The Washington herald., 1907-03-03
ON THE GOTHAM BOARDS
MRS CARTER vs MANAGER DILLINGHAM; MANSFTELD'S
sePEER GYNT'-"IN THE BISHOPS CARRIAGE"
ION PAROLE"

Correspondence Of The Washington Herald
New York. March Mrs. Leslie Carter
Payne. as you no doubt have read. is
preparing to bring suit for damages
against her present manager. Charles Dill
bingham. Preliminary notice Of such a
suit was served on him last Wednesday.
1t IS understood that Mrs. Carter viii
ask $4,000 damages for breach of con-
tract It is further understood that Dill
/ bingham will claim cOunter-damages IN
something Ike that amount on the iden-
/ tical ground, averring that Mrs. Carter
/ broke her contract with him
I The trouble grows out Of the quarrel
between Mrs. Carter and Mr. Edward Mil
/ ton Royle over the latter's play. Cleo"
I In this adaptation of article Ar Mrs.
Carter insisted on making changes, which
angered the author to such a degree that
/ ne sued out an injunction and secured
/ permanent restraining order against the
production Of the play In its amended
/ form. It was thought that truce would
/ be patched up, and Cleo" would ulti-
mately be produced. with Mrs. Carter IN
/ the leading role; but at present, the hori-
! ION is overcast and cloudy and the pros
pect anything but promising. The Shu-
berts are said TO be in the field with Of
/ fcrs to Mrs. Carter 10 join their cOnstel-
Iation Of stars, and rumors are heard that
the great actress will revive "Zaza' In
the independent theaters.
/ Under her fve-year contract with Man
/ ager Dillingham;. Mrs. Carter Is said TO
have made a distinct reservation that any
play in which he might ask her 20 ap-
pear should be changed 10 suit her. II
was upon this right that she based her
/ fnsistence on changes in Cleo opposed
/ by the author
Changes ~ plays at the hands Of lady
stars, aud. generally speaking, all stars,
/ regardless of sex. are rarely conducive
10 that harmony Of detail and unity pr
action which should distinguish good
play and there are sundry examples OF
/ dramas now on the boards, here and
| elsewhere over the country, which have
been barbaroUsly mutilatcd and distorted
! by the clumsy craftsmanship OF nOn-lit-
eraTy stars. in order that their artistic
vanity might be gratified. II is matter
Of only too frequent recurrence that
scenes are built Up into episodes for the
display Of their persoe ality, rather than
their ability 10 act.
Shortcomings may have been inherent
In "Cleo''-and probably were-but wheth-
CT vanity prompted Mrs. Carter 10 fail
out with the author OF the play Is wholly
conjecturai: for It is not % be denied
that she is too big an actress TO have
need Of resorting to claptTap 10 maintain
her dominant position in any play where
in she might assume a leading part.
But this spirit Of vandalism is said 70
have initiated greatly against Paul Arm
/ strong IN securing productions for his
plays and Armstrong has acquired quite
a reputation for being an aggressive
sticlller for the sacredness OF authorship
in protecting his rights from the intrusive
blue pencil Of over-ambiuOus Starlets
whose narrow outlook upon life leads
them 10 confound a part with a whole. a
role with q play.
One star who has consistently escaped
this charge is Mrs. Fiske. Those who
saw her In the New York Idea" as well
as Leah Kleschna" and other plays
must have noticed that she takes her
/ chance bravely with the rest in whatever
her production may be, and lets others
twinkle by her side. so long as the au-
thors ideas are properly expressed at the
hands Of her company.
Even the gifted Nine NaZimOva is not
above this narrow trait of professional
envy, If what one hears IS true; nor is
Julia Marlowe I hear that the Russian
/ actress this week released Blanche Stod-
dard because the Brooklyn papers ex-
. travagantly praised the latter's Mrs Eiv-
sted in 'Hedda Gabler' for its artistic
distinction and her personal attractive
ness in the role. a different reason would
probably be assigned II it came 10 an
issue. but this is substantially the truth;
while Julia Marlowe last season. il is
said, uncercmoniously discharged Marga-
ret Bourne because SOthern, by mistake,
handed her a bouquet of flowers intended
for Miss M8rlowe after a strong scene ii
Hamlet" in which he conducted the
younger actress, who had been playing
the queen, twice before the curtain In re
Spouse 20 the applause. It was not till
after the recall that the mistake was dis
covered In view Of the fact that Miss
Bourne was playing in her home town,
the mistake about the destination OF the
=
natural. but no explanation awaited to
pacify the outraged queen of tragedy
and Miss Bourne was maTtyred through
no act Of treason OF her own.
Richard Mansfield opened his metropolis
tan engagement Monday evening in Peer
Gynt" His representation was witnessed
by a crowded house and treated by the
press with unanimous accord of disap.
prevail Some Of this unfavorable COM
ment is undoubtedly due to deep-seated
prejudice against the actor and some to
antipathy TO Ibsen, but even the friendly
critics were not. too friendly in their re-
marks upon Mr. Manshelds interpreta-
ton. Mr. William Winter, in the Tri-
bune. tried hard TO conceal his real Opin-
ion behind q mask of reserved approval OF
the stars art. but unbOttled his wrath
I against Ibsen, and alternated praise for
the actor with denunciation Of the author
! in every other line.
Mir. Winter is a warm admirer Of the
style of art that Mr. Mansfield expounds
/ and a cordial hater of the symbolism OF
: Ibsen, Hauptmann, and the other writers
who have made obsolete the art of Con
greve, Wycherley, and Knowles. Ibsen-
= ism is rank heresy. and upon THE late
] Mrs. Ibsen' he unlOads the responsible
, ity for a play which. the grizzled veteran
, of the caustic pen seems TO forget, User
! never intended for the stage. and which
Mr. Mansfield obviously wrenched from
its natural environment for the sake OF