The San Francisco call., 1908-05-10


Indictment of theater goers' forgetfuI
ness.
GREAT IN MANY PARTS
Was not Drew great Petruchio? Can
you think of a part further removed
than this from his present role of
Gerald Eversleigh in My Wife?
There's nothing equivocal about Pc
truchio. the roaring tanner of shrewish
Kate; there is none of Drew's present
repose. grace and polish in the part.
Then he was fine in 'Mirabel." COM
pelling comparison with the great
wallack. The people have forgotten
, his long, succession of classical pre-
sentations when he was a member of
Edwin Booths historical company,
they have forgotten his portrayal of
Henry Dornton. of Doricourt and of
Don Felix. not TO mention his biggest
success as Charles Surface. From these
different types of characters to a sue
cessful realization of the role of Sir
Jaspar Thorndyke in Rosemary" sug-
gests versatility and imagination
highly developed and sensitiveIy keen.
Yet, he pointed out. it has become ira
ditional almost, to say John Drew
is always Drew. He brings the char
acter to himself, but he does not bring
himself to the character
Just because Drews face is all profile
is no sign his art is.
that it has been in the lighter roles
such as he has appeared in of late
years-"The Duke Of Killiecrankie," in
19o4-5, and similar parts of banter and
drollery-that the public has liked him
best and in which, perhaps, his fame
as an American actor will most Sc
curely rest without danger of odious
comparison with other players. But
that Drew is lacking in the skill, tech
mic and instincts of an actor, 1 think,
is one of those falsities that gain cur
rency like a bad coin, because it looks
genuine and is easy to pass along.
San Francisco" said Drew. changing
the subject, seems to like Ferdinand
Gottschalk, too. There is good rea-
son for this. He is a superior. actor;
otherwise he wouldn't have been with
me so long. It is not generally known
that Gettschalk is fine musician. He
is, however, and was once offered the
position Of organist in one OF the larger
English churches, but he declined. L
am musical myself intrinsically, but not
practically. 1t runs in my family, as
you know"
WANTED "DEvIL's DIsCIPLEv
Drew declined to be drawn into
discussion of Shaw. Ibsen, Maeterlinck
& Co.
Il wanted to play shaw's Devils
Disciple" he said, 'but Shaw wouldn't
let me-"
"why2"
He said I couldn't play it and as he
regarded that as an adequate reason
and correct conclusion the matter was
settled. would have enjoyed doing
it, though. 1t was one of Dick Mans
fields, you know. Shaw agreed, how
ever, that 1 could interpret the role
of the dentist in You Never Can TELL
and he also concurred that l could play
the lead acceptably to his critical
sense in Captain Brasbound's Confess
sion.' which is one of Shaw's plays for
Puritans. I will not deny that Arms
and the Man is still another 1 should
like to do. but the public likes me
where / am and the public's voice-you
know what that is to managers"
And so Drew is likely to end his
stage career as he began in the care
less, light hearted roles like that of
Ruggles in The Big Bonanza" in
which he made his New York debut
with beautiful Fanny Davenport many
years ago under the management OF
the great Augustin DAILY I did not get
the date from Drew-though l think
it was about 1s75-but he was still a
youngster at his craft and not yet far
removed from the date of mis- birth,
November. 1853.
Il would be very glad to tell you