The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-06-13

'rwiH the other lady there please not
bend her knees2"
You Miss Stanley, don't stoop."
Miss Stanley, so-called, makes frantic
signals to indicate that her name is not
Stanley at all. but Hammond
Well says Mr.. Mitchell, fretfully,
when / say Stanley I mean Hammond
always. Please don't forget that"
But he is not forever shouting at his
people. They soon would grow used to
that and cease to heed it. Sometimes
he employs the admonishing Tut, tut,
tut" of the schoOlmaster, sometimes the
tragedian's hollow moan and gesture
of despair. Again he viii make horrible
faces, and still again win seem to be
crying silently. as though there were No
use in struggling longer against fate.
And sometimes his manner is that of a
stern but loving parent, and in tones
that mingle sorrow, reproach and
wounded pride he says, You ought to
be ashamed of yourselves. I would be
if I were you"
Meanwhile the people whom he be-
rates respect him thoroughly, and 1t
would be within bounds to add that the
conscientious ones are fond of him. For
they know he is just. and they have
more than once enjoyed the sweetness
of his praise. But when he is handling
the nervous, puzzled, fretful troops of
men ana women VINO are ledEnilS HIS
intricate marches and novel dances you
could hardly describe him as an amia-
BILE figure, and you would not guess
that he begins every one of his worried.
turbulent days by sending off a fondly
worded telegram to Mrs. Mitchell
Sometimes Musical Director Hirsch-
field relieves him for a few minutes at
rehearsal. He does not presume to lee
ture the chorus people, his only word
to them being, as the pianist beats out
the time of the marches, Keep the time,
for the love of dear heaven, keep the
time" Then Mitchell. a little rested,
leaps back to his task with fresh adj
mOnitions and corrections, saying to one,
NO no don't oVerdo IT." to another,
Put some life into it." and to still
third. Put more life into it, but don't
overdo it''-thereby juggling three pro-
positions simultaneously, but keeping
them all distinct.
And it must be remembered that all
this time Mr.. Mitchell is keeping in
mind the details of the preparation of
a dozen sets of scenery, most of them
involving elaborate mechanical effects,
and HOO costumes. Besides he must
look after the work of more than 30
ambitious. jealous principals. each one
of whom poses as being utterly dis
heartened over the hopelessly worthless
part he declares Mr.. Marlborough has
written for him. And Mr. MacDonough
QlnlEElI IS d LNlnS picture VI NOCt III al
the principals are demanding of him
why they have not received the song
that it was distinctly understood he
should write for them when they con-
scented to accept Mr.. Hamlin's offer TO
create part in The Babes in Toy
land" The unhappy librettist, knowing
that his book already contains all the
lyrics it can be made to hold, grlns fee
bly, and says: MY dear man, your song
will come in the third act. you know"
sgrrHH f1f II ~
when he has to deGl with hungry prin-
cipals For he knows that when his
third act is definitely put in rehearsal
the piece will already be running 50
much over three hours that the last act
will be ruthlessly cut by the stage di-
rector and that autOcrat's decision will
not be questioned or his character i'm
Duened He would not care If 1t were,
for merciful providence has blessed
him with deafness and he cannot hear
the unkind things that are said about
him. Only once indeed has any body IN
the cast of THE Babes in TOyland
made his or her resentments heard 70
Mr. Mitchell. At yesterdays rehearsal
he made a mistake about the sex or
part assigned to one Of the young Wo-
men. supposing her role to be that OF
a girl whereas he had previously as
signed her to a boys part
I When she proceeded to act in accord
ance with the original instructions he
said. There, there, there; don't even
know your name-yOu're girl
Marching straight toward him the
/ daring creature shouted in his ear:
I'm a boy."
He smiled one of his infrequent smiles
and said: tHumpht"
Then the words ran through the SER
ried ranks that had looked on in silence.
.'She called him! My goodness, she
called himl"
/ The only man concerned in the busy
! scene of preparation who seems able 70
extract amusement from it is Fred Ham
/ lin. Into his ear everybody pours a tale
! of woe and a precise catalogue of some
/ body else's shortcomings. The leading
+ comedians show him tattered slips OF
1 brown paper covered with lead pencil
marks and tearfully ask him If he calls
that a part worthy of man who has
made a hit on Broadway and commands
$500 a week"
Then the librettist comes and init
mates that if the aforesaid leading COM
edians don't stop taking liberties with
+ his book he'll know the reason why. And
mechanics describe their trials and press
+ agents tell him how there never was a
show so handicapped for lack Of photo
! graphs of the principals. The chorus
/ people make dark threats Of their de-