Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-02-07
THE FOREIGN STAGE.
Special Correspondence of The Star.


LONDON, January 81. 1909.
Charles Frohman just at present occu-
pies a more predominatng position in
London than he does in the United States.
in theatrical sense. Take glance at
his widespread interests. At the Duke of
York's he is presenting Peter Pam" with
Pauline Chase in the title role. At the
Hicks, around the corner. What Every
Woman Knows holds temporary ten
ancy, with Gerald Du Maurier and Hlda
Trevelyan. the original Wendy Of Peter
Pam" in the leading parts. Both Of these
Barrie plays are blessed with crowded
houses, and in the case of the latter pro-
duction, which returns to the Duke of
York's at the expiration of the run Of
Peter Pam. its end Is nowhere In sight.
At the Comedy Theater the rotund Amer
lean manager is Offering Marie Tempest
In Somerset Maugham's latest, Pencil
ope," which has been received as heart
lily as his three recent efforts. In addi-
ton, it is with the cooperation of Mr..
Frohman that Arthur Bourch.e r will pre-
sent Samson" in London. Evelyn Mil
lard is appearing at the Garrick in An
thony Hopes The Adventures of Lady
Ursula by arrangement with Charles
Frohman,' Ellaline Terriss opens at the
Hicks February II in The Dashing Little
Duke" under the management of Froh-
not yet determined upon. her husband.
Seymour Hicks. under the same control.
Will appear in a musical version of 1.-The
Dictator.
London's nearest approach to a Weber
& Fields production is the performance
Of a former music-hall troupe known as
The Follies." They have been holding
forth for some time past at the Apollo
Theater, and have been playing to full
houses. One Of the most talented MEM
berS of the company is Gwennie Mars
who can really lay claim to being one of
the best OF London's light condolences.
She has been absent from the cast for
some time, but is about to return with
song which has afforded a great deal of
amusement to Manchester. where she has
been appearing. 1t is parody on Harry
LADDERS Il Love Lassie." and Is called
II Love the Yankee" The burden of the
song is that the singer does not waste
much affection on the gentleman from
the other side Of the Atlantic, despite the
title.
Albert Chevaier has a revolutionary
sort of scheme for the drama which he
hopes to try on America before present
ing 1t in England.
II have long thought" he says, "of
scheme for a little theater for little plays
My idea is to have a theater large
enough to hold an audience that would
he sufficient to pay the not very great
expenses. Wnlcn would run the whole
samut-farce. comedy. drama, fantasy or
pantomime. operetta or burlesque-five
plays In one night The public could
come In just they do at variety the
ter, at any time, and see something which
would be complete.
Just look. too. at its advantages from
a business point of view. You would not
as in the production of three-act play.
be putting all your eggs In one basket.
Even If you have only three successes
out of the FIVE items in the BILL they
would be sufficient to make a successful
program.
"Such a scheme would also give MANY
authors and many young people chance.
There would be. perhaps. two or three
principals and strong working cast.
You cannot get away from, the persona
attraction in the theater. They grumble
sometimes at the actor-manager: but
after all the best work in the theate~
has always been done by the actor-man
ager. from the days Of Kean. Macreadv
Garrick. Irving. down to the present
time.
"Ny ORIGINAL idea vas to a'rnear -'lvse'
in each play. or in three or four Of them.