Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-08
The Foreign Stage
espondence Of The Star.

special correspondence Of The Star
| LONDON, February &c, 1905
BY this time some thousands Of Ameri-
can players must have seen my Wife, -
the comedy from the French, in which
John Drew is now appearing with Billie
Burke as his leading woman. In Paris,
as readers probably know, it was called
| ''IAdlle. Josette. Ma Femme and it ran
| there for more than year, a remarkable
feat in the City of Light" where a fire.
| quent change Of bill is the usual order.
Thereafter. moreover, the English version
| OF this sparkling comedy crowded the
London Haymarket for months on end,
and according to all accounts. it will
serve John Drew for as lengthy a period
One would think that the first manager
to whom it was offered would have jump
ed at 1t. but that was a long way from
being the case, according to. an inter-
view with its author, Paul Gavault, which
Partisan weekly publishes. From this
1t appears that ''Josette" had to knock
at theatrical doors exactly seven times
before one was opened to her, and the
biggest and most successful of Paris
theaters refused to give her hospitality.
No less surprising is NJ. Gavault's ad-
mission that in spite Of the success of
"Josette% he had the greatest difficulty
in placing his other offspring, THE Hap
piness Of Jacqueline." which is now crowd
In the French Gymnase, and which is
to be done in America ere long. The
manuscript Of this play rested in a pigeon
hole at the Paris Vaudeville for several
years. and each season the manager said
cheerfully to the author, Mon PETIT
%~t 81
their friends petit" however big they
are-"Your comedy is charming; I am
going to play it at once" When this
had been going on for some time, and
''Mdlle. Josette' had achieved its success
the author went back to the manager
once more and said. Mon petit, 1 want
my play back again; you will never play
It," and that is how Mdlle. Jacqueline
came to be pensionaire at the GYM
naSe.
What's in a name?" Juliet's famous
query might be repeated with reason by
Laurence Irving. the younger of the late
Sir Henry's sons. He has just startled
into vaudeville and accepting an engage
ment at the rejuvenated London Coli |
scum. and everybody is asking why.
It's quite simple he said, when
oShCo WHY TIC udu OeS6IIeU the 'leK1tl- |
mate" Il just couldn't get enough en-
gagements. A year in 'Raf1es' and a
fortnight in The Incubus represent my
only roles for some time. So for the
present intend to keep to the halls |
have an option on Richard Harding Davis
sketch. Rags Rec gam
"One of the troubles with the theater
here" Irving added. lis that there are
100 many people with private hackers
who put down money and buy a part
Tor certain actor or actress. Thus, the
nan or woman who has earned success
by hard work is elbowed out Of SAL
ary."
Like his elder brother, Laurence Irving
s an uncommonly capable actor. SO the
act that he is not in demand with man.
ayers is the more surprising
On the stage here adaptations Of novels
ollow one another with surprising rapid
ty. but only one Of those produced re-
Beloved Vagabond' i has {
urned out a success. Especially disap-
,ointing is the dramatization Of his story
'Stingaree." by E. w. Hornung. the au- ]
hor Of 'Raffies." The play never really /,
rips. and seems likely to have a brief /:
areer at the Queens Theater, where it