The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-04-03

Kundry. AS rumor goes, he is seeking
Van Dyke for his Parsifal-a part the
tenor has taken, and with praise at Bay
reuth.
The player is Invariably ready of speech.
H!S education, gained in studying the
WIZ OF many authors, cultiVateS his own
3 gifts. For example: John Drew. who has
good head of fine. silky hair, has it cut
every ten days 1t looks little thin when
II Is uncombed but properly arranged 1t
SHOWS itself to be really very thick and
In Cincinnati one day barber laid his
MOST cool palm on Mr.. Drew's skull and
You are somewhat bald, sir Have you
tried our special tonic
Yes. returned Mr.. Drew. But that
wasn't what made my hair fall out"
The death of Dan DAILY deprives the
stage of a genuinely comic man. His
range had very decided limitations, but
within them he was able to amuse an
audience as few other comedians are. n
deep, caNernous voice. extraordinarily
agile legs and the capacity to seem on
the point Of falling into bits at the slight
est proNocation, these were his stock in
trade. and he made good use of them.
OF late years he had been seen but lit
lie. After his return from London. where
he made a success in The Belle of New
Nork. ne became a star but seemed
never able 10 get a play suited both to
his purpose and to the public taste.
Some twenty years ago, when Wilton
Lackaye first went upon the stage, he
was rehearSlng part in Paul KauVar,
under the direction of the author, the late
Steele Mackaye who, while he was adj
united 10 be very capable stage man
aSer was considered somewhat Old-faSh
Toned by the more modern dramatic
school. During the rehearsal Mackaye
and l.ackaYe had a slight dispute as to
how part should be acted.
demanded Mackaye. magisterially- Il
have been an acknowledged master of the
dramatic art for twenty years.
Yes. said Lackaye, but not this
twenty"
The cowboys in The Virginian" will
equip themselves with rubber heels. Mr..
La Shelle says that the stage floor Is sup
posed to be earth. and that men walking
about should not make such a clatter as
results from the contact Of wood and
hard bootheels.
1t is said to be true story. This is one
reason for repeating it. For 1t has been
told before. 1t concerns Robert EdesOn,
past master in the art of tanning the
matinee girl One of the species. not sat
is1ed with telling him that she adOred
him and his photograph. indicted polite
little note on violet scented note paper
TO the actor himself. Voicing her senti-
ments in the Familiarity gushing phrase
olOgy of her class.
'|And now. Mr. Edeson." she said in a
postscript. L am sure you will not mind
my sending you some little souvenir in
silver just 10 remind YOU of one whom
YOU do not know. but who has the warm
est sentiments Of regard for you. Will you
please let ME know what little gift may
send that viii be most useful to your?
To this note Mr.. EdesOn responded
My Dear Miss Blank: After having
discussed the contents of your note very
carefully with my wife. I have decided to
write to you that the most useful article
You can send at present will be pair of
silver side combs. as Mrs. EdeSOn is much
in need of those particular articles at
present
History does not relate whether the or
der was filed.
The stilted and unnatural methods Of
expression assumed by actors who VEN
ture for the first time into the classics,
are largely responsible for the distrust
Of untried factors in the legitimate
drama. The name shakespeare seems
to cast a spell which removes the power
or natural diction so essential to the por-
trayal Of human characters. grave or gay
A player whom Charles B. HanfOrd en-
gagged early In the season for minor parts
IN his production was painfully imper-
ViOus to the humOr in the scenes of
Tanning of the ShreW." He had met with
his new field his sole ambition seemed to
be to cast a gloom over the proceedings.
Ny dear sir" said Mr.. Hanford there
IS no occasion for such funereal demean-
are here to laugh"
4 beg your pardon" was the reply
If people desire to laugh at Shakespeare
that is their business. But 1 shall not
assist them"
And he never did.
When Mr.. Forbes Robertson's admirers
went so far as to say that his Hamlet
was a greater performance than that Of
Edwin Booths in the same part they
went far toward setting up a conscious or
unconscious prejudice against him in the
minds of those who remember Booths
Hamlet says the Cincinnati ENQUIRER
Even with those who were fair-minded
enough to disregard the injudicious com
pariSon. they succeeded IN establishing
standard of Judgment that was hardly
fair to Mr.. Robertson, as it would be
hardly fair to any Other actor now on the
stage. There may be other actors as good
as Booth now acting. but there is hardly
one who would be wise to challenge com
parison with him in this part. And it is
simple justice to Mr.. Robertson to say
that he himself cannot be charged with
having done it, save as his acting is a
challenge.