Evening star., 1908-01-12
The Foreign Stage.
Correspondence of The Star.

LONDON, January /. 1908.
On both sides of the Straits of Dover
the ever-present nuisance of the big hat
at the theater again is under discussion.
BY London writers it is asserted that the
enjoyment OF many juvenile patrons of
this seasons "pantomimes' has been
ruined by the adult wearers of these OBJ
structions, but up to date no course of
action against them more drastic than
moral suasion has been suggested. But
i'll France the sufferers from excessive
headgear in the playhouse have resolved
on stern measures. The lead in the new
crusade is being taken by a newspaper
which has just offered a gold medal to the
playgoer who makes the most successful
assault on a big hat which has obscured
his view. That journal attempted to
form a league of theatrical managers
against the big hat, but il failed because
three directors held out. Hence. the gold
medal. which will be awarded Ito the
spectator WHO. before the end of the pres
ent season. having been annoyed by a
woman's hat. shall have made the most
row. Would-be medalists already an
nounce their plans. One will go 10 the
play next time with pair of shears and
''let little daylight" into any hat that
may be before him. Another who has a
me Iitdu Oh IldH, proposes TO GiScIrlfy
IL and appear III his stall like the fretful
porcupfne. He warrants that his locks on
end Will cover an area of two square
feet. which is the size OF small matinee
bonnet. third aspirant to the medal
declares he has bought a milIer's hat
which he will smuggle into the house
under a cloak. If he is behind lady in
the usual theater headgaar who refuses
TO remove il he will put his on and wild
horses Will not tear 1t off A fourth reyo-
lnr mo nS+ i'm nin
savage, scheme. Take" he recommends
"a string about two feet long and tie a
pin to each end. Stick firmly one of the
pins into a lady's hat and the other into
the stuff back OF the lady's stall. The
slightest movement made by her will then
disarrange the monument on her head.
When she gets up her hat will be torn
of. Then you can laugh. She won't put
IL on again Womens mats, in fact 'ap-
pear TO be goading Frenchmen into a
fierce sacrifice OF their native gallantry
In London the American actress is hay-
ing another triumph. In the Drury Lane
pantonime-the leading entertainment of
this kind in the Countrywide principal
boy and principal girl" both hail from
the land OF the dollar The first is
Miss Meredith Meredro. who originally
came over TO appear at the halls in The
Stunning Grenadiers'' and who was
snapped up by Arthur Collins, and the
second is Marie George, who now is an
tdNoiIle With auQfenceS at
old Drury." Both have scored heavily
in this winters pantomime, which is The
Ba bes in the Wood
Further up the Strand the bright par
ticular star of the .Adelphi pantomime
Aladdin" is ~another Yankee damsal.
Happy Fanny Fields" She appears at
the Adelphi, moreover. in spite of two at
tempts to restrain her from doing one
on the part of the Tivoh and the other
on that OF the Holborn Music Hall. II
appears that this young lady's excessive
happiness led her TO enter into three
separate contracts which confiicted rather
seriously. To begin with, there was the