Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-25
TRYNG' TIE, Gypsy L1FL

lieve. in large measure, the play Of the
future will be. It will be. a lifelike study
Of a group of personalities. all thinking
their own thoughts, and both amusing
and tragic In the way they react on one
another
DO you mean that plot isn't essen
tial?''
"Of course, a plot is essential but not
the impossible kind of plot. with impos-
sible situations that dramatists hereto
fore have provided. There must be Sc
quence Of events, SO long as they are like
ly events: though not likely in the sense
Of being Inevitable. Don't forget that the
stage Is the stage from which we always
shall expect excitement, stimulation, in
terest. Every play must have a story
which is carried forward act by act. and
1t all must be finally settled when the
people go home.
Nothing to Be Forced.
1.-THE theater is a matter Of supply and
demand. and it always has reflected the
intellectual progress of the people. l am
glad to say that we have a mass of peo-
pie now who want thoughtful plays. and
managers are one by one trying to get
them. But 1t is futile trying to force
the progress. Possibly it is my Irish
temperament which makes me dislike to
see anything forced upon any one. 1
don't like to see Imprisonment forced on
poor. unfortunate man; I dislike to see
children forced to church, and it is as
bad to see an entertainment that they
don't enjoy forced on people. I should
dislike immensely to think that the poor
folk who live in slums could see moth
ing but David Ballard they get inf
nttely more good from the plays that are
provided for them.
TT is folly. too. to talk of educating
educated by what happens in their lives.
You can educate a man to this extent.
however that you can convince him that
a play that deals with real life and real
people need not necessarily be dull"
The story of his fathers career. as re-
lated by Charles McEvoy, has a pathetic
ending, and this drew forth a rather
striking commentary from the young au-
thor of David Ballard
ut would be tragical thing" he said,
III America knew how her old veterans
are living and dying all over Europe
Your country people seem to think
good deal; wonder If they ever think ct
Romantic Life Story.
The meaning of those words is that
Ambrose McEvoy. the greatest. perhaps,
of the inventive geniuses who ranged
themselves on the side Of the southern
states. who was the friend of Lee and
Stonewall Jackson. and the author of a
score Of scientific discoveries whose fame
parative poverty three thousand miles
from the land he adopted as a boy. Apart
from Its last chapter. however. Ambrose
McEvoy's life story is as romantic as a
novel, 1t seems that the inventor of the
submarine mine came to Baltimore, Md.
with his parents from County Wexford,
Ireland. as a child in 1923. When he was
only sixteen he ran away from home and
embarked for Cuba. but was wrecked on
the coast of Virginia, near Cape Henry.
He made his way to Norfolk and eventu-
ally was adopted by a wealthy family
there. Later on he joined the militia.
and was one Of the force that captured
John Brown. He was. as he told his
son. one of the few who were permitted
to visit the abolitionist in his CELL and
talked with him there on such varied
topics as religion and the stage. Then
came the outbreak of the war when Nc
Evoy was one of the first to throw in his
lot with the SOUTH and eventually he
reached the rank of captain. and num-
bered Lee. Jackson and Moseby among
his intimate friends. Another of his ac-
quaintances. by the way, was a physician
named Whistler, who also served with