Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-07-25

as he starts rehearsals OF his autumn
play. La Fol" to be entitled False
Gods" August 3.
What am I to do?" he remarked yes
terday Every week I keep the theater
open means the addition of 5000 to my
banking account"
No argument could be more cogent, and
as he is in the best of health 1t Is hard
ly surprising that he has yielded to its
force. Moreover. Tree is never so happy
as when he is in the theater. He has
no love for sport, he plays no games.
an out-Of-door life Is altogether without
man. he finds his chief delight in watch
ing rehearsals in a half-lit theater.
Still there are occasional crumbs that
fall from the dramatists table. One OF
these was seized on by the avid critics
the other day. 1t took the form of a
new play entitled His Borrowed Plumes,'
by Mrs. George CORVALLIS West. former
ly known as Lady Randolph Churchill,
produced for series of three matinees
at the Hicks Theater. which Frohman has
settled Is for the future to be known as
The Globe. The piece hardly calls for
minute analysis. 1t is clearly the work
Of a novice, rather talky and diffuse. with.
Notwithstanding. fair number OF witty
q social FUNCTION 1t proved an immense
success. the audience at the first per-
Torrance being Of the most distinguished
and fashionable description
Among lUOS6 UOl6u III the duQllOTiQlu
were Prince Francis of Teck, the Grand
Duke Michael of Russia. Princess Henry
OF PIess. Consuelo Duchess of Manches-
ter. Earl Howe. Lord Elcho. the Duchess
OF Rutland. Lady Charles Beres. ord
keppel. Mrs. Willie James. Maxine Ell
liot-but the list is too lengthy to be given
in full. Nor is this all. The king order
ed a special matinee for his own benefit,
which duly took place. So IL Mrs. Corn
wallis West is not to be numbered among
the ilIustrious dramatists of the day she
can at least boast that there is no living
playwright who can bring together so
brilliant an audience as she.
The occurrence has given rise to an
amusing little incident no account of
which has appeared in print. On the fol-
lowing day | received a characteristic
letter from Bernard Shaw, who some
selected by the king for the special per-
formance Of His Borrowed Plumes," for
the production Of his new play Press
Cuttings" Now it happens that Ger
part In Mrs. CORVALLIS Vests piece,
was engaged to enact the principal role
in Bernard ShaW's. But obviously. a
royal command is not a thing to be slight
ed, and even the socialist Bernard Shaw
must perforce bow before it.
Here, he wrote, lis another glazing
example Of how l am maltreated by
his majesty, whose deliberate choice Of
friday afternoon RODS me or the services
of an actress essential to the success of
my play. Is that the manner In which
one great man should treat another? II
this sort of thing continues / shall have
no alternative but to christen my next
piece Cromwell
Shaw. Of course. is not always. or even
generally, to be taken seriously, but In
this case he seems to have viewed the
kings action as an intentional afrront
to himself. The letter was considered
little nPrS0nal for English
and was accordingly suppressed In the
London papers.
Charles FrohmaH has just arranged to
bring over another American piece, name
~ Edward Locke's THE Climax" which
has, I understand, enjoyed much favor
in New York. II is to be produced within
the next few weeks at the Vaudeville.
where Rose Stahl ends her season next