Evening star., 1909-08-29
Staged by
Continued from page 4

face and with a studious expression In the
theater he is Persplring, frowning individual
arrayed in a gray sweater that comes high
round his neck. In his mouth he clutches
whistle; for his voice invariably gives out after
the second or third rehearsal. In no other way
does he show fatigue, however, and at the end
of siege OF producing such big extravaganzas NJ;
White Cat" and others of the famous Klaw &
Erlanger affairs, | have seen him come from the
theater coolly, quietly as though saying to him
self, We'll, thank goodness there's another
little piece of work out of my way"
Wayburn's speciality is the handling of
choruses in big productions, though nothing in
the range of musical comedy seems to be be-
yond his abilities. If a chorus girl announces
that she has danced with Ned Wayburn's pro-
ductions she is offering the best references. He
is exceedingly patient; vet when he believes
that he is being trihed with he can become bit
ter as gall.
"Montrose!' he will shout to some offending
maiden. who has made slight mistake. You!
Stand out there! You look ashamed of YOUR
self, and you ought to! Who told you you
could dance, or learn to dance? If anybody
did they were poking fun at you! Back into
line now, and see if you can't show just one
glimmer of intelligence"
And she goes back. Then he will turn to
some one standing near him and say:
She didn't deserve it. It's the girl next to
her; but couldn't beat sense into her head
with an Ak So call this one down-she
doesn't mind it SO much some of the Others.
1t will sort of scare the rest of them generally.
They'll all feel that if this girl, who isn't SO bad
when she tries, can get a call down like that,
they'll get worse one if they don't look out"
Mr.. Wayburn has lately been putting on no
less than five new musical comedies stimuli
donia, with Sam Bernard; Lena" with Lew
Fields; The Yankee Girl, " with Blanche Ring;
The Belle of Brittany; and :" The Paradise Of
Mahomet." He calls this resting after his ar
duous work in producing The Midnight Sons"
George Marion the Mild
GEORGE MARION, whose beautiful pro-
duction of The Merry Widow" for Henry
". Savage added immeasurably to the fame he
had built up IN many years OF stage managing
of slave drivers. | have seldom heard his voice
raised above its normal tones even in moments
when | knew that he must be mad clear through.
Atmosphere" is his hobby, and he will ex-
pertinent with the lighting of scene after most
of the Others would have long since passed it as
perfect. In "The Merry Widow" one of the
most effective pictures that in Maxim's,
you will remember, where everything was COW
cred with peculiar soft light, quite unlike the
usual stage effect 1t did not seem to come
from either side of the stage from the
gallery. In fact it came from overhead, the
ceiling being fitted with ground glass panes,
through which the light was thrown down on
the actors. 1t was Marion's own idea.
fection of the companies he rehearses. As one
young woman said, He has way of making
the humblest chorus girl in the company feel
that she is of just much Importance the
star. He will take her aside and point out to
her any little mistake she has made, and will
encourage her when she shows Improvement
It's positive delight to work for him"
Other Stage Geniuses
FRANK SMITHSON associated with the
Sire Brothers, when their big productions
at the New York Theater some years ago
brought them into prominence is another of
the prominent few. He is an Englishman; but
his methods of producing are typically Amer
lean. He holds his companies in strict disci-
pline, and is most thorough and artistic in his
methods. "The Beauty Spot" lately at the
Herald Square Theater, is one of his latest sue
cesses while "The Orchid, " The Top O. the
World and other New York record breakers
testify to his standing
Frederic Latham who has produced The
Red Mill" "Mademoiselle Modiste," 1.-The
Candy Shop" and other of Charles Dilling-
hams greatest musical comedy successes, is
also Enolishman.
The record of none of these men, however, is
so long, | believe, as that of Ben Teal. Who
that has ever looked at a musical comedy's
program does not recall having seen Staged
by Ben Teal"s 1t Ben Teal who pro-
duced the very biggest of all the klaw & Err
langer extravaganzas, such The Sleeping
Beauty and the Beast and "The Country
Circus" 1t was Ben Teal who produced those