The Topeka state journal., 1903-06-20
THEATRICAL NEWS
Richard Carrie Has Prod need
Another Successful Opera.
It Is " The TenderfOot," Now
Running in Chicago.
earle NEARSIGHTED.
No Matter What the Character
He Wears Glasses.
Other News of the Plays and
Players.

Richard earle. the leading comedian.
stage director and author of The
Ienderfoot," the operate comedy, now
ln its ninth week at the Dearborn the
after. Chicago. is really a most interest
ing character. Firstly, he is but S5
years Old. and is recognized as one OF
the foremost celebrities in the theat>
lteal profession today. inasmuch as hs.
has acted in more musical successes.
which he has staged. and has written
more songs. sketches and Operatic hits
than amy other American before the
pubic de was seen in Topeka in -Ihs
explorers, Of which he was the author
This statement Is most unusual when
one stops TO consider that a man hOll
ing the position OF stage director and
lending player Of an organization must
not only be possessed of dignity. but "a
record OF long years Of experience Ia
order 10 completely control or manage
the people under him, and Mr. earle g
record plainly shows that his stage as
sQclates in the past have not only been
people of varied experience but artists
OF distinction. The only solution OF this
staternent is the fact that Mr. earle
IS natural born stage genius and all
ways eNcmplifies his commands or di-
rections by executing the same, either
"a gesture. voice. pose or dance. him-
Mr. earle is sadly afflicted with bad
eyesight He cannot distinguish an obs
Jett nNe teet away from him without
Iue aid of his eyeglasses. and ne has
many times remarked that his bad eve
Hlsnl mas in "a way sharpened his mem
ofy hearing aad sense of feeIinse
[-stfs thins considered. however he SUI
As- no inconvenience. inasmuch as it is
or common occurrence for him to cor
iecL tne fault OF an actor who has
made a mistake many feet behind 4e
Inn INNS I mar he feels IT, and although
Ahe IendertQot company bars
HeFenty-hVe people, nevertheless he VIII
single out the person who is unluclc4.
enough TO strike the wrong note. even
= - Il known fact that the compan..
leei safer from his reDrimands when
tArt ale standing in front of him than.
NAeA ne Is standing in front of them.
because his sense of hearing and IN
Htilcl is so much stronger than his eve
s.snl, and he most naturally does nor
sIlfeiy give in to his afI7iction
l.l.l lls1 lel goers have noticed that no
matter what character Mr. C,arIa mas
assume, large pair of eyeglasses. arr.
o4"ass a part Of his makeup Even
Maen ne puts on his feathers and lone
S+.r,9S o.. one OF the st0rks in The
IN evidence. And they are ..nra ctioa r.
AtaSSes' 10 use stage expression.
LAat is, they are real eyeglasses mites
+--tA tAtieHtly strong lenses and ar5
more Tor use than for show He 49,.
s1sSrs as the Professor" in '.rrhe Nv.
p40rers' also A-@N-
The fact is that Mr.. earle is ~
ttFmeiy nearsiehted and without III,
eyeglasses is practically blin5 e ll9
- nhalng his way around even a
Htasr is concerned When he was
younger in the business Mr. earle used
- 90 occasionally without glasses. but
ne mad an experience once which tauebf
him the folly Of running the risk NJ
happened in London. when he was play
lls q straight PARK, in which eyeglasses
would nave been somewhat out of
AS an incident in the play. he had at
one tine IN the second act to leave the
stage az the left and run as rapidlv as
possible around behind the scenes So
moments delay. ON the fateful ni@hr
ne made his exit and ran behind the
seems to what he thought. with his de-
-eetlFe eyes was the proper entrance.
4 happened, however. that it was not an
TOT three feet from the 1oor with a
soha piece of scenery representing a
stone wall In his haste Mr. earle never