The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1909-10-31
BEHIND THE CURTAIN.

wright, whose dramatic successes have
made him independently wealthy as
well as famous, was once an actor,
though but for short time In writ
ing of this period in his life, Mr.. Klein
says:
MY theatrical experience hasn't been
altogether one of milk and honey. 1
had one season as an actor, which, al
though it may be humorous reading,
still was anything but funny to me.
81 was engaged as comedian and
stage manager with Barney McCauley
in a play called "A Messenger From
Jarvis Section There were many
well known people in the cast, some of
them being prominent stars today, but
in Difference to their feelings, refrain
from giving their names.
I'VE started out under bright aus
pices, but McCauley drank consider
ably, and disappointed his audiences on
so many occasions that when the COM
pany reached Carthage, Mo-, we were
stranded high and dry. AS we had not
received any salary for seventeen
weeks, it is needless for me to say that
our resources were very slender. We
telegraphed to Charles Pope, manager
of Pope's theatre in St Louis, to send
sufficient money to bring as many men,
bers of the company to that city who
did not have sufficient funds to take
them back to New York.
mr.. Pope's interest in our attraction
was that we had the next week booked
at his theatre, and by reason Of the lack
of time there was no chance for him to
| otherwise fill the date, and preferring
to keep his house open, it was to his
interest to advance the money to get
the company TO st. Louis.
CAS- we were short several actors, on
account of those who had gone on to
New York, it necessitated our rehears-
| ing two or three days. On the opening
night, having to play a character part,
1 found myself very much in need of
grease paint, and sought to obtain
some from the new members Of the
company who had Joined US in st.
Louis, and, being new, would in all
! probability have plenty Of grease paint.
This chap is an amateur, or he
would never have such an immense ar
| ray of unused grease paint
Il was right in my surmise. 1t was
| the most distinguished amateur actor
| in st. LOuis--Augustus Thomas. This
was my first meeting with the gentle
man, whose friendship 1 have enjoyed
| for twenty-odd years. I said:
Mr.. Thomas, may borrow a piece
of your grease paint?'
HE looked at me moment, and evil
| IDENTIFY my appearance did not impress
| him, for he replied:
Certainly, with one proviso-that
you bring it back
81 didn't have to bring it back, fol
! Mr.. Thomas said:
Ion second thought, you can use it
/ but right in this room, where I car
keep my eye on you
Another of the distinguished anna
tours who added eclat to the week
performance of the play in st. Louis
was William G. Smythe, the we'll known
| theatrical manager, who for a num-
Der of years starred William Collier un-
der his direction. We just played tc
enough money on the weeks perform
anee to land the remnants of the com
pany back in New York"
| When you go to the theatre you never
can tell the time when you may have
seats next to person of prominence
| Society people and actresses have a lik-
/ ing for box seats. FRITZ Scheff attend
ed La Sale matinee once with John
/ Fox, jr., the novelist whom she after
ward married. Frank Mcintyre saw
| 1.-The Golden Girl' eleven times during
/ its run here. Ethel Barrymore always
sees a show when she has a chance. She
/ likes to go With a crowd of friends
| enough to occupy two boxes. Tyrone
| Power is one of a number of actors who
| follow the practice of writing the man
ager If they have been entertained
pleasantly. Power saw THE Golden
Girl" and wrote a 200-word apprecia.
| ton of Winona Winter and the per-
Torrance to Manager Singer.
Richard earle delights to visit a thea
tire alone and view the performance
from the shadow of a far corner of q
box. VIII Hodge, on the other hand
always goes with two or three friends
and gets out where everybody may see
him. Blanche Walsh, Elsie Ferguson
Harry Daniels, John Drew, Willie Col.
| lier. George Cohan. donald Brian
Claiming Pollock, Fritz Williams, Berr
Leslie, Jake Shubert, Sam Harris
Charles Dillingham; and others whose
names are equally well known, are
numbered among the visitors to thu
Tuesday matinees whenever they ar,
in town
/ 1t sounds like a scrap over a stoler
| base when Petruchio shouts:
Out you roguei You pluck my foo
/ awry. Take that" Petruchio was peev
| ish that afternoon, anyway. having JUS
/ Started In to tame the shrew, and n,
| thought the runner meant 20 spike him.
The umpire" is often mentioned n
| Shakespeare. Let me be umpire in ths
doubtful strife?" asks King Henry IN
who was Drawer than the play makes gu