The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-06-13
Famous American Actress OPP
poses Sunday Theaters.
Actors Need Day of Rest Like
Other People.
NEW PLAY PLEASES.
Audience Enjoys Her Portrayal
of Mrs. Hampstead Leigh.
Grand Will Be Dark Till Henry
Woodruff Comes Aug %.

Mrs Minnie Madden Ffske. the
famous New York actress, who APP
peared at the Grand last night in Mrs.
Bumpstead-Leigh," believes in the
closing of theaters on Sunday. She says
that actors, like people OF any other
profession, should have at least one
day of rest in the week
She says that regardless of the ethics
of the case, actors and actresses need
a rest like any other human being, and,
in fact why not take the rest on sun
day? This also bears up Mrs. Ffske'
reputation of being extremely thought
full of the welfare of her company.
And no doubt in her preference Tor
the Sunday closing of theaters Mrs.
Fiske had in mind that other en-
ployees of play houses are just as hu-
man as stage walkers and also need
rest one day in the week.
Now, of course, this question has a
local interest in view of Attorney Gen
eral John Dawson's efforts to close all
of the theaters in Kansas. And Mrs.
F'iske sides with Mr.. Dawson.
She is enthusiastic over the subject
1t is one of her hobbies. No, no d1sre-
spect intended. Many will likely think
it is a good hobby. And it is generally
understood that Mrs. Fiske is too we'll
balanced and versatile to have any
hobbies in the strict sense of the term.
Mrs. Fiske is considered one of the
silent stars She thinks that the
people of the stage should not give out
their opinions on subjects for the read
ing public just because they are thea
ter people or even theatrical stars.
However. the subject is near her heart
and when the local significance OF the
proposition was explained to her she
said:
II believe in the closing of theaters
on SUNDAYS Why? For ethical rea-
sons?
Laying aside the ethics of the case,
actors and actresses need one day OF
rest in the week just the same as the
people in other professions. Other pro
fessional people rest on Sunday. Why
not theatrical people, laying aside all
the religious phases of the question:
1t was simple. 1t was clever. So
simple in plot that you wondered why
YOU yourself hadn't thought of it. SO
clever in conception and understand
ing of human nature in different ana
opposite types that you gasped at the
genius of the writer and wondered IL
it were possible that Mrs. Bumpstead-
Leigh" is the first play to be written
by Harry James Smith.
And Mrs Minnie Modern F1Ske
realized that the play was one which
truly would be 1.-The thing" 1t has
been for three months in New York.
1t was written for Mrs. Fiske and she
made it great. 1t is full of crystalline
humor. It is true, like most novices
at play writing, Mr.. Smith is little
tedious about getting down to the real
theme of the play and his denouements
are rather hurried, but he makes up
for it in the capital opportunities he
gives to the star and in the moments
of delicious humor the production af-
fords.
1t is a three-act comedy. The scene
of the play is laid in the drawing
room of a country home on Long
Island. Between the first and second
elapsed. Between the second and
third acts ten minutes. Mrs. Bump
stead-Leigh has climbed to social
position under difficulties. She is
much hampered by a mother and sis
ter. The sister, for whom she is about
10 make an aristocratic match, frus-
trates her best laid plans and deliber-
ately gives away the secret of the pa
tent medicine foundation for their for
tune before their host and hoSteSSes
and friends Mrs. Bumpstead-Leigh
had prenteded that the family name
was De Sale and that they were of
English nobility. They have recently
come from washington to be the
guests of the RawSons in their Long
Island country house. All goes we'll
for a time. Then a rumor reaches
friends of the RawsonS that the De
SALES were formerly the Sales of Mis-
theory Peter Swallow" tombstone
salesman whom Mrs. Leigh had reject
ed, is brought into the house. But after
a skirmish of words with Mrs. Leigh.
he leaves, convinced that the De SALES
are the real English gentry. Then
violet De Salle," who is sick of the
deception, tells the hosts and host
esses and their friends that Swallows
surmises were true, that they were the
Sales of Missionary Loop, Ind, and
that their fortune was made from the
sales of their fathers patent medi-
cine. Confusion and horror. When
the smoke clears away the Rawsons
intimate that the ex-De Sales pres
ence Is no longer desired in the house
and the match with the son Anthony
IS abruptly broken off. However, Mrs.
Leigh by a yelled threat to young
Rawson that she will expose an af-
fair with a fisher girl to his family.
induces him to persuade his parents
to ask them to stay the week out.
And by starting to give the Sales fam
lily. history to the press and tell how
the Rawsons have been taken in, she
carries her point. Meanwhile her
sister becomes engaged to the man of
her own choice, a younger son of the
family with whom she is in love all
the time. likeable young chap.
Here the comedy closes as softly
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