The St. Louis Republic., 1904-04-24


be appeased. For no money would he let
| .us ride anv further In his coach. Further
more, he saw to 1t that the story was we'll
told in the hotel barroom before we got
there"
Wilton Lackaye has this distinct ad-
vantage over a majority of his stage COM
panione-he works from a basis Of COM
mon sense. His Interpretation of charac-
ter may not be as subtly mysterious nor
as intricate as that of many more famed
payers. but it always is within the conf
prehension Of the audience and beauti-
fully artistic because of its adherence to
the life from which 1t Is copied
For the same reason whatever Mr.
Laclaye has to say is interesting. At
recent dinner of the strollers' Club in
New York he started something of a de-
bate with his serious, sensible views.
Said he:
Art is not a necessity. and We never
can have art without subsidy. We would
all be wearing cotton now If some one
had not told US OF the s1ikworm. To-day
we probably would look upon the sun
flower as one of the most beautiful of
flowers II some one had not brought us
the orchid. Every art has been subsidized
satisfied with what 1t knows. In this
country 1t does not know what is best IN
the drama"
The END was even more Girect ana GeNO-
lutionary than the start: Il cannot speak
too strongly against the horrible PROPOSE
tion of the shopkeeper in the theater. l
have no tolerance with.the foreigner who
sneers at the pork packer who buys pic
lures. If the pork packer looks at .his pic
ture long enough, appreciation VIII come.
and in the same way we shall have TO de-
velop the artistic tastes Of our piaySoers.
What We want Is knowledge of the tech
nique: !
your fbs seaa musf % onr pa
yrights for technical work. and We must
educate our audiences to understand fully
the technique of the stage"
W. H. Thompson is an actor who does
not believe that everything is gained when
stardom is reached. Although the veteran
player has lately arrived at the honor
able distinction which gains large type.
he still clings to the belief that the
stock company is the true standard Of
excellence.
IF / can go down with the reputation
of being a frst-class stock actor 1t is all
that / can ask for he said to ME. In
the old days it was great honor to be
star but now 1t Is no great distinction.
There are no parts ever played that
/ would give cents to play again, except
those in which was extremely bad"
And this from a man who began his
stage career as a call boy IN the Ciu
Broadway theater: who made his first
appearance I'm Romeo and Juliet: who
has played more than LOO parts, and
created upward of 17o important char
Rcters.
Edna May has made another big hit in
London, where she Is now appearing in
revival Of the French operate farce, la
Poupee" Miss May is praised for her ar
tistic work in the wooden doll scene.
The first performance of 1.-The Man
From China book by Paul West. music
by John w. Bratton will he given at
F'ordrs Theater, Baltimore, April 25.
Recently Raymond Hitchcock attended
a smoker in one of the leading New York
clubs. and being called on for a speech
avaiied himself of the successful effort
of a prominent after-dinner orator of
years and years ago.
Hitchcock solemnly arose ard told in de-
tail how as a boy he had worked for John
Wsnainaker. but had to answer to a num-
ber instead of his name. He was NO. Sc.
and he finally left his situation because.
As he expressed 1t. :the people where I