The Washington times., 1903-09-13

He has had his portion of bitter expert
ence with the manager.
Nathan Hale" went Zip and down
broadway, from the Flatiron 20 the Long
Acre. until; when all hope had seeming
ly failed, its tragic hero was rescued
from a second and more terribly tragic
fate of neglect and was carried 10 popu-
larity by that arch comedian, Nat"
Goodwin.
1.-The Climbers" fell likewise under
the rule of the managers thumb. No
audience. they said. would stand for it.
What people want at the theater is TO
be allowed TO digest their dinners and 20
come away with the soulful feeling that
there is no such thing as unhappiness,
sin, and death. THE Climbers" began
with funeral and ended with a suicide,
When its delicate picturing of manners
and its keen thrusts Of cynicism were
| brought before the public II was upon
the broad, ambitious back Of Amelia
Bingham. 1t was quite as successful as
the tragedy of Nathan Hale. exploited by
Nat" Goodwin.
Such instances could be multiplied Nj.
Fitch has not yet. 10 our thinking, pro-
duced a play of the highest order Of
strength and consistency, but he has
shown skill Of all but the highest order
| in handling a wide variety of subjects.
and nothing is more certain than that
from year 10 year he is improving.
A Playwright or a Syndicate?
During the past year Mr. Fitch has
put the airbrakes on. banked fires. and
reduced steam. OF late years his popu-
I larity has shown signs Of abating. at
least with the critics. because of the ex-
tent of his production.
All last winter he wrote nothing. The
plan Of two plays had. however. been
maturing IN his mind. and last summer
he finished both. Her Own Way" in
which Maxine Elliott is to appear, was
written early in the summer at Taor-
nina. in Sicily. on the border of the
Mediterranean, and under the shadow. so
, TO speak. of the ruins OF the magnificent
Greek amphitheater. Writing about it
TO friend he described it as being on
the order Of The Climbers" but not so
fancy" and without functions" With
a characteristic touch he adds: Il hope
it's splendid, No harm in hoping"
Later in the summer, at St Moritz,
in the Alps he wrote the second play,
"Glad OF It," for Jessie Busley, which
he describes as purely comical in inten-
tion and. as he thinks, the funniest
thing he has written. We hope It is.
No harm IN hoping
With this comparatively limited out
put IT would seem as if people might be
induced 10 cease denouncing him for not
being playwright. but a syndicate. Yet
10 the superficial view he will appear
| TO have been as prolific as ever He
has still stock OF plays up his sleeve
which are waiting for a production.
Arthur Byron is to appear for the first
! time as a star in Major Andre" and
| Fay TempletOn is TO take a similar step
| in a musical comedy. THE Prodigy" In
Miss Templeton's piece there are several
neat and original touches in managing
the chorus and a number Of songs OF
extraordinary spirit and finish
II is said that Henry Dixey will ap-
| pear in The Last OF the Dandies, o"
! which treats OF the life and death OF
Count d'Orsay, and which Beerbohm
| Tree produced three years ago in Lon
don. We wish It were splendid, but we
have seen it.
"The Canterbury Pilgrims"
Next TO Mr.. Fitchs output. the most
| interesting feature OF the coming season
promises 10 be a poeticaI play on the
! subject Of The Canterbury Pilgrims"
with Chaucer in the leading role II Is
by Percy Mackaye. son OF Steele Mack
aye, and a Harvard graduate of several
years standing. Last year Mr.. Sothern
announced IL for production, and had
proceeded long way in rehearsal, but
on trial he found That, poetical as the
part OF Chaucer is. its dramatic value is
less than that OF "The Wife of Bath"
with regard 20 which Miss LOTUS felt
some trepidation, as 1t required her 20
don the disguise OF 2 beard and armor.
and otherwise to tread upon the verge
OF burlesque
Mr.. Mackaye decided TO offer the play
TO an acting managercss instead OF TO
All acting manager, and now Miss Bing-
ham announces that she will play II.
taking the part of the Wife of Bath.