The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1904-04-03

Iand7 Major Andre Is, q course. looked
upon here as = SPY
You think the play itself good2 -
Most assuredIy- think clyde Fitch
il his way the biggest man in the
country" the actor testified He wrote
both Major Andre and Her Own Way
last season and Her own Way is IN
Questio1abIE one Of the successes OF the
year. And II has been an awful season
in New York. I'll tell you" and then
Mr.. Byron told me. IN the same neat
way IN which his grease paints were
lined I'd at his right. just what was
the matter with the American drama
Some Of rs have thought IL was the
plays. some have thought IL was a
brute public. some have thought il was
the decadence Of the player It turns
cut however. that fits none Of these
What is the matter with the plays
to-day. the actor decided, is the lack
Of stage direction The stage manager
has not the power that ought 10 be
vested IL his hands This VIII illustrate
what mean played once in 4. drama
that the author staged He cOllaborsted
with Us al throughout the rehearsaIs.
Every point was made exactly as IL
vas intended. with the result of a per-
feet production Then the author went
away No more supervision What
happened I suppose actors are weak.
and we drifted into careless ways A
gesture would be interpolated here. and
somebody would put an An there, and
50 on until the whole thing got blurred
Where was your stage manager
"Ah. that's IL. He had not the power
in his hands to prevent the thing hap
peuinE- Suppose. now" Mr. Byron be-
came earnest here. decorousIy sIapping
the trunk AT his side for emphasis.
that the play had been IN Richard
MansfeId's hands. for example That
kind q thing could not occur with
Mansfield. because be is always there
himself 70 look after every corner Of
the performance"
Is this cariczturing that you speak
Of always in the nature Of overriding
elahorztfng2'' I inquired
Where the health Of the American
drama is concerned one cannot be too
curiousi
The actor insisted. with little smack
of the lips. that he is prone 10 where
his Oct theory is concerned Always
We don't leave things out It is never
omission. The effect. again. is some
thing Ike that Of putting in
extra notes in a piece Of music
You know what that means And
rofn- after point is lost by persons
hanging on 20 a laugh. putting in an
.ah.' that is not IN the score. raising
hands that should be still Look after
these thiugs and the drama would be
2 different proposition from what it is
now"
The virtue Of an 'ah-' murmured.
then queried. doubtfUlIy- DO you
think. 1Ir. Byron. that the endowed
theater would hep the national
drama
Mr.. Byron thought Il might. He
further said that Mr. Carnegie had ex-
pressed himself against the endowed
rheater the other day Also I was in
formed that this step on Carnezie's
part had called forth various opinions
from various actors And then Mr..
Byron had to 20 h0neym00ning with
Harriet He seized and donned a very
neziigee sort Of beIt-considering the
rest Of him-before going. with the
explanation. Excuse ne. this is not
a piece Of apparel, you know. II is Just
70 get a laugh" He went TO get it
1 had been blaming the brilliant per-
sonalfty and parts Of Mrs Fiske for the
unexpected apparent fairness OF the
Byron country. Yet evidently that was
not f. And yet. there was that clever
Hungarian. seemingly with both sturdy
brains and heart at his back Then
again some one had since senSed a star