The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-01-23


who had killed him.
Mr.. Wheelock went on to say that
| he had made in conversation with
other actors at his club in New York
an offer of one hundred dollars to any
| one who could name one single new
idea in stage production which has
been brought out in the last twenty
years beside the employment of cleo
trical lighting and of box scenes. His
bluff, he said, had not been called.
THE fact is, he went on, nobody
can deny that we have almost n )
competent stage managers in this
country. For instance, as / suggested
in connection with the offer 1 men
toned. how many stage managers do
you know who have attended an cleo
tricity show in the past ten years
and yet no one detail of stage produc-
ton is as important as lighting and
wonderful improvements have been
made in electric illumination of which
stage managers have not taken adj
vantage. Belasco succeeds because he
takes time, does one thing at a time
and does it thoroughly. Other mana
gers give ten minutes to this produc-
ton. twenty to another, an hour per-
hapS to a third. The average man
ager drops in at one theater. sees part
of an act, says. Come in here: exit
there-Don't stand so near tho center
of the stage in that scene and don't
move that chair in the last act. All
right. That's ALL And off he goes to
Look at the way our society plays
plays supposed to picture the smart
set-are produced. A man who has
never been in a really fashionable
drawing room in his life, who has
never known smart people and is to-
tally unacquainted with the manners
and traditions of what we call the up
per class Isn't it ridiculous, pre-
posterous
The mention of Mr.. Belasco of
course brought up the marriage of
Mrs. Leslie Carter. his erst-while pet
star, and the break between her and
her former manager. since her wed
ding to Lew Payne. The marriage and
the circumstances attending it, Mr..
Wheelock says. are as much of a mys-
terry to theatrical people as to the rest
of the world. Mrs. Carter had known
Mr.. Payne only about a week before
her marriage and he is young enough
to be her son. Her marriage was a
complete surprise to Mr.. Belasco, as
to her son, all her other friends ana
professional and personal associates.
Since her wedding Mr.. Belasco has re-
FUSED to speak to her or answer a let
ter or telephone call. SO much they
know with everybody else, but farther
than that they can only speculate. Mr..
Payne has left the stage and is doing
something on the board of trade and
Mrs. Carter is rehearsing a new play.
Some think she will repeat her former
successes. Others believe that with
out Belasco she will be as helpless,
artistically, as Trilby without Sven
gall. Mr.. Belasco has refused to say
anything for publication or privately
on the subject of the marriage and his
break with Mrs. Carter but Mr.
Wheelock tells very graphically of an
incident of the first production in New
York and Boston of his new astound-
which he has brought out the young
actress Frances Starr, after training
her for months with his usual care in
every detail of the performance to the
lifting of an eyelid. Frances Starr
is a beautiful and talented young girl
said Mr.. Wheelock, land Mr.. Belasco of
course had had his eye on her for
some time" After Mrs. Carter's mar
riage he bent every effort to make
Miss Starr and her play a tremendous
success. He achieved this and when
he was called before the curtain on
the occasion of the plays first produce
ton both in New York and Boston
in concluding his conventional speech
of thanks to the audience ne took the
hand of his new star and said with
slow, impressive emphasis: And am
glad to see you admire with me the
wonderful work of this beautiful, lit
tie girl only twenty years old. Only
twenty years oldr" he repeated. "Ah,"
cried Mr. wheelock. Ibid you get that
knife thrust, Mrs. Carter, old LADY,
This beautiful little girl, only TWEEN.
ty years old Stung!"
When Mr.. Wheelock is settled IN
New Mexico, has found a ranch, built
his adobe house, a rambling structure
with patio which he has planned, his
mother who is now in New York will
join him and Mr.. and Mrs. Hamilton
and their son John, will visit them
next summer. Mr.. Wheelock says he
will feed some sheep perhaps and
raise fruit and vegetables, but the
most of his time he expects to spend
walking around with his eye on the
ground. kicking the dust ia the hope
of finding a meerschaum mine. ana
a lucky strike recently
made in that country. If he finds a
mere silver or copper mine he will
turn up his nose at it and leave it for
some one less ambitious. A meer-
schaum mine or nothing, for him.