The San Francisco call., 1905-05-14

Half at least of-whose was it,
witty and venomous description Of
Pope is true Of E. H. sothern, "a little
crooked thing that asks questions" The
good Pope had maliciously inquired.
And pray sir, what is an Interrogation
point?"
The other answer is ''Sothern." Ask
ing questions is Mr.. Sothern's chief
amusement, as It is his faith. He was
probably born asking why y?''-most Of
Us wonder later-and in the Last
Words Of Great Actors" one can easily
foresee the Sothern "why?" Why
did you enjoy Romeo and Juliet?'
he asks Of his cook. who-but that
later. - Why isn't my Hamlet good?"
he asked Of Alfred Ayres. who said at
first that 1t was plenteously the thing
ii should not be. Why do you stay
10 see this?" and I'll give you so cents
II you'll tell me the plot" to the little
messenger tyke that wandered into the
Columbia at o'clock the other morn
ing He was laden with the reviving
sandwich for the company, dress
rehearsing the Much Ado About Moth
ing" They found him there an hour
later, all eyes and ears. And" says
Mr. Sothern, he got my 80 cents. He
dug out the whole plot, though he did
call Beatrice the first fellow and Hero
the other ragi' And 1 asked him
why
''Of course, you asked him whyi"
this with full ripple Of ripe laughter,
,-1~ ha I'll
II was from Miss Marlowe, the time
u ?. m, the place Mr.. Sothern's room
in the St Francis, the occasion a
chat about Hamlet" to which Mr.
Sothern privileged me this week. That
was the only time, what of photograph
ers. rehearsals and other impinging
business this butterfly of the stage
could give me. After the play on Tues
day night therefore, and over supper,
the one untrammeled meal Of the day
for the actor folk, we talked. There
was Mrs. Woodward, Miss Marlowe,
Mr.. SOthern, the Young Person and
myself There was Hamlet" with the
soup, Hamlet with the coffee. and
Shakespeare for sauce generally, to the
contentment and pleasure of all. For
there is this about the actor people,
perhaps more than with any other
artist people. their work is their play.
"Of course you asked him whyi"
Miss Marlowe laughed.
Mr.. Sothern laughed and the talk
drifted TO the time Of his first Ham
let" five years ago, when he had asked
Alfred Ayres his characteristic question
concerning it.
Mr.. Ayres was rather compelled to
attention concerning the Hamlet"
The famous critic had made a famous
slip concerning one Of the Sothern per-
formances. Ee had been to see the
actor in The Love Chase" He had
left the theater before the difficult
scene in which most Wildrakes fail.
Reasoning by analogy he had criticized
the scene as it might, should, or would
have been played-had it been played
at all Mr.. Sothern met him the next
day. 1t rained and Il got under his
umbrella" recounted the actor, "and
] told him how much impressed I was
with his criticism. You're a thought
ful young man. grunted Ayres We
splashed along to the Mirror office. He
was writing then for the Mirror and I
told him that 1 was particularly i'm
pressed with his criticism of the scene
IN question. You're a very thought
ful young man. Ayres grunted. Be
cause I added, I did not play that
scene" By Jove! you don't say So
Ayres grunted. Then 1 told him
should tell Fiske, his editor, and he
asked me not TO- But the joke was too
good, and tell him L did, with Ayres
in the next room. But he came to see
my Hamlet and said it was about
the worst he had ever seen. Then 1 got
him up to my room and made him tell
me why"
Evidently you thought his opinion
worth WHILE" I remarked.