New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-10-13
IN LONDON THEATREDOM
Divorce Court Divides Interest
with Stage Premieres.
DRURY LANES CENTENARY
Phillips's Verses, Composed for
the Occasion, Compared with
Rejected Addresses"
IRy Cable to The Tribune


London, Oct. 12.-There has been a
lull in dramatic affairs this week Elk
cept for some actions begun In the
divorce court, there have been no open
ings Of consequence. JDrury Lane heio
its centenary on Thursday and Monte
Cristo" opened at the Princesss. Next
week, however, starts finely with the
widely heralded Frohman triple bill at
the Duke of York's, when the Pinero,
Barrie and shaw one-act plays are to
be produced. The theatre was sold out
for the opening night fortnight ago.
George Bernard Shaw begins the
evening with "Overruled," which he
describes as a demonstration 1t
seems that 1t is something in the
nature Of suffragette comedy. Sir
A. w. Pinero follows with a fantasy
called THE Widow Of Wasdale" J. NJ.
Barrie winds up with "Rosalind," a
comedy.
The Shaw and Barrie efforts are In
modern setting, while Pinero has gone
back to the time of George III.
Drury Lane confined its celebration
to a reading Of a poem by Stephen
Phillips by H. b. Irving after the per-
Torrance of "Everywoman." Indeed,
the chief interest in the centenary was
shown before the event in recalling the
opening one hundred years ago.
A Page Of History.
! on the night of October 10, 1872, in
an atmosphere Of excitement and COM
motion difficult to realize at the pres
ent time, the most famous and historic
of all the playhouses In the world threw
open its doors. In actual money 1t re-
ceived fS42 for admissions though the
interest of the famous occasion lies in
many less material directions. The
widow Of David Garrick, bearing with
wonderful grace her weight Of ninety
years, received a tumultuous welcome
as she entered her box, but apart from
/ this romantic incident the by-play Of
the evening was less pleasant.
| considerable section of the audi
ence were 'poets"-nominally. at any
rate-who had entered the competition
| for the address to be spoken at the
opening of the theatre" and deep was
their anguish when It became known
that the whole OF their efforts had been
in vain. and that the committee re-
sponsibie for rebuilding the house had
gone behind their backs and requested
Lord Byron to supply the address
wanted. 3.
| The despised illusions OF the COM
petitors are preserved, for the most
part, in the British Museum. and while
that matchless collection Of parodies,
Rejected Addresses" by James and
Horatio Smith, remains as fresh, as de-
lightful and as popular as on the day IL
was printed.
For several nights after it's opening
Drury Lane was converted into a YER
liable bear garden, this arising from
the fact that sundry Disguised "ad-
1
their grievances. Dr. Busby was
the chief performer, and while he
harangued the audience from a private
box, showing how he had been done"
by the management. the orchestra
vainly endeavored TO drown his pro-
testing voice. Following on that two
A., Bow street officers seized him and
dragged him forth, but the crowd, res
cuing the prisoner. carried the doctor
back again, what time his son,
q young man with a weak voice.
was striving. amid roars OF derision. to
recite his fathers rejected poem. All
this reads very amusingly to-day, when
Drury Lane has completed hundred
years OF life, after evading the calam-
tiles attending its less fortunate prede-
cessors.
The fact that on Thursday last some
sixty-nine of the Rejected Addresses
were on view in the lobby OF the the
atre naturally rendered inevitable n
comparison Of the Phillips poem and
the PAROLES, usually to the advantage
Of the PAROLES. Nevertheless. Mr.. Phil
lips produced very good set OF verses
celebrating the great actors who have
appeared on the stage Of Drury Lane,
from the Kembles to Irving.
In the matter OF the divorce court
proceedings referred TO in the first part
Of this dispatch, the star part Is taken
by NJ. r. Morand, Of the cast of
"Bunty Pulls the Strings" who is seek
ing to secure a divorce, naming as CO.
respondent Captain j. A. Morrison,
until recently M. p. for East Noting
ham, whose wife, halfsister Of Lord
Trevor. is suing him for restitution Of
conjugal rights.
Stanley Brett, brother of Seymour
Hicks, Is suing Male Ash, his wife,
naming another well known actor as
correspondent.
A prominent politician and brother
Of an Irish peer has also Joined the
ranks of the correspondents.
! NEARLY LOSES Jewels