The San Francisco call., 1904-07-09
Plot Of Bdrretf'S Ne7U Play.
Special Correspondence.

HEADQUARTERS OF THE CALL,
HENRIETTA STREET. COVENT
GARDEN. LONDON, June 23.-Wil-
son Barrett certainly has the knack of
finding effective plots for his plays.
The Never, Never Land" the drama
that this actor-manager recently
wrote for his own use. contained a sit
uation that was practically new, and
the idea Of Lucky Durham" which
Barrett produced at Liverpool the
other night is even more striking. 1t
tells the story of a mans scheme for
bringing down vengeance on the head
of his own father The parent is Lord
MOuntfallOn. a wealthy and pleasure
loving English peer. who has betrayed
woman Of lowly birth. and Durham.
the hero Of the play is the illegitimate
child Of the two. At the beginning of
the drama we see him, as a young
man, handicapped by the stain on his
birth and determined to revenge him
self and his mother. and throughout
the play the day of reckoning comes
nearer and nearer. Durham's nick
name OF Lucky is well deserved.
y
plan Of revenge comes to him as it
came 10 Monte Cristo and he gets to
be a great financier. His plan is to
ruin Lord Mountfallon. to get pos
session Of his ancestral home and TO
install his mother there. but the piece
ends dramatically with Durham turn
ed from his purpose by the mother,
just as he is ready 10 strike the final
and crushing blow. The plays recep-
ton at Liverpool was so enthusiastic
that Barrett means to bring it TO Lon
don as soon as possible. and / under
stand that the disposition Of the
American rights is already being
discussed.
1t really does seem as if a new pian-
list Of the first rank had arisen. He is
an American, too. although he has
been eighteen years away from home.
and is now, perhaps more Teuton
than Yankee. His name is Otto Voss
and his two piano recitals in London
have focused on him much critical
attention, the general feeling being.
apparently. that even Paderewski has
found rival in this clean cut. solid
looking young man of 28 or 20. When
he was or 10 years old he appeared
IN New York few times as a wonder
child pianist and since then has been
studying in France, Germany and
Austria, putting on the finishing
touches with Paderewskf's teacher
the mighty Leschitizky, and finally be-
coming the assistant of that famous
producer Of great pianists. Voss left
Leschitizky 10 become first professor
Of the piano at the Cologne Conserv-
atOry and is now well launched as a
piano virtuOso. He is a rare com
pound of strength, delicacy, really
marvellous technique and emotional
qualities pretty we'll under con-
troll and has the personaI
magnetism that made the diff
ference between Won Bulow and Ru-
binstein, for example He is not what
would be called a pretty man. but
he seems TO have enough virilitv. sin
cerity and steadfastness to carry hin,
lar indeed. At any rate. Won win
PROBABLY have an opportunity Of tudg-
ing of him. for he is planning to male
q bag Americn tour late in the al
tumn.
We expected better things Of Max
Pemberton. His first play, THE Finish
ing School, which was brought out at
Wyndham's last night, is genuinely
amusing in spots. invariably pictur-
esque and occasionally rather dramatic
but when il was announced several
months ago that there was to be a
stage piece by the author of The Gar
den Of Swords" and .Kronstadt'' wa
looked for something decidedly original
in the way of plot That, however. is
exactly what Pemberton has not given
US, for his heroine is just another Lady
Ursula, who dOns boys clothes in order
10 visit her love therein and PROMPTLY
gets embroiled in duels and that sort
of thing. Oddly enough. we had the
same situation at Wyndham's a few
weeks ago. when The Sword of the
King brought over from the United
@sates-gave Ida Molesworth an oppor-
tunity 10 swagger about in knicker-
bockers during the short time that the
Ilay lasted
IL was announced some time ago that
arrangements were complete for pro-
ducing PembertOns maiden comedy in
the United States. and after some prun-
ing has been done it may enjoy some
favor with audiences at home
Charles Wyndham revived THE
Liars at his new thester last evening
for the last time. For the last. because
the acting rights Of this Jones play
VIII run out at the end of next week.
The author, however. was not on hand
10 oversee the rehearsals- Mr. Jones is
at the seaside working on a new play.
which il is understood has been COM
nnissioned by Wyndham.
BobrikOfS Killing Expected.