The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1911-04-19
PARK THEATRE

Douglas Fairbanks. who will be
seen here at the Park theatre Friday
April u in a new play of American
life. "A Gentleman of Leisure" in
which he iInpersonates a society man
who turns burglar, will be well re-
Gentleman of Mississippi and THE
Cub"a and it was by general request
that Mr.. Brady was persuaded to
send this young star on limited
spring tour through this part of the
country as he is to open the Middle
of May in the All Star cast OF Lights
of London" which Mr.. Brady Will
produce in most elaborate manner at
the Lyric Theatre. New York city.
Mary Mannering, one of the most
popular of our feminine stars, will APP
pear in "A Mans World at the Park
Theatre, Saturday April o. This play
by Rachel Crothers, the author of
Three of U.s. scored an enormous
success in New York when it was pro-
duced there last season at the Comedy
theatre, running for nearly the entire
season and earning great favor from
critics and theatregoers alike. Miss
Mary Mannering, it is said, has never
had a better opportunity to display
the qualities that have won her re-
nown. The these of the play has to
do with the unjust moral standard
laid down for woman. to which man
does not live UP, though he expects
her to do SO. The heroine of the play
rebels against this double code of
conduct, even when her life's happi-
ness is at stake
Nothing in the plays themselves is
more dramatic than Eugene Walters
sudden rise from obscurity to riches
and fame. Many stories have been
written of the rocky road over which
he travelled before his ability was
recognized. and it is even said that
when he left the manuscript of paid
in Full'' at the office of a prominent
New York manager he gave his adj
dress as Bench No. 2, Bryant Park. :"
Walter began his writing career back
in Sleveland where he was born and
where later he became reporter.
wanted to come to New York, said
Walter whose latest play Miss Max
wells Mistake will be seen at the
Park theatre next Thursday evening,
SO I pulled loose from Cleveland and
came east. L hung around the Sun
office in New York, but neither Mr..
lord nor the city editor thought that
I could write anything. I took a sud-
den dislike to the town and went to
Detroit where L found a position on
the News. 1 was there when Cover
nor Pingree was having his fight with
the crooks who went to prison for de-
ceiving him. After I left the News
| l drifted west and of course had many
interesting experiences, not the least
of which was hunting gold in Alaska.
I did newspaper work in Denver, st.
Louis and Seattle. mostly repertorial.
| The thing in connection with the thea
ire that | have not yet done is to
act. l have been press agent and ad-
vance agent and have made every town
in the United. ] was a competent
Snowman before began to write
plays. THE first piece L ever wrote
was Lost an OPPORTUNITY This was
rewritten and played under the title
of Sergeant James, but it was a
failure. The early part of this sea-
son ] made some changes and it was
produced for the third time under the
name Boots and Saddles my Sec
ond play was called THE Undertow''
but the only production it got was in
stock "Paid in Full" was the third
and then came "The WOLF The fifth
was THE Easiest Way and the sixth
Just Wife" producing manag-
ers' continued Mr.. Walter have a
habit of telling young dramatists that
they haven't any business ability, but
that is absurd. The person who is
smart enough to write play, in my
opinion has brains enough to take
care of it. OF course it may seem
easier to me than it does to an out
slider. Naturally there are many de-
tails in connection with the manage
n1ent of q company that can be un-
I derstOOd and handled only by a man
of experience in this line of work.
Since Mary Mannering made her
first great hit in America as Princess
F'lavia in 1.-THE Prisoner of Zenda'
she has steadily advanced in her art
until today she stands at the head of
her profession. Manager Sheehan an
nounces Miss Mannering in "a Mans
World" for the Park theatre for two
performances on Saturday afternoon
and evening, April 22nd. Miss Man.
nerings role is that of a novelist
named Frank Ware" whose books
are numbered among the best sellers.
and whose novels have as their argu-
ments the dual code of morality as
it obtains nowadays, and has always
| obtained for that matter. Frank
I Wares contention is that man should
receive equal punishment with wom-
an for the same lapse from the path
Of virtue Unfortunately for her, she
| falls in love with a man whom she
supposes is the sum total of all the
virtues but who proves to be the
father of her adopted child, "Kiddie'',
| a lad Of. eight whose mother died in