The San Francisco call., 1904-06-19

Five minutes after the fall OF the
curtain on The Proud Prince" I was
in Mr.. Sothern's dressing-room. Five
seconds after we had shaken hands
we We're in the thick of one Of the thou
san4 ana one arguments that Mr.. Nc
Cartas s new play incites. The actor
was not prepared for company" He
had dohed the medieval magnificence
Of his last act and tumbied with hur-
red courtesy into a good American
dressing gown. But 1T mattered not. "
as Laura Jean would say. The gentle
Sothern would look the poet behind a
butchers apron.
You do like our play" he said in
response 10 my greeting. noted a
particularly well" look about the
player. I'm glad you like it, As well
as If I Were King?' he queried then.
I'm not sure tonight" I hesitated-
4 think not on the whole I want to
sleep on the impression-it's so un-
usual"
1T strikes a deeper note" the actor
suggested.
surely" replied. Tomorrow I
may fnd"-and I tried then to tell
8Ir. Sothern what Of wonder and mys-
terry I imagined there might be for me
in The Proud Prince" when 1 could
gather together its rare and glowing
threads-and my Five Whites"
But"
Which 'but'?" the actor smiled.
The cross" began I don't see
why the fool should use the cross as
a carnal weapon in his battle with the
soldier Now know that that was
not done without very weighty consid-
Grafton"
Mr.. Mccarthy and I had that over,
and again and again over" the actor
owned. This is how it appears to US.
The fool is stiu unregenerate. He sees
in the cross only a bIudgeon with which
10 defeat the soldier. The miraculous
quality Of the deed comes in in the
weak fool being able to lift the cross
that you VIII observe the monk before
staggers under"
But I cannot see-in a miracle play
why the miracle stops there? 1t
seems to me that there is further op-
portunity in the situation. Three
times. you remember, the fool has to
belabor the soldier with his sacred
weapon That might be in actual fact.
but should it be so in a miracle play?
Why not use the cross a Ia Valentine
with Mephistopheles2 Mccarthy could
here, il seems TO me, have shown the
mystical power Of the symbol upon
both the fool and the soldier. The fool
could raise the cross in his carnal
madness-but would If not be well to
suspend it miracUlously IN air, at once
dealing death 10 the blasphemer and
awakening new faith in the heart Of
The fool2"
We had more of it, and in the way Of
women and actors retained each our
own beliefs.
Apropos Of the discussion, Mr.. Soth-
ern slyly launched the following story
al nae:
I have a very charming woman
friend on one Of the New Orleans pa
pers. and after seeing our play she
wrote to me apropos Of the love scene
on the steps Of the altar. II seems that
her pastor had seen the play and decid-
&c that the scene was impOssible-welL
blasphemous I wrote her. on thinking
il over, that the scene might offend
some sensibilities, and that I really
might place il on another part Of the
stage. Then I received a telegram,
Don't change he scene until you re-
ceive letter The letter referred TO
came, and contained the news that an
other pastor and friend Of my friend
had decided that for such a love scene
The altar was the only possible placer
You are expecting a telegram from
me-" i laughed
oh, no. only'-Sothern's eyes do
twinkle sometimes. That was one
time But Hiss Lotus and ! had
great fun over it afterward. We got
up q set Of kilograms. about twenty,
and sent them off to nay friend at the
rate Of four a day Like. this: Am
anxi0usly awaiting further news. Miss
Lotus refuses 10 play until matter set
tied. Can you not get pastors together
to decide2' Still awaiting answer. Nc
Carthy wires, Make love anywhere you