The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-06-21

The coming Shakespeareau boom is going
70 bring woe TO many a dramatist-Ameri-
can and otherwise. Anybody can appear in
4 s play by Shakespeare but when manager
puts on play by modern author. he must
( pay from TO 10 per cent of the gross re-
cei2ts. 1t can readily be seem then. that
the so-called return of Shakespeare is
viewed with chagrin by the successful
drsmatlsts of the hour. They see in pros
poet the shutting eff OF the golden tide of
royalties.
Any playwright who has drama pro-
dCced and used for the season by players
OF the caiiber of either Viola Allen. Nat
{. Goodwin. Julia Marlowe or Richard
Mansfield may count on snug little for
tune The average weeks business of any
one OF these popular stars might safely
he put at $1,000 while each of them have
single weeks which amount TO Sl5,Oe9 or
more.
Hail Game, for example. received nearly
ss@p in royalties from Miss Viola Aliens
frst weeks receipts in THE Eternal City"
while the royalties on the season amounted
10 5000. Mr Goodwin. Miss Marlowe and
MT. Mansfield. like Miss Allen. have paid
dramatic authors hundreds OF thousands of
Cellars during the past half dozen years.
All OF these players except Miss Marlowc
VIII appear in Shakespeare's plays next
season. Hence it will be seen that Miss Al
len. Mr. Goodwin and Mr.. Mansfield will
save thousands Of dollars which would
otherwise be paid TO dramatists.
1t is not likely that when Olga Nethersola
comes to this country TO star under the
management Of Weber & Field next wear
she Will try to secure the rights to THE
Gordian Knot" which Beerbohm Tree re-
Gently produced and in which the English
actress has been playing the principal
feminine part
The play is counted ore of the worst that
has been offered in London in some time 1t
was written by a member of Parliament
too. The plot provides the old, old situa-
ton of a man of wealth and talent ensIayed
by an adventures.
He has man friend-a cripple-who is de-
voted to him and who sees with horror that
his comrades passion for the woman, who
Is growing more weary OF him every day
is likely to prove his ruin in more ways
than one. So the cripple cuts the Gordian
knot by strangiing the courtesan with her
own hair, and thereby supposedly saves his
friends future
Hardly had the curtain fallen the first
night OF the play. when the pit and gallery
broke forth in an uproar that was ear
splitting. Mixed up with it were insstent
cries for the author. whom the "pitties''
especially were anxious 10 boo and the
terrific din soon brought Beerbohm Tree be-
fore the curtain.
BY this time the whole theater was in a
roar ana the actor-manager must have
waited fully five minutes before ne could be
heard. Then he managed to announce that
the author was not in the house"
Which is extremely fortunate for the au-
thor. came d voice from the pit
''But,' added Mr.. Tree, Il will convey to
him the congratulations of the vast majority
OF the audience"
That was too much for any ones gravity.
and the stalls, pit and gallery Joined in a
burst Of laughter. Then the audience filed
out, after one of the hveliest rumpuses ever
seen in fashionable London theater.
Stuart Robson stories continue to be re-
Vived. No man had more "reminiscences
with which to resale an interested group of
listeners than the veteran comedian, and
now that he has passed they are all being
told anew.
. "A very pompous old fellow attracted my
attention one evening in restaurant" Rob
son related. This old chap had the stiff
dignity Of an Emperor, and it suddenly
occurred to me that ii would be amusing to
give him some sort OF a shock On the spur
of the moment l walked up behind him,
slapped him en- the back. and exclaimed:
Hello. George. my dear fellow, how are
your
He turned so suddenly that he upset his
plate. He was wild with rage.
why, don't know you. sir. How dare
you take such liberties with me-? he slut
tered.
Il apologized. saying that had mistaken
him for some one else, but he could not be
Modified. AS I withdrew he glared scorn-
fully. after me. all red and tremulous with
anger.
Crane and were playing together at the |
time, and in a little while Crane, with |
whom / had an appointment to dine. ar