The San Francisco call., 1906-05-21
SUTRO UPSETS
Old TRADITIONS
Playwright Absent First
Night of "Mr. Van
dervelt.
Unconcernedly Goes to
Pass Evening in An
other Theater.

traordtnary composure exhibited by
this d-anatist the other night. when
his new piece. The Fascinating Mr.
vGndervelt," was produced for the
nrst tine n London.
There is e tradition in the metropo-
lis that when a dramatic author is
not IN the house" on a first night
he is generally wandering oisma4ly
about the Thames emoanknent and
waiting n pittfu trepidataion for
devoted friend 70 come and tell him
whether x has gone" or not, but, ap-
perently, the author Of The Walls
Of Jericho" is an exception TO that
rule, just as he is 10 several others.
Hitherto the most coldblooded OF
oramatists has been capable Of moth
ing more heroic on a nrst night than
20 await his managers fateful tele-
gram IN the depths OF his own study,
but as for Mr.. Sutro, he goes gayly TO
SONS other theater than that at which
his own dramatic bantling is getting
its first presentation, and then as tran
gully home, just as II he had not the
renaotest idea that q new piece from
his own pen was being offered 10
metropolitan plsygoers for the first
time.
AZ least that IS what Mr.. Sutro
dad last Tuesday night when THE
Fascinating Mr. Nancervelr' was
given its premiere az the Garrick by
Arthur Bourchier. This was an i'm
portant occasion, too. for although
Mr.. Vandervelt" had already been
performed IN the United States, its
author 70 known to have made many
alterations in the piece prior TO its
production IN London, and, after all,
the chance Of q success or failure in
the metropolis-which doesn't by any
means always endorse an American
opinions not 10 be dismissed with
a shrug Of the shoulders.
But for all that. Mr.. Sutro and
Charles Frohman-who was also con-
siderably interested in the London pro-
duction Of Mr. Vandervelt"-ca
wtlt of 10 the Imperial Theater and
sat through the entire performance Of
sly Arthur Conan Doyle's "Brigadier
Gerard" and there the appearance Of
the TWO Z the night Of an important
production Of their own aroused i'm
mense surprise. Lewis Waller, the star
and manager Of the Imperial, at first
thinking that the playwright and the
impresariO must have made a mis-
take and gone TO the wrong theater.
For. Il should be explained. Mr.. Sutro's
Lover" was given by Waller at the
Imperial 2 few months ago.
Moreover. when the performance at
the Imperial was ended, Mr.. Sutro
and Mr.. Erohman went out to sup
per together quietly and received no
word whatever as 10 the reception Of
Mr.. Vaudervelt' until they reached
their respective homes.
AS already mentioned. Sutro's new
don, was somewhat altered from its
American form. One wonders. for in
stance, Il q reference TO the lynching
Of negroes, which Offset some pretty
compliments TO Americans, appeared
in the American edition. The play
was thoroughly enjoyed by the high
priced parts Of the house although
there was some vocal evidence that it
was not sufficiently strong meat for
the pit and gallery
Probably most people who read The
Shulamite," the vivid novel by Alice
and Claude Askew, which made such a
sensation q year or two ago. were
struck by its possibilities as q play,
and now Il seems that a stage version
has been prepared. and viii be done at
the Savoy almost Immediately by Lena
-AshweQ- This means that The Bond
Of Ninon," the costume play by Clo-
tilde Graves, with which Miss AshwelI
started operations al the Savoy re-
Gently, has not made good, and il also
means that this emotional actress viii
have dramatic vehicle" a. good deal
more suited 70 her temperament. for
The Shulamite' was an undeniably
powerful novel, and should provide
some effective stage situations The
oramatizaIion has been made by one
OF the authors, Claude Askew, assisted
by Edward Knoblauch, and the COM
pany supporting Miss Ashwell will in
clude Henry Ainley, who made hits in
Merely Mary Ann" and PaoIo and
Francesca and also Norman McKin-
nell and Miss Berry, Mercer.
AL on account OF bad management a
place OF amusenenet that was one OF
the most promising in the world is
apparently now on the point Of failing.
This is the London Coliseum, the great
four shows q day" house that was
opened IN London about a year ago.
and which holds 5000 people and has a
revolving stage and a restaurant and
writing-r room, and which might easily
have been made the biggest kind of a
success. But its manager, Oswald
Stou whose Napoleonic qualifications
were described in many columns Of
adulatiOn just before the Coliseum
opened, apparently does not realize
that the plays the thing Accord
ingly from the first every one OF the
four shows a day given at this amuse-
ment place has been so poor as to be
a complete bore, and now the natural
result has come to pass. gigantic
sum Is owing 20 the Coliseum's credi-
tors, the ordinary shares, which were at
first quoted at SIS, are now down to l
cent. and Ii appears unlikely at present
that anything can save the enterprise
from being speedily wound up.
That Is especially a pity, not only
because the original scheme of the
Coliseum was a good one. but because
its management took the lead in doing
away with the pit and reserving
every seat In the theater; but & con-
tinuously poor bill" viii prove the
finish OF any amusement house, and so
there need be no surprise over the COL
iseums fate.
The world-famous Vienna Manner
gesang Verein is paying a visit 10
London this season, when II viii give
Two concerts at the Queens Hall on
May rs and rs, assisted by the London
symphony Orchestra. The proceeds
Of the concerts are to be given entirely
10 charity, and King Edwards Hospi
IA fund IS one Of the chief names on