The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1904-01-28

Genil," Uncle Phineas, The un-
expected" "A Bachelors Dream" Par
lor A." Are You My Wife,, "A Jolly
Joliier," and numerous other successful
one-act plays ! have seen at Keith's,
and have marveled at the ability of this
prolific author-actor TO write so many
successful sketches that should all be
marked by a distinct originality AL
though many OF Edmund Days sketches
have been produced with pronounced
success at Keith's. the author and actor
himself had never until this week ap-
psared IN Providence.
So, being such an ardent admirer OF
his cleverness, I eagerly seized the OPP
portunity OF making his acquaintance
this week. I found him seated before
typewriter. anxiously scrutnizing the
rebellious machine which he was evident
~ trying TO fix. What's the natter"
I inquired. and at the sound OF my voice.
he wheeled around and extended his hand
IN greeting, frank, honest smile light
ing up his face and a merry twinkle re-
placing the anxious look. AS he made
me welcome, he turned and introduced
Mrs. Day. who plays Lucy Cringle In
that beautiful playlet, "Shipmates," and
whose name appears upon the program,
as Patrice Winstan Her sweet. girltsh
charm had won my admiration behind
the footlights, and when I now met her
genuouc. engaging personality. She IL
q very dear little woman, with an i'm
nate refinement that stamps her OF the
We're ne We're class. although lacking the
hauteur OF that race, and l was not sur
prised 10 learn later that she was for
mer society girl OF Louisville. KY. and
is a graduate OF the University OF Chi
cago. Whats the matter?' Mr.. Day
echoed my query. Matter enough. I've
studied medicine acted. written dramatic
criticisms and written sketches. but
never studied stenography, and con-
sequently / don't know how TO fix TINS
machine. Sometimes I'm tempted not 10
carry this typewriter about the country
with me"
Its IL absolutely necessary" ! inquired.
''Yes. I could hardly get along without
A. You see I am constantly at work
upon some sketch or another. and
usually write them upon this machine.
afterwarc sending them 10 my SECRETARY
IN New York 10 have them written
legibly. for. as I said. never studied
stenography. Then every once In a
while II has TO break. Just when I'm in
the most interesting scene"
''The typewriter is all right. dear" said
Mrs. Day. gently, III you would only
use II more mildly" Then. turning 10 me
with a smile. she continued. when Mr..
Day is writing a sketch he mentally acts
II at the same time. and wnen the type
writer broke. he was In the midst OF
very strong dramatic climax, and was
putting a great deal OF force into the
dialogue. and II is small wonder that
the poor machine broke under such
pressure. You shouldn't pound upon II
so hard" We all laughed merrily nj
this exposure and while Mr.. Day con-
fessed himself guilty of the charge, 7
asked sketch writing must keep you
pretty busy, doesn't it?' Yes, indeed.
But IL il very interesting. I have been
very fortunate In my playwriting. every
thing have ever written having met
with success. chiefly because. I guSss T
never write for people who are not
clever" did not fully agree with this
modest statement for I know that his
sketches have such n strong element Of
merit that they are, bound 10 be success
fui when produced I'm an ordinarily
capable manner. but before could object
he hurried on: I must feel the per-
sonality and capabilities OF the person
for whom I write. before I can turn out
any good material. A vaudeville sketch
is unlike any other literary effort. An
author is allowed 20 minutes, more or
less. to tell complete story. and not one
unnecessary line must creep into the en-
tire sketch.
1T Is complete table dhote dinner.
the quick lunch counter As the quick
lunch counter is daily becoming more
and more popular. so is vaudeville. and
the table dhote dinner IL not to be dis
pensed with. However. the chief requi-
site IL that the chef, or playwright. must
range n careful menu that Will please
the palate and each course must blend
with the others The oysters must at
tract the attention. and the coffee. or
the climax must he strong with no un
tasty morsel IN between. The chief diff
hculty vaudeville playwright has 10
meet is the disadvantage Of having 20
tell a complete story with just two peo-
pie. In long three or four-act play. he
has a number OF characters-one TO play
the lover, The other To do the comedy,
still another 10 be the noble. dignined
cha? and a fourth the mischief maker.
and so on; hut in vaudeville. an author
must put all the speeches into the mouths
Of two or at the most. three people.
But after writing a few sketches and
one has grown used 10 having but two
characters, II is difficult to write for
more than that number. I have recently
completed my first fouract play, named
Pals" which James ]. Corbett will star
In next season This was n development
OF one OF my vaudeville sketches, I'm
which Hal Davis and Inez McCauey are
appearing this season, and at first found
n a novel and rather trying experience
10 distribute the unwinding Of the plot
among several characters" But dear"
interrupted Mrs Day. that isn't your
first long play. You forget The Floor
Walkers" mo. I haven't. only The
Floor Walkers wasn't really q four
play; II was a kind Of musical farce. |
must tell YOU about The Floor Walkers.
for. In a sense. Il is the best thing /
ever wrote and both Mrs. Day apd have
tender feelings for Il. You see. several
years ago I was an actor. playing with
Booth and Barrett. Kate Claxton. Sal
vini and was also for several years asso-
ciated with the younger salvini. Alexan-
der. After Alexander Salvini's death,
became stage director and character
actor OF the Cummings Stock company
I'm Louisville, KY, one OF the foremost
stock companies OF America.
s'I was there two seasons. and while
there had the good fortune to meet Mrs.
Day. who was then Miss Pattie Mont
gomery Chandler, whose ancestors had
fought I'm every war OF the United States,
and one OF whose ancestors was General