forlorn commercial travellers.
who seemed sore at the prospect of day
in that town. Well, l went over to
Mr. Landlord and yelled: Say, why didn't
You call me in time to catch that train
Why didn't you tell me- he exclaimed, you
left a call for $50 but you didn't say a
you sleep There was no more to be said;
l spent the day exploring Aztec ruins, went
to a show at the Opera House that night,
but after the show l went over to the
depot and campcd out until the train came
along, as l couldn't take any more chances
with that landlord"
For twenty years BARLEY Campbelrs THE
White Slave" has been offered to American
theatergoers, and for twenty years has this
typical American play interested the fol-
lowers of the Cranla. Had BARLEY Camp
bell lived to reap the fruits of this and
others of his plays he might, ere this have
carried out a plan that he formed early In
his career as a play writer and which he
fondiy cherished up to the day of his death.
on numerous occasions he discussed the
tragic ending that some Of the greatest
plays ever written-such as Romeo and
y,,I;.
pressed the opinion that the public would
much rather see a happy ending than a
sad one for these pieces. IF ever 1 get
money enough he frequently declared Il
shall rewrite some of these plays, beginning
with Romeo and Juliet and defy tradition
by giving them happy ending. 1t will be
an experiment, of course, and Ii will be
necessary to have a lot of money to carry
the project through, but in the end, / be-
lieve, 1t will meet with the approval of the
pubic and the money expended prove
wise investment" He never lived to see
his purse sufficiently full to carry out his
pet scheme, and no one has had the temer-
ity TO try 1t since.
During his stay in this city. between
laughs. Lew Dockstader submitted himself
to catechism as follows:
rs it true that you will join forces with
Klaw & Erlanger next season."
at is"
What is the nature of the enterprse?"
"Minstrelsy, on the greatest scale ever
before attempted
There have been very large companies
in the past; have there not?"
Yes. but this will be huge, and cannot
ma word to express the magnitude of 1t.
Colossal. mastodonic and megatherian will
not convey the size of it,
VIII 1t be like Africa or "Tuxedo?'"
Certainly not 1t will be unlike any,
thing ever produced of the minstrel nature.
In the first place, the costuming will be far
and away in advance of anything ever at
tempted in that line. The designs of these
costumes now in Messrs. KIaw & Err
langer's Office. F. Richardson Anderson
kiaw & Erlanger's art designer, who has
created all the beautiful and dainty cos
tunes for all OF their great productions
has simply surpassed himself In the designs
already submitted"
Your present company has been very
successful. has 1t not?'
tremendously SO. 1 have no hesitancy
In saying that during the four years of
partnership (this being our fifth season. we
have scored better in financial and artis-
tic sense with Primrose and Dockstader's
minstrels during this time than any min
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