Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-12

Youngs Hotel. E. Shoemaker. Mrs
NJ. Schnicker, Mrs. J. E. Schnicker.
The Foreign Stage
Special Correspondence Of The Star
LONDON. April l. 1908
Mrs. Elinor Glyn brought back with
her from America the play she had writ.
ten from her much-discussed novel
Three Weeks and two days ago she
put the finishing touches on a revision
of 1t. Already she is beset by managers
who are anxious to get it, and she will
probably have concluded arrangements
with one Of them before she leaves fol-
Paris. tomorrow. She had hoped to gel
back to the United States before this
but was seized with influenza a fortnight
ago. and has been in bed ever since till
two days ago in her apartments at the
Ritz Hotel. In the meantime she has
suspended arrangements for the dramatic
production Of Three Weeks in America
until she can go over to look after it in
person. f..
Il am In a great hurry to get back. -
she said to the writer. for the Americans
delight, me, and l had lovely time there
OF. course. never dreamed of saying
some Of the things the papers credited
there. though. 1 was never SO annoyed as
l was by the first reporter who met me
on my arrival at Liverpool Over in
America where all are equals the re-
porters have right to be free and easy,
but over here they haven't any such
right
Mrs. Glyn hopes to stay in the United
States till the autumn, gathering mate
rails for her next book in which her ia
nous Eizabeth-the one who visited
will reappear. The book will probably be
ready for. publication by the end Of thu
year, and arrangements for it's publica-
ton in England and America have al.
ready been made
But the most interesting news of all
is that plans are afoot for an operate
version Of Three Weeks" by Puccini,
the libretto to be written by the Italian
playwright FOntana. Signor Fontana is
much taken with the suitability Of the
story for operate uses. and is now busy
making his scenario for the composers
inspection. The Italian translation rights
Of the novel have also been. Sold and
the book is to be published in Italian
and French next month. Norway. Swe-
den and Denmark have already had 1t
translated for them. and Germany is said
to be about to follow suit
Chance. daytime visitors to the Hay-
market Theater this week could have had
the fun Of seeing Lady de Bathe-other-
wise Lily Langtry-rehearsing for her
forthcoming production of "A Fearful
JOY" the new play written for her by
Sidney Grundy The famous beauty, who
has not been seen for three years on the
London stage. looks about as young as
ever. and is as clean-cut and vigorous
as ever in her movements.
II Sidney Grumpy could have his. way
no critics would be invited to the first
performance. The critical bench" he
says. wants one thing, the public an
other; the two factions are wholly op-
posed and at daggers drawn. play
should be judged by its dramatic, not its
literary. qualities. II had my way only
the publfc-the real paying public who
are out for entertainment-wouldb be per-
mttted to witness the first performance
OF piece. the critics not being invited
until the second night. The playwright s
chief object should be to get into direct
touch with his public. Let me have the
verdict of the public without any inter-
posing medium, and l am more than
well content"
A. E. w. Mason would probably agree
with Sidney Grundy that critics should
be excluded from first-night perform
ances. Judged by the applause. the YER
dict of the public on the first presentation
OF his new comedy. "Marjory Strode." at
the Playhouse was much more favora BILE
than that pronounced by the critics next
morning. Mr.. Ma son Is a successful nov
elist Also he is a member Of parliament
Why does he crave for distinction as a
playwright? Because this is the sort of
success that spells riches In these days.
Now and then. OF course. a novel yields
fairly handsome profit. But the aver
age novelist makes nothing like the in
come Of. the average playwright. In the
action brought by Courtenay Thorpe
(nr To-
share in the royalties Of her play THE
Scarlet Pimpernel" it was brought out
that the fees paid on account of it had
already reached $4,000. The book itself
produced no such golden stream as that.
Here you have disclosed at once why so
many Of the literary lights are striving
to become successful playwrights
The success scored by Miss Fanny
Ward in "A Bishops Carriage at the
Waldorf has aroused great interest in
her forthcoming appearance in THE Sc
cret Orchard" at Terry's Theater. This
clever young actress is one Of the busiest
women in London. and has recently ac-
CURED several new pieces. One Of them
Inns New Magdalen.' in which Miss
Margaret Anglin scored a success in
America. Another is 1.-The Flag Station"
in which Arnold DAILY appeared at the
Lyceum in New York. Polly of the
Circus" by Miss Margaret May. is vet
which she will take the title part-that
Of q warm hearted circus girl
Miss Hook Of Holland" which has
nearly reached its ScOth performance at
the Prince of Wales Theater, will be
withdrawn in few days. The expense
attached to its production is SO great
that to yield decent profit ii must draw
q full house all the time. Because the
attendance has began to wane a hit
Frank Curzon is going to take it of.
Its weekly expenses he told me, ARE
just double what 1t cost to run La Pou-
pee at the same theater ten years ago.
And they are more than double those OF
The Chinese Honeymoon which I ran
for over thousand consecutive perform
ances at the Strand Theater 1t is only
the enormous expense OF musical plays
like Miss Hook of Holland that prevents
them from eclipsing the records made
some years ago."