The Saint Paul globe., 1904-05-22

musical piece than to write play. In
substantiation of this claim Americas
foremost Iibrettist cited the facts that
Arthur Wing Pinero and Sydney Grun-
dy were failures as writer's Of librettos
While on the other hand their plays are
unquestionably successful. w. S. Gill
bert he maintains, is essentially a
writer Of librettos, and vet he has
turned his hand on several occasions
70 play writing, and always with sue
cess. Mr.. Smith, in his contention, saws
ne is speaking of only meritorious IL
brettoS, as he maintains that the present
average musical play written in Amer
lea is too far beneath critical consid-
eratlon TO be taken into account
Mrs. Fiske does not use anv orches-
ira for her performance of 'Hedda
Gabler." There is no incidental or
entr acte music jars in the case Of so
realistic and natural a performance.
Most people appreciate this, but now
and then someone doesn't During q
Hedda Gabler" performance of Mrs.
Fiske in San Francisco a man came TO
the box office window and said he
thought it was pretty mean business.
The treasurer asked him what the
trouble was
When I come to a show" remarked
the man, "I expect to get nv mOnev's
worth. Now brought my girl around
mere and you don't give US any music
between the acts. The more money YOU
theatrical people make, the more you
want. 1 suppose you cut out the or
chestra so as to save their salaries. It's
IoW-down trick to play on hOusefuI
Of people. What do you expect them
to do when the curtains down, any
hoW?"
The treasurer told him there was a
theater down the street, where he could
see a continuous performance from
noon till midnight, and all for the
quarter.
At a recent banquet in London one
of the speakers was w. s. Gilbert In
the course of his remarks he referred
to the compliments that had often
been paid him and Sir Arthur Sulli-
van for producing clean plays. He told
how both he and the composer had
depended on supposed Japanese au-
thOrity to supply them with an air ap-
propriate for the entrance of The mi
kado in the opera of that name. The
authority recommended what he said
was the Japanese national anthem,
and they adopted It, The air had been
performed many thousands Of times
since. It was only long after the opera
had been produced that an undOubted
authority, while praising the work
generally, expressed his amazement
that the authors had woven in the air
of one of the riskiest songs even sung
In Japan. When, therefore, he was
applauded for the cleanliness of his
efforts, he remembered how he and his
late colleague had been induced to take
up one of the most disgraceful songs
imaginable.
-
When they celebrated the second an
niversary of the founding of the Actors
home in West New Brighton, S. J., last
week, Clara Morris was one OF the
speechmakers. And during her talk
she insisted that it was a blessing to
be old.
II didn't know I was DID," she said,
"until / came down to New York this
time and now I'm having the time Of
my life. Everybody gives me shell
tered corner to sit in, so | won't be in
a draught; the young men tell me their
freshest stories; the young women tell
me their love troubles-and make me-
thank heaven they're not mine. Old
age suits me all right.
"And never have been so comfort
able Since / came here and found out
was old and privileged am wearing
shoes a size larger than used to, and
my waist line has entirely disappeared.
It's fine"