Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-11-05
The London Theater.

LONDON, October 29.-It is possible that
readers IN the United States may not kno"
why Sarah Bernhardts present tour III
South America and Cuba has been unoef-
taken. They may not be aware that 1t Is
because she Is in sore financial straits thae
the greatest actress of our time mas IeI'
her beloved Paris and gone barn stormHs
to the other side of the world at the enc
of her sixtieth year.
Bernhardts experiment of having tnea-
ter of her own in Paris has proved a dis
astrous one-how disastrous even her N
innate friends discovered only recently
when they found out that the rent OF the
playhouse had not been paid for over four
years 1t must be confessed, however that
it is because Bernhard is only an indiftef-
ent business woman that she finds herself
in her present situation. 1t is true taat
she has had bad luck, but she has peeil
recklessly extravagant in staging most OF
her pieces. Her artistic conscience Wouiu
not be satisfied with well enough, anu
one of her recent Sardou productions cost
in staging and costuming nearly three qua
tiers of million francs or S15o.0oo Mofs
over the actress was foolishly generous 10
those dependent upon her, and never count
ed what she gave them. SO her theater IS
let and Bernhard will not be seen IN Parls
again until she has succeeded In mdklhS
money enough to pay at least part d hef
heavy liabilities.
Pinero's new play-the first he has wit
ten sine "a Wife Without Smile lis EVIL
IDENTIFY completed. for engagements IN con-
nection with it are already being mace.
George Alexander, who has both the En-
glish and American rights, will pro luce the
nil of no Ia ms
heroine will be played by Irene Fanburgh,
the Sophie Fullgarny of "QueX HERBERT
Warning, one of the best villains on the
stage who for several months has ocen
playing in Leah Kleschna" with Lena
Ashwell will also be a member of AleXan--
der's company. Regarding his re-" pay
Pinero is maintaining his accustomed
secrecy, and about all that is known re-
garding it Is that the scene Is laid In
provincial town and that none of the
characters is member of the arlstocracy
AS the Drury Lane Christmas oantomtmes
are now regularly transported to the United
States. Americans will be interested IN
the announcement that the forthcoming
one is being written by Sir Francis Bur-
nand 1t is only the fact that the veteran
editor of Punch has been engaged in 1laer
ways for the last few years-in writing, ms
"reminiscences, for eXample-that lnakeS MS
present task seem SOMEWHAT lllttli54 49,
Sir Francis Burnand began writing oir-
lesque almost as soon as he had left Elton,
and is the author of over hlnu:eu VI
them, perhaps the most famous being tnat
of "Black-Eyed Susan, which ran Iof
eight hundred nights at the Royalty Thea
ter and was twice revived after tadt ne
is an amazingly rapid writer his outieSGue
of Diplomacy which ne called Dti,iu-
nacy." was dashed off Inside of five hours.
He is an inveterate and frequently lalhiul
punster but occasionally says some really
good things. When an imposter Claimed
to be his brother, Sir Francis wrote to the
papers to say that he had no brother. lie
said it was true that he had two la.f broth
ers, but declared that In this casa Two
halves did not make a whole. In writing the
Drury Lane ''parito" Sir Francis is naViHS
the assistance of ]. Hickory Wood, who
has invented most of the other Drury Lane
Christmas shows.
After Edna May the member of the Belle
of New York" cast who made the biggest
hit. was easily E J. Sullivan. who played
THE Polite Lunatic." Nothing has been
heard of Sullivan for some time, but now
it appears that he has been occupied in
writing the book of musical play which
he calls THE Girl From Texas. The score
is being composed by musician whose
name Mr.. Sullivan will not reveal at pres
ent, and arrangements are now in progress
toward getting the piece produced at a
London theater. The author himself will
appear in 1t, not, however, as one O. the
chief characters. but in the part Of an &c
centric little German professor.
n
Evidently Mrs. Henry de la Pasteur Is
to figure largely on the English stage next
year. and perhaps the American stage. too.
although her name is scarcely known yet
in the United States. 1t Is just announced
that she has arranged to turn into sen
timental comedy her latest novel. The
Man From America" although 1t viii not
be published in book form for two or three
weeks yet. Her last previous novel. Pc
ter's Mother" which Is now in its seventh
edition here. was also dramatized by the
author and sold forthwith to the manage
ment of the Adelph Theater, TO- produc-
ton next spring. She had previously writ
ten little play for performance by anna
tours for fashionable charity The new
story, THE Man From America, has for
its hero a particularly attractive and en-
ergetic American youth. The author has
never been in the United States, but says
she wants very much to go.
The singular apposlteness of Sir Henry
Irvings last spoken words on the stage
shortly before his tragically sudden death.
Into Thy hands. o Lord:
Into Thy hands,"
has served to recall several similar in
stances which are recorded in English the
atrical annals Peterson, a contemporary
or tiarrick while appearing in Measure
for Measure" expired In the arms of fell
low actor. his last words beng: Reason
thus with life. II | do lose thee l lose
thing that none but fools would keep.
Harley. who was playing Bottom in "A Mid
summer Nights Dream" passed away after
utteriug the drOwSy speech, u have an