The San Francisco call., 1905-08-13

-Nh AlAsu pay OellS - SUlilNan DTl0SS
one, one without pugnacious hazards
however, one indeed Of lively romantic
charm if the London critics are to be
credited The play is by Patrick Bidwell,
and is called Peggy Machree." That lit
was written by a person who had not
the least knowledge of the o OSullivan
personality one of its earlier and pro-
vincial critics declared. Another, with
the charming independence that charac-
terizes the kind, decided that the play
was the work Of a playwright who knew
MS o Sullivan like q brother. They were
both wrong. Patrick BidwelI' Is the
charming wife of the actor who, as his
oramatist, has now done everything but
act for him" as Mr.. O'Sullivan puts it.
Mrs O'Sullivan is well known here as
an artist OF distinguished achievement
She is perhaps better known as the ac-
complished assistant OF her husband,
whose outside duties In connection with
his work have been reduced TO the sign
ing OF an occasional check.
Mrs O'Sullivan came quantity to the
play writing. She came to the work,
70 begin with, with a distinct contempt
for the srt-considerably augmented by
her success therein! II happened through
the oifnculty OF obtaining a good Irish
play for the fourth week Of Mr.. O'Sul-
nvan'e last season here. Jestingly the
new oramatist said she thought she
could write a better play than those
from which the actor had to select.
Your Mr. O'Sullivan laughed Like
wise woman. Mrs. OSullivan said moth
ing, but going home on the steamer
patched up" two acts Of Irish play.
For fun she tackled on third. then
put the thing by and forgot ii. 1t was
hearing some one speak of the dearth of
Irish plays that reminded Mrs. O'Sul-
Ivan Of hers She told her husband
q 1sracr
an Irish play she had one. YOU
laughed Mr.. O'Sullivan again. But that
very night the actor was asked if he
knew of an Irish play, and by Froh-
mans play-taster in London, one Ham
flton.
However, Mrs. o'sullivan's play was
unsuited to the requirements OF Mr.. Ham
ilton. who, however. commissioned Pat
rick Bidwell' to write another. Peggy
Machree" was the other, and after under
going all sorts of amputations, graftings,
transmogrifications. at the suggestion Of
managers. at last appeared triumphantly
in its original shape as designed by the
playwright. Peggy Machree" has been
q distinct success on the "other side A
long provincial tour set il on its final
legs. and II was highly indorsed in the
London reviews. A years run testifies
gratefully TO its drawing powers. The
play was written originally for a woman
star. Miss Marie Dainton. the Peggy
Machree Of the London production. found
name and fame therein. The part of
Barry Trevor. however. seems, by the
reviews. to have afforded M O'Sullivan
a happy OppOrtunlty, not the least Of its
charms being several folksong classics,
in addition 10 some charming original
ballads.
The incidental music accompanying the
play is unusually important. 1t was com
f-r, T-se-
tleElal who compOses when he has moth
ing better 10 do. When he is at work
Esposito is preaching Ireland for the
Irish. the preservation of the folksong,
up-tO-date creameries and all the other
admirable activities Of the Gaelic League.
This by the way, is what Denis
O'SulIivan is doing when he is really
busy. There is a bOnny singer in
O'Sullivan, a rare artist; there is an
eloquent and temperamental actor; but
there is a slaShing politician spoiled.
West Cork thinks so. This is the
constituency that invited the actor last
year to represent it in cruel England.
Knowing him, ones only surprise is
that he did not Immediately accept.
But Mr.. O'Sullivan told the West
Corkers that when they would pay
him as good a salary as he got in
comic opera he would undertake the
NJ. P. ship. Poor dears," says he, "it
would take all the money they have in
the threasury."
But West Cork's turn will come.
went TO talk art and Californians in
London, and Mr.. Denis O'Sullivan's
doings there since he left here two
years ago, the other morning with the
actor. One sentence he gave to his
famous appearance in The Duchess of
Dantzic;" he gave a second to his re-
citals with Madame Blanche Marchesi;
and another or two to Peggy
Machree" Then he had a little good
news OF sigmund Beel. who is pros
pering IN London; Of Putnam Griswold,
who is singing second basso parts
''splendidly" in the Covent Garden
Grand Opera. and who on the Continent
has been singing Wotan's and such; OF
Willie Tsyleur Andrews, the baritone,
who is also singing we'll; word of a
Californian day at Orrin Peck's, where
foregathered Sigmund Beel, Mrs Phoebe
Hearst Donald de V. Graham, himself
and Mrs. OSullivan among other exiles.
And then came the politics.
Up 70 this a long rehearsal seemed to
have left its mark upon the actor. His
chat was NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. hirn-and
desultory. But Mr.. O'Sullivan's eye lit to
the politics, and he might have Just
risen from his downy couch. I don't
know that I like many things better
than TO hear Mr. O'Sullivan sing Schu-
mann: but If there is a choice I might
choose 10 hear him on an Irish division
in the House." or to a tale of Sir Henry
Campbell-Bannerman mumbling awk-
ward thunderbolts over at Premier Bal
four, who. with his heels above his head,
listens with a sweet smile to Banner
man, and then, III English polished as ice
and as slippery-eels through the situa-
ton. The O'Sulivan red tie was waving,
and il the o Sullivan hair had been that
kind il would have been waving too, al
one such tale. I could have wept at be-
ing its sole audience. 1t was when Sir
Henry Campbell-Bannerman got up to
demand OF the Premier why the colonial
conference had been called under Con-
servatiVe and not under Government
auspices. thus making the matter a party
question. From the distinguished
strangers gallery Mr.. O'Suilivan watch
ed the proceedings. T. p. OConnor
was with him, John Redmond, the Duke
OF Norfolk and others. They watched
Balfour sit there. for one hour and thir-
teen minutes. heels above his head sweet
IL smiling, il the midst Of such a hub
bub that not one single word could be
distinguished He then rose to his feet