The San Francisco call., 1905-06-04

II any actor ot.er than John Drew had
said he was satisfied with the worlds
treatment Of himself. ] would have sus-
pected him Of harboring intent to deceive
But there really was no reason 10 oues-
ton such q statement from the most feted
ano fiattered and securely established
actor on the American stage. Surely. l
hought, il this man cannot afford 10
sschew the jealousies and other causes
Of heartburn VIGOROUSLY characteristic OF
the hummer. then there can be 10 at
tainment Of content in his profession.
We were discussing Mr.. Drews recent
election 10 the presidency OF the Players
Club when he inadvertently exposed his
mindesse.
To me no mark Of distinction could
have been more acceptable he said.
Accession 10 the chair filed successfully
by Booth and Jefferson is. in my opinion.
the greatest honor that could be extended
70 an American actor. And l relish il all
the more perhaps. because Of my age as
compared with that Of either Of my il
lustTious predecessors. Such compliments
usually come when iife's activity is wan
ing.
] guessed his age al IS years or close
thereto. and he laugned and said it was
nearer 50.
In horsey parlance. I'm rising 50 and
sound in wind and limb. And I'm fortu-
nate, as you see, in retention Of hair and
The fstness that is akin 10 fatality in our
profession has CONSIDERABLY ignored me-"
-Athlelics2" I inquired.
Yes. 10 some extent; but / don't go in
for them as g regular thing. Heredity. 1
think, has much to DO with my escape
from both badness and corpulence. l
come OF lean stock and have never found
physical torture necessary TO the pres
ervation OF my form. And TO keep the
h-f <71Sh ,efs Sc
chief end OF the actor
Then VIC took up Ibsen and Bernard
Shaw, between whose methods OF play
writing Mr Drew apparently perceived
an affinity. and from them We wandered
in some mysterious roundabout way TO
Young CorDett and Eddie Hanlon. whose
combat. then pending. Mr.. Drew an
nounce0 his intention 10 witness if he
could possibly do so without neglecting
his own production OF public entertain
ment
Shaw. like Ibsen. is not readily under
standsble,' he said. 'asad his plays TO be
mprehensively enjoyed should be stu
diOusly perused beforehand. Unless one
is lbseniZed by reading. you know. one
cannot fully relish al first sitting even
the most unsubtle of Ibsen's dramas.
Well, 50 il is with the -Englishman
His Candida however, paved the way
Tor American appreciation OF his You
Never Can TELL and now it may be said
without fear Of future contradiction that
The Shaw plays have come TO the front
and 10 stay
Then. stiu harping on plays. Mr. Drew
o2ined that the success or failure of any
play rests upon the manner Of its pro-
cUction. In other woros-though he de-
Clinec to put IL so broadly-the players
are greater than the playwright.
ia is the fame OF the actors, rather
-E sv-~~
that attract the American people" he
said. ''Of course no reputable manager
o. actor viii use a poor vehicle II he can
procure good one. and it is appreciation
OF that very fact that leads the people
10 measure in advance the quality OF a
play by the standing OF the manager who
produces II OF the actors who interpret it
Isn't il better 10 read a good play than
10 see IL badly played2 Speaking of Ber-
nard Shaw's works, II they are not ade-
Quately presented. they cannot become
popular as stage producuens. But as
books they VIII always be valuable. I'm
sure I would rather sit down and read
Shakespeare than TO see him acted in
cOmpetently.''
OF the American dramatist and his fu-
ture Mr.. Drew has sanguine hopes.
He is constantly improving" he said
Mr. Fitch and Mr.. Thomas never did
better work than they are doing to-day,
and some OF the newer authors promise
well No, playwriting is not q disease-it
Is human condition that has existed
since acting began and viii continue to
exist until the theater ceases to be. Re
markable, but undeniable, is the fact that
at some time IN almost every persons life
the ambition 70 write a play is uncon-
trollable- Mostly women? Not a bit OF
u. How some men can spare the time TO
write drama is more than 1 can fathom
It is needless TO mention how few OF
them, men or women. construct anything
that sane manager would accept, and
the numerous reflections Of unworthy ma
ter1al is what gives rise TO the impression
that there is no field for dramatic au-
thorship in this country. The fact is, that
never were good plays in greater demand
than at present
But good plays DO not spring full-pano-
piled from the inexperienced or unframed
authors brain One in a thousand first
plays may hit ii or but that one is an
outcome OF inspiration. Less than one in
q thousand persons possessed of purely
literary talent is blessed with the peculiar
ability that is essential TO genuine dra-
matte construction There's The Duke of
Kilicrankie.' for instance. II was writ
ten by Captain Marshall, q British army
oficer, whose prentice hand had been
tried and trained by the writing Of sew
eral sketches for amateur acting before
he obtained London production"
Is this your last season as the eccen-
tric Scotch noble2"
Yes; IL k0gust 1 commence rehearsal
or q new modern comedy by an American
author whose name am not now at lib
erty TO divUlge"
I have read or heard that you will
spend your resting time in California"
You read it. and was waiting for that
remark" laughed Mr.. Drew. Since nv
arrival here il has been addressed TO me
by ever SO many people, and L have
traced its inspiration to an unauthorized
newspaper statement, which has con-
WINGED me Jnat the less veracious q news