Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-07-28


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all the time, no less than three pieces from
his pen being announced by different man
agements. One of these, as l wrote last
week. found a purchaser In Cyril Maude
and for a while looked like being produced
at once. owing to the chilly reception given
to Maude's present piece, the American
Earl of Pawtucket," by the London critics
and first nighters." According to all ac-
counts, however, the rest Of the playgoing
than the wise ones did; in fact, Gus
Thomas comedy now looks like duplicat-
ing its American success at the Playhouse.
so the Esmond play, which Maude has up
his sleeve, is not likely to lie needed for
long time.
Meanwhile Londoners are looking forward
with no little anticipation to the second
of Esmonds new pieces, which, as the cable
dispatches may have announced, Will be
produced at the Lyric at the beginning
of next season by Maxine Elliott, who. with
Nat Goodwin, found so much fortune with
When We Were Twenty-one. She has
not been seen here since her appearance
two years ago in Clyde Fitch's Her Own
Way" and Londoners are glad to welcome
her back, especially as 1t is announced that
Esmonds play, which is called Under
the Greenwood Tree" is on the lines of
his successful Summers Day" 1t has
nothing to do, by the way, with Hardy's
novel. but Is described as IAN open-air
love story" the scene of which is laid In
the heart of the New Forest OF course,
IL successful here you will have it in the
United States and perhaps anyway. Frank
Curzon will produce Esmonds other new
play, which is not yet named definitely,
also early in the coming season, and the
dramatists friends are hoping he will 60
on now and gain the position he looked
like capturing a few years ago.
OF the American dramatists in London
the activities of at least four are interest
ing to English playgoers. One of these Is
Clyde Fitch. in whom British playgoers
now are taking quite lot of stock, owing
to the big success that his Truth has
made at the Comedy, and the hit that
his adaptation from the French. "Toddles,"
scored recently in the hands of Cyril
Maude. Fitch tells me. however, that Lon
don will have to wait for his newest play,
1.-The Bluff" until 1t has peen tried in the
United States 1t has just been finished.
1t deals mainly with New York life, but
gets some of its interest for its leading
character from the earthquake in San
Francisco.
Austin Strong is In town too and the
author of 1.-The Little Father Of the Will
derness'' must be somewhat delighted over
the hit that his new piece. The Toymaker
of Nuremberg" has made with Charles
Frohman. That gentleman, in fact, is as
nearly in ecstaces over this play as he
ever permits himself to be-when man
uscript Is concerned anyway. Il am so
taken with the strength and human quail
tiles of it, he said yesterday, that l
shall produce it in London and the United
States, and 1 do not give the slightest
thought to the outcome of the play. 1t is
a piece which l must produce. This only
proves that circumstances, not men, rule.
1t is not I, but the Irresistible qualities of
the play, which are answerable for its pro-
duction." You will agree that is pretty
strong speaking.
Margaret Mayo, whose adaptation OF
"Divorcons' has served Grace George so
we'll at the Duke Of York's, is in London
also, and full of plans. She is writing two
pieces for Fannie Ward; she is confabbins
with Mrs. Humphry of the same name
over the new adaptation of the latters
novel, THE Marriage of William Ashe,
which will be used in this country. and
conducting negotiations with several Eng
lish managers. But the American dramatlst
Of the hour in British eyes is unquestlon-
ably Augustus Thomas-now that his Earl
of Pawtucket' has definitely caught on
and that he has told what he proposes to
do for joe Coyne, the American come
dian.
The latter, of course, is now an estab-
lished London favorite. He joked himself
into favor in Nelly Neil" and has fol-
lowed 1t up by his work in The Merry
Widow" and it was to be supposed that
his native land would not see him for
numerous moons 1t seems, however.
that when Frohman gets ready to send
'"Toddles" to America, which will be early
in the coming season, Coyne will return
to play the hero's part of which Maude
made such a laughing success. But i'm
mediatey after we are to have him back
here i'll a piece which Gus Thomas is now
writing especially for Coynes use and
which will be The Earl of Pawtucket'
exactly reversed. In other words instead
Of the hero being Englisnman pretend
ing to be an American in New York, he
will be an American pretending to be an
Englishman in London. This idea popped
into Thomas head few days ago while
watching his piece at the Playhouse, and
he started to work 1t out at once. II
sounds "rippin'.' and Coyne is just the
actor for the principal part.
OF the talk of authors. however, there |
Is no end The leading French one now |
in the metropolis Is NJ. Gavault, whose |
piece, MY Wife," adapted by Michael |
Morton, is the biggest of hits at the Hay |
market. and whose newest farce, "Une |
Affairs Scandaleuse," has just been 40