The Washington herald., 1908-05-17

and Lehar retired 10 his magnificent sub
urban home, paid for VITA $1,000 Of Saw
ages hasss,ss
Mrs. Patrick Campbell. sailed for Lon
don this week. declaring that when she
next returns it wiIl be under Belasco' S
management. The statement created con-
siderable surprise. but was partly con-
firmed by Belasco, who admitted that ne
gotiations between him and the English
actress had been pending. Apparently no
agreement had been reached when Mrs.
Pat went aboard her steamer, but IS
Belasco Is going to England this summer,
he may meet her and conclude arrange
ments for her appearance under his man.
agement
When Belasco and Mrs. Carter parted
he had a play readytfor her on which he
staked high hopes. II Is q play with com
paratively few characters, but with a
powerful woman's role. The fact that
Blanche Bates did not get this play Is
assigned as one reason why she Is dis
eruntled with Belasco and viii not be
| under his management again. Before
that Is settled. however, there Is likely
| to be 8 lawsuit Belssco viii attempt to
hold Miss Bates to her contract. and Miss
Bates is said TO be equally determined TO
break away from her present manager.
She has accumulated handsome for
tune and owns a good farm at Ossining.
II is not indispensably necessary for her
10 work IL she does not choose 10 DO so.
but Miss Bates is ambitious and regards
herself In the prime Of her power and
popularity. Hence she will not submit
10 being relegated 10 obscurity through a
| Irftfu 40 In
the meantime II is not known that Be
lasco has a play ready for her, sven II
she remains under his management
When Augustus Thomas launches his
next play it is reasonably safe to predict
that 1t VIII be on a theme dealing with q
strong central character who is jew,
Thomas has an insidious way of promot-
ing interest In himself and his works. and
he improved the opportunity afforded him
one afternoon last week Of telling a spe-
ciAlly invited audience that the coming
great play would glorify a man Of the
| Hebraic race.
The next big play" he said. that is
coming, and coming very soon, IS Of tbs
Jew. Not the Jew Of ShakesPeare's time,
nor the Russian Jew, nor the suffering.
prosecuted Jew. but the great American
/ Jew. who Is philanthTopic. far-seeins.
/ and, above all, sweetly domestic
! The occasion Of this delivery was a
! discussion OF The Better Outlook OF the
/ Drama" at the Hudson Theater for the
benefit Of She League Of Political Eduea-
4 ton. in which William II. Crane. Mrs.
/ W J. lie M0yne. and Charles Rem Ken
nedy, author Of The Servant In the
House" participated. Kennedy has speed
| lily become an interesting parsonage since
the success Of his preachy play, with its
strong symbolic characters, and he car
Tied some OF his sermonizing into his de-
/ livery. He said a numbGr Of good things.
and. among others, said; THE truth IS
| that this same better outlook for the
drama is within you II deptnds upon
you. and the courage with which you
band together 70 enfoyce II. whether
America shall produce a national drama
which shall take its place among the
/ proudest movements - that kind in any
| age"
/ Mr.. Crane drplored the fact that there
are not enough Shakespearean produc-
tlons at present, and contended that this,
/ IN conjunction with commersialism, has
much to do with the stage Of to-day.
/ One OF the surprises OF the week was
the announcement that Henry Miller has
severed his connection with the Shuberts
and cast HIS fortunes with Klaw & Er-
langer. through a business alliance with
! Frank Mckee. The significance Of the
step is 10 be sought in the events Of the
! recent past.
/ Some severe and canstic remarks were
attributed to Klaw & Erlanger snent Miss
Anglins acting ability al a time when
she and her manager, Mr. Miller were
very improperly oyershadowed by special
/ ly promoted fayorites who could not act
/ half as well as they. The answer TO this
| depTeciatory estimate was Miss Anglin' 5
/ triumph In ''Zira" and her subsequent
/ success in THE Great Divide" But the
Shuberts had been instrumental IN bring
/ ing about this commendable state OF af-
1 fairs. They formed with Mr. Miller and
! Miss Anglin a tTipartite partnership 20
take the Princess Theater, whose spaces
had long been unfamiliar with the echoes
OF applause In "Zira" Miss Anglin show
cd her true mettle as a fine artist, and
when her long engagement came to en
/ end, Brown OF Harvard moved in and
added new laurels to the brows OF the
three partners Miss Anglin suddenly
rose. deservedly enough, from a discredit-
ed position TO one OF commanding i'm
! portance.
To her judgment and ability much Of
/ the ensuing success OF the triple alliance
Is attributed. It was she that discovered
| Nazimova in an obscure theater on Third
avenue and brought her into the limelight
OF publicity on the English-speaking
stage. through her influence with Henry
/ Miller. It was she who picked up Moody s
/ drama Of The Great Divide" in Chicago
and produced Il under obstacles. Now
/ she is one Of the most widely heralded
! actresses of the American stage, and
about TO extent her triumphs to another
continent.
They made few inevitable mistakes
| in between their successes. but the gen
eral summary of the results achieved By
/ the combination in the face Of discour-
agement shows Il big balance on the right
/ side of the ledger. Miller became rec
| ognized not enly as a good actor. bit as
an Intelligent stage director. and his ar
tistic Judgment is largely responsible for