The Washington herald., 1909-03-21

We" Win CHARLES Frohman, principally
because he IS never IN one place long
enough Tor you 20 get out notebook and
pencil However. when you succeed IN
doing the seemingly impossible and tell
him that the people in America who have
for years loved the man Barrie through
his work and do not understand his Sc
clusion from our h0spitable shores, YOU
discover. perhaps not entirely 10 your
surprise. that simply saying J. NJ Barrie
is Ike striking a match 20 the memory
Of the man who OF all persons in America
knows the playwright best.
But IL is easy % see that Charles Froh-
man. while loving 20 reflect upon the
great store 0f Barrieana that years OF
Intimacy with the playwright have
brought him. yet shrinks exceedingly
from Coufding any Of 70 20 a stranger.
You see. Barrie just happens 10 be a
playwright. DE explains He Is really
a man OF letters spending his holidays
writing plays; and the little group OF aU-
thors with whom. rather than with play
wrighJs ne chums. have a very distinct
idea OF the real use Of printers ink; they
Ike 10 see The creations OF their fancieS
not themselves. IN type"
Mr.. Frohman smiles with the eve OF
vision as he admits that every man
Graves a certain epitaph" and tells Of
those Barrie and he wrote fer themselves
one day last summer when the two were
OF on a little excursion In Sussex
We were near a wonderful little Gothic
chapel after a hard tramp over the
.
mound 90 rest, said with his funny little
Scotch accent. Here let me rest with
the stone above me saying. Here lies
the man who wrote What Every Woman
knows 10 which I. Of course. an
swered. suiting the action 10 the word.
And here lies the man who produced IT.
somebody has epitomiZed this newest
play OF Barries by adding a few words
10 its title What Every Woman Knows
is Better Than What ANY Man Knows,
Nir. Frohman shows the manuscripts OF
the play, pointing out what seems 10 him
the absolute perfection of playwrighting-
1T is very closely written. and not a
line Of it has been discarded in all the
rehearsing IL has gone through in Eng
land and America. T. is, says be. -four
acts OF a philosophers wit and wits
philosophy. What every woman knows Is
that when she trusts 70 her instincts and
shu0s reason and logic she IS apt % be
right
Most people are surprised al the state
ment. but IL Is a fact that Barrie has
visited America. he was over here just
thirteen years aEo. while his novel, me
Little Minister was still the craze Of the
EngIlsh-speaking world Of books He said
he came over just 10 shake HANDS with
few friends IL was q short visit lie
spent few days IN New York. few IN
Chicago and Milwaukee, and then hurried
back 20 England That was the rrst time
ever met Barrie. had had c1rre-
spondence with him about draInauzing
his story OF The Little Minister. 1 had
sent him a check as his advance pay
ment. but the prospect Of his doing the
work grew simmer and simmer. Then.
when he got 10 New York, he came into
my Office TO return me the cheek. be
could see no way of turning The novel
into a play. However 1 persuaded him
TO keep the check. and asked hinl II ne
would not 60 10 some play that night.
Finally he went 20 see Rosemary w.Iich
was being PLAYED by John Drew al the
Empire Theater. I saw no more Il Barrie
until lust before he was sailing Again
he walked into my Office. but very hope
fully this time.
" I shall turn the little story into
play for YOU he began, without any pre-
amble. II YOU give me the little actress
10 play the part whom I saw last night.
That actress was Maude Adams, and
you know the rest
y suppose the intimacy Of understand
fn,, between these Two artists In different
and yet the same walks OF life is quite
without parallel in the history Of the
modern theater. They understand each
other in a surer and finer way than any
thing that could be conveyed by the
most Illuminating OF words You get
just a little OF this. for example, In Bar
rie's saying Of Maude Adams Peter Pan
When Peter took flight from my fancy
he found a haven in the spirit OF Maude
Adams
while he has no children Of his own,
Barrie is yet the friend and playmate OF
a small army OF little boys and girls.
But perhaps his greatest happiness comes
with the coming of Christmas time. when
he knows he is going 20 meet what he
calls the children Of Peter Pan" They
are the little lads and lasses that take
the parts I'm his wonderful fantasy. II
is a wonderful sight TO see them come
before the rehearsal. with eyes bulged
out and their faces wreatbed in anxiety
lest when they are measured they will
be told they are too big TO be Peter
Pan children any more. The little folks
crouch down and Try all sorts OF devices
TO keep within the size limit. and, OF