Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-09-19

last named work Mr.. Moulan enacted
light comedy role and won a decided tri
umph.
THE VILLAIN AND THE COLLEGE
BOYS.-+'The unique experience of my ca
reer," said Thomas w. Ross, the star of
Checkers" during the rehearsal yesterday,
occurred in my last engagement in San
Francisco. The villain of the play was
credited with ready wit, and the occasion
| of which l speak was the only time l had
| ever seen him ratified. He had made the
acquaintance of number of college boys,
and on the night in question, unbeknown to
any of US, they had purchased a row of
seats extending way across the theater. AS
| the curtain rose in response to a call at the
| close Of the first act, this row of college
youths stood up like one man and chorused
| with fine precision and loud voice:
I've do not like the villain!'
The line Immediately sat down. The au-
dience Uttered. The villain opened his
i mouth to speak, but abandoned the thought,
and when the curtain fell his face was
red as the setting sun. The next act was
one of nervousness for all of us, and the VII
| lain walked around the stage as II every
| moment he expected an explosion. But moth
| ing occurred until the rise of the curtain
| in response to another call at the close OF
| the act. Then the line of college boys rose
as before and chorused:
1--WE do not like the villain! He Is very
| bad"
The villain took a step forward to reply
as the crowd sat down, but he thought bet
! ter of it again and held his breath, or, pos
sibly, he couldn't think Of anything suitable
| to the occasion in the presence of ladies.
| The next act the villain acted as II attacked
with palsy, and we ourselves We're decided
| ly nervous; but the act passed off until just
before the curtain fell, when, again, the
college line rose and cried as in one voice:
| I'VE do not like the villain: He is very
bad! We will not give him three cheers.
We will give him cheer and half. Hoo
ray, Hoo,
NAMING A PLAY.-In conversation with
Mr.. David Higgins, the author of the new
play, His Last Dollar the writer asked
| him: How do you name your plays, any
way?' He replied: Don't expect me to
| answer this off-hand, because I don't
know My personal experience is that in
the course of writing a drama the title
changes, as a general rule. many times. In
some instances 1t isn't named at all; in
others more time is spent hunting for
proper title than in the actual writing of
| the play. Take the title of my first promi-
nent drama as an inStance-'At Piney
Ridge. The play itself produced in
California under another title. AS matter
of fact. II had several names. When it was
put up p It's first New York production
the late T. Henry French, manager of the
theater. was dissatisfied with the title, and
one afternoon. In a conference where all
the parties In interest were present, he gave
il his opinion that out OF all the names
offered. AT Piney Ridge best suited the at
| nosphere of the drama, and AT Piney
Ridge it became. 1t was remarked at the
time that the title meant nothing. described
nothing, and would be associated in the
public mind with all sorts of themes and
localities in no way associated with the real
action and place of the drama. 1t was also
remarked that it was the only title in
which the proposition at was the keynote
of the name. The play succeeded. The
title succeeded AS evidence of this last
statment witness the number of plays since
| written that have adopted the little word
1t was my intention to use it as a sort of
trademark, but as others seemed to have
come to the same conclusion l have drop
ped it.
Naming a play is somewhat similar to
the discovery of great inventions. 1t is so
simple and easy when discovered that
every says OF course But isn't it
true that all the right things and the hard
things to do in life are simple anyway? At
least l seem to find it so. AS a matter of
fact, l would rather write a play than
name it.
AN ODD BLENDING OF WORDS AND
MUSIC.-That words are considerably soft
ened by musical treatment is said to be
evidenced in George AIDES song Re
MORSE" which descants upon the insidi-
Gus effects of cocktail. The lyrics con-
vey nothing evocative of the ephemeral
delicacy of this beverage, and so lightly
has Alfred G. Wathall, the composer, han
died the subject that not even a member
of the w. G. T. U. could take exception to
this alcoholic support. The theme is or
chestrated, giving full sweep to the strings
with now and then a plant from an oboe
which calls to mind the memory of Greg
orian chant in far-Off monastery. Frank
Moulan in his Interpretation of this song is
so whimsically quiet and refined in his
singing and so doleiully repentant that a
constant ripple of applause and laughter
naturally follows the sultan's experience
with the great American beverage. A
stanza of the lyric is as follows:
1.-The cocktail is pleasant drink,
It's mild and harmless-I don't think;
When youve had one. you'll call for two,
And then you don't care what you do.
Last night hoisted twenty three
OF these arrangements into me;
My wealth Increased, I swelled with pr,de
I was del Fled lima and iSad