Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-24
LONDON 1HEAIR|CAlS
REAL IRELAND ON THE STAGE
IN ENGLAND.
Lady Gregory Looks to America to
Support the Genuine
Article.
Special Correspondence Of The Star.

Special Correspondence Of The Star.
LONDON. May 49, 1908.
Twelve or fifteen years ago it was
distinction in the aristocratic feminine
world Of Great Britain not to have writ
ten a novel 1t Is not expensve-as ex-
penses go in the smart set'-to publish
a book and being an author was the fad.
When playvriting came into vogue there
were not so many who could follow the
fashion. The Duchess of Sutherland. with
the originality and the daring of the
Erskine family. was the first to set the
ball rolling with her "Conqueror." a dull,
heavy play, which ran for a fortnight.
After her came the Hon. Mrs Alfred
Lyttelton with Warp and Wool which
had measure of success. as 1t dealt with
vital subject. The young Countess of
Cromartie, a Scotch celt and a peerless in
her own right. the richest woman in
| Scotland after the Duchess of RoXhurghe.
emulatng the example set by her aunt.
the Duchess Of Sutherland, wrote one or
two medieval tragedies. imaginative and
dramatic and hundreds of society women
of less exalted position have had their
| plays performed at their own expense in
drawing room or in provincial towns
Love of Portraying Character.
Standing apart distinct from the rest
OF the titled world, is Lady Gregory. who
| writes plays. not for the fad. but from
/ love of portrayins character. Lady Greg
DRY Is a reserved. dignified, unambtious.
| DIRE aiming mystic. She Is Of that rare
| type of Irish woman who has not. to use
an expressive American phrase, the gift
of CAB"
| talked to her about the new type of
\ IrfS introduced nv SyDgp SpatpS
and herself. and found that she looked to
| America for the best appreciation OF
| them. "Amercans.' she said. under
stand Irish sentiment Irish feeling and
| the immense complpxity of Irish charac
ter far better than other nations. Mayba
| this is because there is much Irish
| blood in the United States. ] am snre
| they would appreciate the Irish plays
| there According to Lady Gregory. one
| OF the hest proofs that the English COM
prehend only the conventional stage
| Irishman and enjoy only that type was
given last June. when some of the new
| type of real Irish plays were performed
| at the Queens Theater London. 10 prac
| tically empty benches. Even the press
| gave them but poor welcome. though
/ the united efforts of Lady Gregory, w. B.
| Yeates and Synge were displayed in act
| ing which was granted to be supreme OF
| it's kind. The Irish players have been
| likened to the Sicilians who held London
spellbcund few months ago. but why
the former failed and the Italians were
| glorifiad is inexplicabe except. perhaps
| that there is still ran enmity in Eng
| land. Rarely viii YOU find an English
| critic enthuse over anything Irish.
| Lady Gregory's contributions to what
| are now defined THE Irish Plays are
the CLEANS Of sunshine In the somber
mystical tragedies OF the other writer's OF
this group 1t is always Of pleasant life
that she writes. The peasants are the
people who interest her. She concludes
that directly YOU edicate an lrshman he
| loses his originality. his picturesaueness.
| In her hands Irish character, however
| foolish or indiscreet. becomes carica-
ture. They are quaint, picturesque. hu-
man and true as life to the country 70
which they belong You meet them at
every crossroad in Ireland. You laugh
with them in their joys. weep with them
| in their sorrows If you are not Irish
| there are times when you want badly to
| shake them. but that only proves YOU do
not understand the individual or his tenn
| permanent
Lady Gregorys plays. like all the 9TH
| ers. are staged in the most realistic man.
ner One can imagine ones self in a
| ''Shehaen' shop in Galway when watch
ing a picture Of such place. There is
no, a vestige of color falsely applied by
these actor-playwrigh;s who know the
scenes that they portray.
Hobby for Planting Trees.
| Lady 15regory mas noDDy-l1 i might
call it sucn-for planting trees; not a few
by way Of amusement. but thousands"
as she says. Ito keep the Irish moods in
order" Her home is In Galway. the spot
OF all others in Ireland which is full OF
the most poetic and the most historic as
sociatons IL also the most tragic. Per
hap s this is why shs is among the most
inspired OF modern Irish writer's.
| Revival of The Dairymaids" this week
at the Queens. the newest of London
theaters. brings UP that precocious little
actress, Phyllis Dare. who. although she
has been an established London favorite
for three years. is only nineteen years
old She has more puppy" adorers than
any other woman on tbs English stage
The junior "Johnnydom' goes mad over
her. assures her of a wsll-filled house
whenever she appears. and buys her post,
cards in thousands II was the fair
haired Phyllis who was summoned back
from boarding school in Belgium when
only seventeen years OF age to assun,.
Edna Mays part in The Belle Of Nav
fair when that independent American
actress threw up her part because Of the