The Washington herald., 1909-04-11
PLAYS AND PLAYFOLK.

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Caruso has Cancelled his engagement at
the Metropolitan Opera House and sails
for Europe on the Mauretania on Wednes-
day.
II. II. Frazee has secured from Aslzin
& Singer the rights to The Girl Ques-
tion," which will be used to exploit James
J. Corbett. When last offered II was
musical comedy. Perhaps the music viii
be eliminated. as Mr. Corbett does not
pose as a singer.
AT the Auditorium Theater. Baltimore.
a stock company under the direction OF
VIII A. Page and Paul Benjamin viii
inaugurate a spring and summer season.
The opening play viii be Mrs. Temples
telegram Carroll McCcmas Is lead
ing woman and Elsie Raymond viii play
ingenues. Later in the spring Wiliette
Kershaw VIII head the company IN a spe-
cial engagement.
Nora Bayes, when asked recently when
she discovered that she could make peo-
pie laugh. said:
1t was an accident When ! first went
upon the stage I sang ballads. one night
forgot my lines, and IN trying 10 cover
my embarrassment by interpolating hc-
titious words the audience laughed at me.
and I decided from that time on 10 keep
them laughing. II possible I have never
attempted TO sing anything serious since
then
Ezra Kendall and Lleble. & Co. have
decided to Join forces once more. Be
IL,
appear under the direction Of his old
managers. His initial vehicle under the
new contract will consist OF an entirely
new version OF The Vinegar Buyer"
which was the work OF Herbert Hall
Winslow. With this play Mr. Kendall
will start a tour that will take him
across the continent 10 the Pacific Coast
and back again.
BY a misinterpretation OF somewhat
vaguely worded programme credit was
withheld from Mr. Marshall Farnum for
his really capable work in ''Circumstan-
! tial Evidence. the clever little sketch
which was one OF the features OF the bin
at Chase's last week. which merited.
with the proper mentioning of names, all
that was said about II at the time. he
is a brother OF Messrs. william and Dus-
tin Farnum. and it seems probable that
he will soon be quite SIS we'll known as
the elder members Of the trio.
Charles II. Doscher. president Of the
Romance Publishing Company. has begun
civil action against Eugene Walter and
David Belasco. claiming that ''1ne
Easiest Way" Is in substance the same
as story, The Short Cut" by c. Elliott
Flint. 20 be published by the Romance
Company. The complaint asks for an in
junction restraining further production
OF the play and for $4,000 damages. Colby
& GOldbeck. attorneys for Eugene Wal
, ter. say that the suit Is an attempt 70
take advantage Of the success OF the
play.
Sotheru's performance o. "Richelieu''
Sc the most elaborate that has been given
I o. the famous Bulwer Lytton's play in
I this country. Not only from a standpoint
lof sceuIc investture and costuming IS the
/ production a superb work OF art. but
Scthern has interviewer into the plays
action a musical setting Of rare beauty
Many OF the melodies are selected from
I GounOd's opera OF "Richelieu." some
have been unearthed By Sothern from
/ old and obsolete tunes, and one number
} vas written by King Louis XIII OF
/ France.
Charles Frohman. through his attor-
ueys. Dittenhoefer. Gerber & James. be-
gan suit last week against the Irving
Place Theater TO recover damages for
the alleged unauthorized production OF
/ Love Watches az that theater by the
] nf ha
stock Company. MI Frohman-s contract
with the authors. Armand Caillavet and
( Robert de Flers, gives him the exclusive
rights 10 Love Watches IN Great Brit
1 ain. America. Canada. and Australia.
Otto We'll, manager Of the Irving Place
/ Theater claims that ne secured the rights
+ to, do Love Watches from Germany.
N4le all-star gamboI and tour OF the
Lambs Club" VIII open with a perform-
ance at the Metropolitan Opera House
May -. A short tour has been booked
as follows. the participants I'm the gambol
+ travelling IN special train: Hyperion
( Thcater. New Haven. matinee. MAY 3.
/ Boston Theater, Boston, evening. Nav
3; Academy Of Music Brooklyn. matinee,
May 26; Hammerstein's Opera House.
/ Philadelphia. evening. May 2s; BeIasco
/ Theater, Washington. matinee. May z:
/ Baltimore. evening. May o. Euclid Ave
/ nu6 Opera House. Cleveland. matinee.
! MAY &; Nixon Theater. PittSburg even
ing, May %; Auditorium, Chicago. matt
nee and evening. May q
/ David Beissco has been the fortunate
one to secure for production next season
one Of the most remarkable comedies
written in recent years. This is no less
work than the German play die Thur
I ins FTeie." which was seen recently for
! the first time In America at the Irving
/ Place TheateT. and which brought every
| manager in New York hustling for its
rights the moment they read the criti-
cisns the next morning. But Belasco
did not need TO read the criticisms He
was in the first night audience TO see the
| play for himself. and ten minutes after
the final curtain had fallen he was in
/ negotiation with the representative OF
the authors. The gentlemen who are re-
/ spOnsible for this most amusing German
I comedy are Oscar Blumenthal and Gus
tav Kadelburg. the same authors who
gave us AT the White Horse Tavern "
The name chosen by Mr.. Belasco for the
English version IS The Open Door" and
the adaptation is to be made by Leo
! Ditrichstein. The comedy will be pro-
duced early next season.