Evening star., 1909-04-25
The Foreign Stage
Special Correspondence of The Star.

Special Correspondence of The Star
LONDON. April A. 1902
Beerbohm Tree set the Easter ball of
novelties rolling by the production at His
Majesty's of THE School for Scandal" !"
Among the promised features of the re-
vival was star" cast. and if Trees in
tention to include in it Mrs. Kendall.
Irene Vanbrugh and Sir John Hare had
materialized there could be no grounds
for quarrelins with the designation. But
for various reasons the original scheme
fell through-"stars' are proverbially DIFF
ncult to harness to the managerial car.
AS matters stand the company recruited
for His MaJesty's. if more remarkable for
length Of years than for stellar quality.
is of more than ordinary brilliancy
and Sheridan's comedy receives at its
hands sympathetic Interpretation. OF the
work of such veterans as Edward Terry,
Henry Neville and Herman Vein there
Is no need to speak-'nursed on rose
paint and Graded IN properties" they
could hardly go wrong-While both Ellis
Jeffreys as Lady Sneerwell and Suzanne
Sheldon as Mrs Candor made successes
| to be expected of such experienced ac-
| tresses.
The chief interest of the revival natu-
rally centered in the Sir Peter Teazle Of
Tree and the Lady Teazle of Marie Lohr.
For both renderings the way had been
carefully prepared beforehand. The pub
lie was warned that it should see Sir
Peter of robust middle age and Lady
| Teazle of quite tender years. Perhaps It
might be a little unfair to criticise either
| by the light of the initial performance. A
| first night at His MajeStys is almost in
variably marked by a certain air of hesi-
fancy, of ''linked sweetness. long drawn
| out" On such occasions Tree is rarely at
! his best, but on the lines indicated his Sir
Peter deserves praise as a carefully fin
ished and well considered portrait touch
| ed with fine sense of dignity and au-
thority not unmixed with humor. Marie
| Lohr. a veritable dainty rogue In por-
| celain.' scarcely answers to all our ideas
of Lady Teazle; nevertheless, in its girl
ishness, its buoyancy, and Its gentle fas-
cination the performance Is quite delight
| full. As Charles Surface, Robert Lorraine
scored heavily. All that is wanted to
make the study perfect Is little more
| eighteenth century polish. AS usual Tree
had gathered around him distinguished
audience, Ellen Terry in particular re-
ceiving a hearty round of applause on her
| entrance.
There are few things Charles Frohman
enjoys more than to vary the monotony
of London existence by an occasional trip
across the channel. Within the next few
days he is off to Paris to capture hai1-a-
dozen leading actors and actresses Tor a
series of matinees in French at one OF
his West End theaters. He had several
schemes awaiting development. For one
thing, he will by next autumn have add
ed another London theater to the num-
ber of those In which he is already inter-
ested And that number goes on steadily
increasing from month to month. Al the
present moment he has his finger In f1ve
theatrical pies-the Duke of Yorks, the
Hicks, the Comedy, the Garrick and the
tions on hand he could easily do with
more. For instance, he is particularly
anxious to find histrionic homes this sea-
son for Billie Burke In Loves Watches.
and for William Collier in "The Patriot"
He has also some idea Of putting on The
Honor Of the Family
A. L. Erlanger, who short time ago
spent three days in London en- route for
the continent. has expressed his eager
ness to discover a West End house at
which. in combination with Frohman, to
produce Little Memo" The piece, OF
course, would have to be presented under
special conditions. So far these condi-
tions have not been realized. 1t Is four
years since Erlanger paid London Visit.
and during the sinterval the position or
things theatrical in this country has, he
pointed out, altered materially. He made
no secret of his conviction that the COM
plete Americanizing of the London stage
was only a Question of time, that sooner
ltheaters will be gathered together under
the control of one man. and that man
not necessarily an Englishman.
Marie Dressler is or was lately. in Chi
cago Cooking after her interests in cop
per mines" 1t appears that she had
something rather unpleasant to say re-
garding her London season at the Aid
Wych and the narrow-mindedness, the
prejudice and lack of appreciation shown
/ by our public. Possibly she may be con-
cerned to know that things not altogether
pleasant have been said OF her since her
departure from our shores. The truth IS.
she offered a London production which.
her own performance apart, would have
been no credit to third-rate provincial
town. and as London playgoers. like most
playgoers, have an unfortunate habit OF
demanding value for their money they
lquetly left the Aldwych and its occupants
to work out their own fate.
At the Palace Theater OF Varieties and
at the Coliseum Marie DRESSER received
the heartiest welcome; in point of fact she
has no one but herself to blame for the
disastrous result Of her latest venture.
G. p. Huntley is only using England
this year as a holiday resort. Frohman
has a new musical play concealed some
where up his capacious managerial
sleeve specially designed for Huntley. who
is to be seen In 1t In New York at Christ
mas Fannie Ward and Charles Cart
wright are due in London about he end
of this month. the former hopeful of OBJ
tanning a theater for the production Of her
new play. The Higher Law