The Washington herald., 1908-03-08

oid man wakes up, and the fun be-
gins He takes his dress suit out OF the
mothoalls. determined to become a high
roller. and demonstrates to the satisfac-
/ tion Of the most fastidious that he can be
a real sport regardless OF expense. We
get lively scene at the race track and an
animated picture OF life in GOldheld. in
which the Westernevs dress as Fasteners
I ana me Fasteners as WesteTners. 10 the
end that great deal Of farcical merri-
meDt IS promoted and everybody becomes
/ happy. with several prospective mar
riages for good measure. Crane has rarely
Deen seen 10 better advantage. his re-
/ straint In the early act being set of
against strong contrast OF lively comedy
acting in the later scenes. his engage
nent promises we'll
1 Nat Goodwin. al the Carrick. did not
/ fare so well in his new play. THE East
erner." although the comedy is from the
trained pen Of George Broadhurst. The
two principal causes operating against the
popularity OF the play are first. that it is
/ intrinsicaily not in itself fetching We
hicle. and second. IL does not give Good
win adequate opportunities either for
comedy or dramatic work. The papers
are treating the play ungraciously in their
summaries as unworthy OF GOOdwin's ef-
! forts. and the company cones in for con-
siderable censure. One critic advises him
to 90 back 10 his repertoire as soon as
possible. GOOdwin's role is that of a
/ Western sheriff. but the character lacks
the consistency and force Of his sheriff in
In Missouri, and the types are gen
orally exaggerated, fcti0nal, and Uncon-
vineing.
The sudden success OF Paid in Full. -
at the Astor. with which my letter dealt
in detail last Sunday. is the means OF
revealing characteristic tale Of an
authors struggles against stupendous
odds. Everybody in theatrical circles
knows Eugene Walter. who wrote the
| play He was dramatic critic on a pa
per in Seattle. came East. took a po-
sitiOn as press agent. and in the mean
time wrote plays. His first drama was
produced By Kirke la Shelle FIVE or
six years ago. under the title of Ser
geant James" but il was short lived.
His next production was The Under
tow" II was accepted By big firm
Of managers after many vicissitudes. and
was actually put in rehearsal a dis
agreement between the author and Tn,
manager relative 70 the staging OF the
piece caused the play 10 be withdrawn.
by royal edict The author had simply
stood up for his rights but that surficed
70 give mortal Offense, and for some time
7 Walter found every managers door on
Broadway closed 10 him whenever he at
| tempted 10 read q play
Last year he was press agent for
Forbes Robertson and Gertrude Elliott.
in Caesar and Cleopatra" The Under
tow" dealt with graft. love. and poll
tics, the same as THE Man OF the Hour"
The latter, though written after The
Undertow, anticipated Il and destroyed
its market II was produced by a local
stock company and received favorable no.
tiee, without. however. netting any royal
ties
Harris and Cohen took an option on
Walter, bat nothing tangible came Of IL
AS the story goes. paid in Fuu' was
offered TO every manager IN New York,
and politely declined. Wagenhals and
hemper finally accepted IT, and. with
many misgiyings. gave i a trial on the
road With the encourage given
them in Canada and elsewhere they de-
cided 20 risk a Broadway production.
The result has been stated. The New
York press almost unanimously praised
H. and seats are now selling weeks in
advance
In less than week the play became a
subject Of hot dispute Harris and Cohan
promptly claimed it as their property
under an alleged contract With Walter
FOR an option on all his plays. An en-
veiope containing $500 WAS forced upon
Walter with a written statement that
this was 10 be considered advance royalty.
and that Harris and Cohan would exer-
else their option on the piece The claim
IS vigorously contested by the author.
and in discussing the matter, Walter
said:
These men let me go hungry and sleep
IN the parks have eaten in cheap
dairy restaurants when I had the money.
and have slept in Bryant Park Now they
are trying 10 take away my first success
on Broadway. AS soon as I make a hit.
they swooD down on me ike vultur4s
{ Ihey made contract with me for five
years, and at that time 7 thought il was
valid Now I know IL wasn't worth the
paper If was written on. for IL contained
no consideration"
And there the matter stands. although
a compromise has been suggested OF Civ
ing Harris and Cohan the Western rights
TO the play, proposition which will prob
ably not be acceptable 10 WagenhaIs and
kemper. nor 10 the author But as a case
Of neglected authorship coupled with
characteristic hardships which attend
the pursuit Of fame by unknown play
wrights, It is iliuminative 10 a degree.
Time was when the German Theater in
this city was a Mecca for American ac-
tors who wished 70 study method. Joe
Howard one time asked American actors
why they went 20 Paris in the summer 10
study. when they had the opportunity %
seeing the German players right here in
their midst Theatrical life then throbbed
IN and about Union Square. and making
pilgrimage 10 the old Thalia Theater on
the BoweTy WAS not considered much OF A
hardship When theatrical affeirs began
70 focus around FOrty-second street a
matter Of nearly thirty blocks farther I'D
town. the German players were moved to
the Irving Place. just above Union
Square. and diagOnally across the street
from the Academy Of Music. and there
they have tarried until that location. too.
has become obsolete.
At the close OF last season Heinrich
Conried severed his connection with the
Irving Place Theater, and Dr. Baumfeld
assumed control. This seasons experi-
ence has convinced him that the location
is no longer attractive TO German or other
playSoers, and this week the announce
ment was made that the German PLAYERS
are 20 have a new home up town. IN
der contract between DT. BaumfeId and
W alter j. solomon, lessee Of the enox
Lyceum. the LyceSm viii be transformed
into new the-ter, TO be completed Oc-
to0eT l, 1908. and the German Theater
VIII be moved from Irving Place 10 its
new home, corner Madison avenue and
F1fty-ninth street This viii locate il Ear
up town, within the zone now inclosinr
me Majestic, the new theater Cwhen COM
pleted), the Circle and the Lincoln