Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-06-04
LONDON THEATER GOSSIP
Special Correspondence of The star.

LONDoN, May 70, 1900.
1t would have been rather pity If out of
the three American productions that re-
Gently opened in London within a few
nights of each other only Maxine Elliott's
| had failed to score, At the outset how
| ever, 1t looked as If that would be the case.
Both The Dictator and Leah Kleschna"
| were hits from the start, but the critics
said unkind things about the Fitch comedy.
| and 1t seemed doubtful IL even the attrac-
| tiveness of the star would be able to save
| it. OF course, reports from the Lyric af-
| firmed that Her Own Way" was playing
| to satisfactory business. but experienced
| playgoers We're skeptical. OF late However.
| there have been abundant signs that the
| piece really is a go. Most convincing of all
| is Maxine Eiliott's decision to transfer the
! production to the Savoy as soon as its time
| is up at the Lyric.
| Miss Elliott originally took the Lyric for
| only six weeks--at the end of which period
| Martin Harvey has 1t for the production of
Hamlet The failure of Mrs. .Brown-Pot-
ter's "Du Barri" put the Savoy on the mar
ket. and Her Own Way is TO be played
there until the star gets ready to start on
her summer vacation. Meanwhile royalty
is patronizing the American actress, par
ucularly good sign.
i i
The king usually visits new plays that
seem to be doing well, and one always can
tell whether his majesty enjoyed parucu-
lar piece or not by noticing whether other
members of the royal family visit 1t. In
the case of Her Own Way Edward WIS
visit last week was followed by one the
other evening on the part of the Prince
and Princess of Wales, and the Duke and
Duchess of Connaught will probably be the
next to occupy the royal box at the Lyric.
Meanwhile Leah Kleschna' is playing
to packed houses at the new theater, whose
The Dictator is said to be the biggest
American success in London since The
Belle of New York" a company will be
sent out Immediately to play the Davis
comedy in the provinces, while no less than
three will present Leah Kleschna" to
playgoers outside London. 1t is understood
that c. NJ. McLelan's new comedy will be
produced in London at the Haymarket
Theater probably early next fall.
At the Haymarket, by the way. Every
body's Secret has not proved a great sue
cess, and the season is to be eked out with
a welcome revival of PineroS famous COM
edy, THE Cabinet Minister" The first
named piece is, of course. an adaptation of
lie Secret de Polichinelle,' by those ex-
perienced playmakers, Capt Marshall and
Louis N. Parker. Evidently the French
play does not lend itself to adaptation,
for. if one remembers correctly, the version
made in the United States was not per-
ticularly successful either
Another French success that seems to
"'aoapt'' none too well is octave Mirbeau's
Les Affaires Sont Les Affaires." The Eng
lish version made by Robert Hiehens and
acted in the United States by William II.
Crane does not seem to have been a great
money maker, is that which Sidney
Grundy has made for Beerbohm Tree
conspicuous success. This adaptation which,
like Kitchens, is called Business Is Bust
ness was given at His Hajestys Theater
for the first time last week. Trees per-
forma nce of 1sadore Lechat, the unscrupu-
lous financier, is perhaps the best thing he
for some time. The play, however, is lack
ing in what the British playgoer chiefly de-
mards-a love interest, and is hardly likely
to be popular success
AT Drury Lane plans for presenting Hall
Gaines "Prodigal Son., which is to be
given simultaneously in the United States,
are well advanced. The author has made
a shrewd bid for success by persuading
George Alexander, whose own theater is TO
be occupied by the Kendals in the fall, TO
play the part of the hero Two other pop
ular engagements are those of the veteran
actress, Mrs. John Wood, for the part of
Granny, and that of Henry Neville for an
other prominent role. The play is to be
mounted with true Drury Lane lavishness.
Not long ago 1t was announced that Mrs,
Clayton Glyn, who wrote THE Visits of
Elizabeth" had tried her hand at play.
Mrs. Gyms piece is called THE Old Order
Cbangeth," and it was performed by So
ciety amateurs at Harlow this week with
the authoress herself in the cast. The
scene of the piece is laid in Mayfair and the
heroine is a girl from the country, who is
wooed strenuously by two members of the
aristocracy, a young lord of her own age
and a baronet of forty. In the amateur
production Mrs. Glyn acted the part of
Mrs. Hillingham, lady in the twilight of
life" while the impersonator of the young
lord was a real one Viscount Tiverton.
The production proved so successful that
Mrs. Glyn is thinking seriously of giving
her play at London theater. Meanwhile
another society woman, the Hon. Mrs. Ar
thur Henniker, has written comedy called
1.-The Waiting Hour" 1t will be put on in
the course of a week or two at the Kings
Theater, a London suburban playhouse. SO
far the only piece by member of the
aristocracy which has really amounted to
anything was the Hon. Mrs. Alfred Lyttel-
TONS piece, Warp and Wool"
X x y
The Rev Forbes Phillips. the play-writng
vicar of Gorleston, is applying Christian
virtues to dramatic work. He has pluck
and perseverance and is not easily diScour-
aged. His Church and Stage which was
produced at the Savoy Theater few
months ago, with Mrs. Brown-Potter in the
leading role, was a failure.
Pious folk who were scandalized at the
idea of a parson writing plays devoutly
hoped that the failure would deter him
from repeating the experiment and that
henceforth he would stick TO the pulpit
They have been disappointed. Instead of
accepting the popular verdict in contrfte
and humble spirit as a providental chas-
tisement designated to keep him to the
strait and narrow path of clerical duties,
he Immediately set to work writing an
other play In a surprisingly short time he
finished it and 1t is now being tried on the
provinces. In strength and vigor it ex-
hibits such great Improvement over his for
mer play that kindly critics are predicting
he will yet make much higher mark as a
dramatist than he is ever likely to achieve
as a preacher.
There is very little that savors of the
pulpit In his new play Lord Danbys |
Love Affair" it is called. One striking scene |
depicts a game of bridge, which, it is said.
shows a much more intimate acquaintance |
with that pastime than could have been |
obtained by observation alone. The two |
leading roles are filed by Constance Collier |
On q p HaWtreY