The San Francisco call., 1904-12-31
BARRIE'S STAR
IN ASCENDANT
Now Disputes With Pinero
the Title of the Fore
most English Dramatist
HIS MANY SUCCESSES
Dancing Doll Fails to Draw
LOndoners to Theater and
1t Is to Be Taken Off
Special Dispatch to The can.


+ LONDON, Dec. 30.-For several years
Henry. Arthur Jones was in a position
to dispute Pinero's title of foremost
English dramatist more or less success
fully. but of late Jones has dropped
out of the running and given place to
the witty and resourceful author Of
The Little Minister" Since Pinero
made his last big hit Barrie has made
/ three with "Crichton,'' Quality Street"
and Little Mary" Probably he viii hit
it off again with the new play which
he wrote a while ago for Ellen Terry.
! In the meantime the most eagerly
awaited item of the season is Barrie's
new fantasy for chidren-and older
folk, too-which he calls Peter Pan;
or, The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up"
This is fairy story in three acts, and
no one who read THE Little White
Bird will need to be told that il re-
veals the author in his happiest and
most original mood. The piece will be
produced at the Duke of York's, and if
it pleases Londoners will be given in
the United States early in the new year.
A REAL FAIRYLAND.
has the misfortune to overhear his
parents discussing what they Will make
of him when ne grows up, whereupon
he determines never to grow up and
promptly starts for fairyland This
fairyland, by the way, is by no means
of the pantomime order, but that Of
child's imagination-filled with pirates,
redskins, crocodiles. wolves and other
Z g.. L. Ix@-vA
to think about. There will be a touch
of pathos, too, in one of the scenes,
which will show tender hearted moth
ers who have lost their little ones seek
ing for their boys or girls.
1t is promised that the scenic effects
of this play will be of the most aston
ishing kind. The cast which will give
the play in London will be a particu
larly strong one, including Nina Bouci-
cault who made such a hit in Little
Mary; Gerald du Maurier and Pauline
Chase, the erstwhile pink pajama
girl
PINERO'S DOLL A BORE.
Fifty-eight performances has ended
Pinero's comedy, "A Wife Without a
Smile" Certainly no play ever got a
more magnificent advertisement than
was bestowed gratuitously upon this
comedy in disguise" but all the talk
about the dolls suggestiveness and all
the fits thrown by Stead failed to draw
the London public for more than eight
weeks.
One would have thought that Stead's
declaration that he had been made to
laugh at hell" and the somewhat hys-
terical appeals to the Censor of other
critics would have resulted in the
dolls dancing for 500 nights. No doubt
it would have, had the public also
found the play immoral. Instead. 1t
seems to have found it merely a bore,
and so the DOLLS House." as some one
dubbed Wyndham's Theater, will close
on Saturday evening next.
1t will do Pinero's reputation no
good. Perhaps as it is the author of
"Quex" ought to be grateful. for If it
had not been for the discussion over
the antics of the doll probably "A
Wife Without Smile" would not have
run for fortnight. But it's four years !
or so since Pinero had a real success !
and those are not lacking who affirm |
that the premier playwright is written /
out. Iris was a comparative failure,
and Lefty" which William Faver-
sham is now using at home, had hard !
ly 100 nights to it's credit when it fin |
ished at the Duke of York's, whereas
''The Gay Lord Quex" was played 400
times or more.
What must make the situation espe-
cially annoying to Pinero is the fact
that his younger rival, j. M. Barrie, is
going stronger than ever.
"FAUST'' UP TO DATE.
Owen Hall has an original turn of
mind, and for the new burlesque,
which he is writing for George Ed
wardes. he has hit on a rather novel
idea He has written a new version of
Faust" in which Mephistopheles be-
comes a policeman and escorts Mar
guerite around the town. When COM
pleted the new burlesque will be pro-
duced at the Gayety. George Dance,
who wrote "A Chinese Honeymoon" is
helping Hall with his 1ibretto.
A new play by Captain Marshall,
who wrote THE Duke of Killicrankie''
will be produced in London by Charles
F'rohman about the end of January
Eva Westcott, the American girl who
came over with the Prince of Pilsen"
company, and, like Camille Clifford,
stayed behind, is now doing a success