Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-23
The Foreign Stage.
Special Correspondence Of The Star.

Special Correspondence Of The Star.
LONDON, June s.-What would English
theatrical managers do without the Ameri-
can girl? That is the query that occurs
to one on learning that still another daugh-
ter of the Stars and Stripes has been en-
gagged for prominent part in an important
West End" production. This time the
girl is Miss Marion Ashworth, who is said
to have done good work in the United
States, and the piece is Tomorrow. which
Edward Compton is going to put on at the
st. James early next month"; when George
Alexander closes his London season and
takes John Glayde's Honor" on tour.
Tomorrow by the way has been the
biggest of successes in the English prov
inces. but it at first was thought unlikely
that Compton would bring it to London
The reason for this belief was the curious
similarity between it's plot and that of
When Knights Were Bold" which now is
running at Wyndhams not to mention
The Road to Yesterday" the American
play which the Shuberts had announced
for speedy production at the Waldorf. In
each of these plays-as was mentioned in
this column at the time-the period"
changes suddenly from modern times to
the middle ages, and it was thought that
Tomorrow would stand a bad chance if
it came after the others.
Now, however, as the London production
of The Road to Yesterday" has been post
poned indefinitely and as when Knights
Were Bold Is. after all, farce, while
Tomorrow is serious, Compton apparent
ly thinks he can present his play without
fear.
AS matter of fact. Marion Ashworth is
not the only fair American member of it's
cast. for Suzanne Sheldon also will have
rather striking part. Meanwhile one
hears that when The Bishops Carriage" is
put on at the Waldorf this month the part
of the heroine will be played by Fanny
Ward: and another American girl who is
literally in the limelight at present, is
Clarice Mayne, whose impersonation of the
real coon" at the Palace is being warmly
praised by the critics.
Other damsels from the United States who
are going particularly strong on London at
present are Marie George and Claudia
Lasell, both of whom are playing in the
successful Lady Tatters" at the Shaftes-
bury, while at the Gaiety we have May de
Sousa as a dangerous rival to Gertie Millar
for first honors in The Girls of Gotten
berg" the 'Koepenick' piece. which is one
of the biggest hits of the hour. OF Pauline
Chase, also. there is news to be chronicled
namely, that her appearance in the mys-
FERROUS Joan of Arc piece that Charles
Frohman has acquired is fixed definitely for
the beginning of next season. After that,
moreover, she will be seen again in the
Duke of York's, and still later in a new
comedy, also Frohman production.
Billie Burke. too, we are to see as the
star of a new production before the season
is over, but after that, alas! London is to
lose her for the present AS probably
has been announced In America, this bright
little girl. who, though she is now a high
favorite in London, never has acted in her
nv ba RI g
Frohman and will be John Drew's lead
Ing woman for the next season, anyhow.
At present she is the heroine of Louis
Parker's American piece, Mr.. George
but this. unfortunately. has failed to at
tract the public to the Vaudeville, and
will be replaced shortly by a revival of
Sir Francis Burnand's farce Mrs. Ponder
bury" In this Miss Burke also will be
prominent. but directly 1t is over and she
has had a short holiday the American girl
will cross the Atlantic to make her first
bow before an audience of her own coun-
trymen.
Writing Of American actresses reminds
me of rather odd little incident of
which I was told the other day by Eleanor
Robson. Miss Robson's mother, Madge
Carr Cooke, is. of course. now playing
Mrs. Wigs at Terry's Theater, and her
daughter is spending few weeks with her.
The other day, while staying with some
friends at Taplow-on-Thames, Miss Robson
Bray to see the church there that Is as
ISOLATED with the immortal vicar.
On entering the church the American
actress beheld a man, also obviously an
building, and something familiar in his
appearance made her look at him a second
time. Then the man faced about, their eyes
met, and both laughed. The man was Rob-
RI Ha ,pit
old acquaintance. but though both players
have been in London for some time, Eide
son having been appearing In Strong
heart at the Aldwych they had not hap
each other in Bray Church, buried away in
the heart of England, struck both as out of
the common.
Are American audiences more patient
than those in this country? There Is an
impression here that they are, and il So
greater fortune may attend the production
at home of the famous third act' of
Bernard Shaw's Man and Superman"
than has been met with here. This ex-
cerpt consists, of course of the much dis
cussed interview in hades between Don
Juan. the devil. the statue and Dona Ana
de Clloa, and its Compromised production
at the Court Theater has been awaited with
much interest by Londoners. Unhappily,
however. Mr.. Shaw's dream" though it
reads entertainingly enough. proves truly
affrighting thing when delivered on the
stage, where it plays" for nearly two
hours. At least, that Is the judgment of
those Londoners who have visited the Court.
and in this case the dramatic critics are
with the man in the street.
Unfortunately, too, Mr.. Shaws Man of
Destiny" which is given at the Court
after Don Juan in He'll" proves almost
as unactable as its forerunner, so the
series Of matinees at which these two
fragments are being given does not seem
likely to be prolonged to any extent THE
Man of Destiny" by the way. has not been
staged before in this country. and is held
by the critics to show even more signs
of immaturity than Shaws other early
play, The Philanderer." which recently
was tried at the Court Perhaps Americans
may like these pieces better than London
ers have done. but one rather doubts it.
1t really Is high time that Shaw gave US q
new play, and one not written on a bet!
HAYDEN CHURCH.