Evening star., 1909-05-09
Personalities of Playwrights
Continued from page 4

Continued 4
zona" was intent upon serious scene. when
Mr.. Shubert. who was financially interested
| in the production, stopped the players. and,
| turning to Mr.. Thomas. remarked, u think
this would be a good place for some witty dia-
@Yes7" replied Mr. Thomas. "As for in
stance?"
| He is bold and foolish man who throws
himself upon the point of the playwright's
| verbal poniard; for, among those who know
him. Mr. Thomas is as famous for his skill with
speech as for his skill with the pen. He smiles
as he thrusts but the results are none the less
| sanguinary. Il thought Thomas was man,
Paul Armstrong is reported to have said of
| him, until saw him take a handkerchief
from his sleeve Men have hip pockets for
their handlserchiefs.
Il had" quoth Mr. Thomas when he heard
of the remark. until l began to have my
| clothes made by good tailor !"
This ready wit makes the dramatist one of
| the best, if not the best. postprandial speakers
in New York Never banquet at which he
| talks but the street rings the next day with
quips of his making. The trouble with
| to John Drew, is that the gravy SO rarely
matches the wall paper" On another occasion
he characterized fatuous argument as being
like chorus girls tights, which touch every
point and cover nothing
An Active Political Worker
Mr.. THOMAS finds time for many activities
- outside Of his profession. Everyone
knows of his interest in and his energetic work
Throughout the three Bryan campaigns the
dramatist made speeches. organized political
meetings, and otherwise labored beneath the
standard of the Commoner
| Mr.. Thomas long suit is organizing. Upon
the death of Bronson Howard, he succeeded to
| the rreSidencv of the American DramatlStS'
Club, which he has metamorphosed into the
Society of American Dramatists and Com
posers. The parent body was deep in the
slough of despond. seeming to have no other
purpose than the giving of dinners. MIR
Thomas awakened the fraternal spirit. got
committees to work on suggestions for plan and
scope. benevolently assimlated club OF
women playwrights. and created an association
| that is likely to be a power, instead of being
merely a powwow, in the land
The greater part of the year. Mr.. Thomas
lives at New Rochelle: but during the summer
he goes frequently to his cottage. The Dingle;
at East Hampton He is fifty years Old and
finely proportioned. smooth shaven. with
resolute face and hair Just beginning to turn
white. he would be remarked in any gathering.
AS have said, his manner IS distinguished by
complete self possession and good deal OF
self satisfaction. To this he is certainly en-
titled. A close friend of his believes that Mr..
Thomas dramatized himself when he created
| the part of the quiet, masterful gambler, Jack
Brookfeld. in The Witching Hour"
| Charles Klein's Grit Made Him
| CHARLES KLEIN is of very small stature:
- fact that probably accounts for the anec-
dote related earlier in this article None of
his family has been a skyscraper Manuel
Klein. the composer, is not above five feet six.
and Alfred Klein, another brother, who origi-
mated the role of the elephant tanner in Wang
owed much of his success as comedian to his
brevity-that being as you know. the soul of
wit Charles is the embodiment of dignity,
and takes himself and his work most seriously
I think have never seen photograph of him
| that did not show him in his library, either
writing or reading some ponderous tome. He
has fine head. with lofty brow and breaker
of white hair.
No estimate of Mr.. Klein could be called
complete that did not take account of his grit
and stick-to-it-iveness Connected with the
theater from his earliest youth.-he was call
boy in the company with a relative of mine
he produced his first play when he was hardly
more than twenty. His misses were many, and
his hits few and far between: but he kept on
trying, until. with David Warfeld's first star
/ A. t,o~ IL. = <t,o