The evening world., 1908-10-24

TNREDER1C THOMPSON was 80
mad ten minutes before the rise
= of the curtain on the first per-
Torrance of his new play, via WV
less" Monday night. in washington
that he would have laid odds OF eish''
five and two that there would be no
show that night. This Is how 1t hap
pened:
There are all kinds OF trick stun,
as Thompson calls the scenery ana
props" for the play-Marconi appa-
/ ratus, forges and other devices OF
cannon foundry. a big ship scene-ato
! he and his stage crew had been re-
hearsing and working for seventy hours
with practically no sleep. Everything
was ready by SIS Monday night. how
ever, and few minutes before that
time Thompson strolled out in front Oh
the theatre to get a bit of fresh air.
He still wore his working clothes: he
needed shave his felt hat OF the vim
tage of SO was pulled low over his
eyes, and he stood near the entrance
with an unlighted panatela between his
teeth. He was so preoecupied he didn't
notice a carriage stop directly in front
OF him, but he was brought back from
dreamland when two men grabbed him
and threw him spinning out into the
street.
He swallowed the panatela and picked
himself up and rushed over to the men,
demanding the explanation for such an
outrage, but before he was answered
President Roosevelt, Mrs. Roosevelt and
Miss Ethel stepped out of the carriage
and entered the theatre.
| Don't block the way, young man..
said one of the Secret Service men.
This is the President and you must
step aside"
Thompson was mad clear through.
The President. eh?" he said to him
self We'll, I'm Frederic Thompson
and I own the show, and II he can
throw me out into the street / can
close the show and let him go home,
and. by the great horn spoon. l believe
III do It"
He stopped on the curb although they
| were waiting back on the stage FOR MIN
| to give the word to raise the curtain,
| and ii was not until Harry Rap!ey, the
manager OF the house. came along. and,
| after hearing the story, made thompson
for the humor OF the situation, that his
temper cooled and he went back and
| gave the signal
| All of which leads us to the observa-
ton that since President Roosevelt be-
came frst-nighter he has contrived to
furnish almost as much material to the
| merry press agent as did the late Ii
Hung Chang when he visited TINS couh-
| try some years ago
When o. Henry, the short story writer,
MANY of whose stories have appeared
n The Evening World, was telling
George Tyler, the manager, his Idea so-
,e ha 1au1 nc
play he is writing he descrsoeo MN
thus: $50, ,ooa fellow.
good family and position. So much so
that he can afford to be seen IN swel,
clothes-so good that he hands his OLD
ones to John Drew to play IN.
Not long ago Paul Armstrong. the
author of THE Heir to the Hoorah'
and "Salomy Jane" not TO mention the
greater part OF Via Wireless" Fred
Thompson's new play. was discussing
playwrlghts and playwriting with a
.rodp of men all directly or indirectly
Interested in theatricals.
"Oh. YOU can all talk about these
dramatists and playwrights.' he said,
as If eNaSperated at the comments OF
the party, but when I think about it
much a quotation from Kipling always
comes into my mind. It's my own lit
tie quotation-Ive picked 1t out for my
self-it's from the The Mary Gloster
and it is:
And left 'em stealing and sweating
a year and half behind
Alessandro Bonci. the tenor, who ar
rives soon to sing at the Metropolitan
Opera House. has been spending the
past few weeks hunting the agile wild
sheep as 1t leaps from crag to crag
in the Tuscan Apprentices. and is said to
| --iF, Hp.a q
new Puccini opera
Giacomo Puccini. the italian COM
poser, has written to David Belasco
that one act of the opera he is writing,
taking THE Girl of the Golden West"
for a plot, is completed.
LAS my work on your beautiful Girl
of the Golden West nears completion"
Puccini writes. $50 does my enthusiasm
increase. Never have / been SO in
spred TO give to the public the best
that is In me as when collaborating with
yourself on this remarkable play. The
Girl lends itself so admirably to op-
cratic Interpretation. there is In It SO
much that is dramatic and appealing
its incidents. characters. gripping story
that | firmly believe we nave WORK
that will meet with the highest public
approval. In its original form the play
is so nearly idyilic that I am having the
lines translated literally into Italian,
and am changing but slightly certain
Incidents of the piece. our success with
Madam Butterfly leads me TO look for
even greater things in The Girl of the
! Golden West, and to hope that we may
continue our plan of collaboration in
future"
Miss Geraldine Farrar has also writ
ten. to Mr. Beasco telling him that she
has been chosen to sing the title role
IN the new opera, and asking that he
send her the manuscript of THE Glrl''
as played by Miss Blache Bates.
Caruso will sing the role of the road
agent, and there is no reason TO doubt
, that his performance will be as realistic
and convincing" as when he sings
Plnkerton, the American lieutenant, n.
Madam Butterfly" Scott will sing the
sheriff, the part originated by Mr..
Frank Keenan,.
Balm OF Giead Item-In a recent is
sue of a Troy newspaper is two