The sun., 1908-03-24
BSEN PLAY COMPLICATED
BY THE LEADING LADY'S STRIKE
AND OTHER MATTERS.

Somebody Sent Notices TO Patrons That
The Play was Given With Mabel
wright, Not Grace ElllstOn, In the Lead
Take an Ibsen play and complicate II
with balky leading woman, contradictory
and possibly malicious reports Of post
poned performance, suddenly rearranged
cast and rainy afternoon, and you have
a fair stock Of material for another play.
The preliminariee appear to be that a
young manager named George d. Ford
thought that some matnees OF lbsen's
Love Comedy In English would pay
That was his first Idea Then he had a
second which was to insure a good house
for his first performance, and this he sought
20 do by Offering to turn over the net re-
ceipts Of the first performance TO a charity
having an imposing list of lady patronesses,
The charitable women thought they could
sell out the house. as Loves Comedy
had never been done anywhere in English
and would have the selling power OF lbsen
plus novelty.
Tho manager took the metrical transla.
tion made for the Lang English edition
by Prof. { II Herford Of Oxford. He
selected cas-. for the play including @ ace
Elliston as Srdnhid. proceeded with re-
hearsals and announced the first perform
ance for yesterday afternoon at the HUDSON
Theatre. The rehearsals looked good
TO all concerned, especially to Grace Ellis
ton, according 10 the mana ger and bright
visions appeared OF many matinees with
perhap a regular ason Of night perform
ances
Thus il was up 70 Saturday last when
Manager Ford was presented by Miss FL
istons lawyer with short, sharp demand
for q readjustment Of her scale oi wages
and fen the sherman law az TO combinations
in restraint 0 trade.
The manager didn't have time 10 get
an injunction and wasn't certain Mr.. Com
pers would let II operate II he did. But he
| coUldn tmeet Miss EllistOn 'ssecond hought
views on the salary question. So he look cd
over his troupe Of players and told Mabel
Wright, cast for the small part OF Anna,
to take Prof Herford's hest thoughts on
the par, of SrGnhild home with her and
come 10 rehearsal Saturday letter perfect.
Then somebody, or H. a growing liter
Y light might say "a certain party got
busy and sant out som hundreds Of tele-
phone and mail notices to the effect that
there would be nothing doing in the lbsen
line at the Hudson Theatre yesterday after
noon.
The box office heard Of this first in the
way OF a hundred demands for return Of
money. But the play went on Just the
same Announcement was made from
the stage that Mabel Wright would play
ScdnhiId and her understudy Ella Watson,
play Anna Any one so disposed could
get his money back. No one seemed so
disposed and the curtain went up. Miss
Wright not only played her hastily assumed
part well, but very well
II may be that Ibsen ia easierRoing in
ones own language, but still there are
hurdles. Somehow or other Prof Heriords
rhymed lines would call up memories Of
when you were kid and went 10 La Belle
Helene or even -lXion' instead OF the
Sunday school ice cream festival where
you we're supposed 10 be
However, this not being a criticism, II is
fair to say that Mr. Ford's production,
which will be repeated at the Hudson on
Thursday afternoon, is an intelligent and
pleasant rendering Of the most lbsenish
theme in all lbsen