The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-02-16

| ly the only one for which he is fit-of a
| ly the only one for which he is fitof a
| subordinate in a house of business.
Rather a cruel satire on the illusions of
youth, isn't it?' concluded Marc LAW,
| but at the same time a marveously eff
fective play, and If only I can see my
way to cast it adequately in New York
l shall certainly exercise the option hold
| up on the American rights"
klaw further informed me that lehar
| had played over to him the score of his
| new opera, THE Ideal Wife," which is
to be done in Vienna In the course of the
next two months. He at once acquired it
for the United States and, l understood,
has a hold also upon the English rights,
although these he is quite prepared to
transfer to George Edwardes. Apropos,
Edwardes has again started a hare which
apparently he keeps in a bag with the
view of giving 1t a run every now and
then. 1t is the advisablity of raising
prices at the theatres he controls. Two
and half dollars Is the present price
for stall and he proposes to Increase
the figure to a little over three. The
public might grumble at first, but / dare
say they would end by yielding to force
of circumstances IL the piece were really
to their liking. If. on the other hand,
Il was merely a half-hearted success Ed
wardes would not be long In reverting
to the orinal scale of charges. George
Alexander tried this scheme when he was
crowding the st. James's with his "House
In Order changing the price of admis-
sion to the pit from half a crown to three
shillngs. Later. however, he found 1t
prudent to return to the old order OF
things.
Little Teddy Payne, who for over 20
years has been tower of strength at
the Gaiety has thrown a bombshell into
Edwards camp by announcing that at
the end of the run of THE Sunshine
Girl' he intends to go off on his own ac-
count The truth is there is no part for
Payne in the next piece or to put 1t more
exactly, no part which he considers
worthy of his talent. AS principal COM
edian under George Edwardes he has
become the spoiled darling of the public
and. as so frequently happens in the
world of the theatre, he has no intention
Of playing second fiddle. ''If. as he has
publicly stated he proposes going into
management for himself Edwardes said
to me. Il am sorry for him. He little
knows the cares. anxieties. worries and
disappointments that await him in the
future. Were | popular artist I'D a
hundred times rather go on year by var
taking salary equal to that of a prime
minister than run the chance of losing
everything in management"
Violet Vanbrugh (Mrs. Arthur Bour-
chier) has decided to try what SHE can do
unaided in vaudeville. A there is moth
ing for her In her husbands next pro-
duction at the Garrick she has signed
with Oswald Stoll to appear at the Col
iseunr towards the end of this month in
the sleep-walking scene from Macbeth. :"
Tree Is lending her the scenery. originally
used at His Maiesty's. and promises that
he will do everything in his power to
swell the boom. Stoli. on the other hand,
is anxious TO make the most Of this ven
ture into the Shakespearesn domain
Bernard Shaw and Granville Barker
returned at the beginning of this week
from their walking tour. which, they
both say. they enjoyed immensely. Ger
tainly il wasn't the pleasantest kind of
weather for pedestrianism but TO such a
minor matter each declared himself in
different Shaw Is now hard at work re-
writing his book, 1.-The Quintescence of
Ibsen while Barker is settling down to
prepare his plans for the autumn. He
gives up the Savoy at Easter as he does
not think that his promised production OF
Macbeth" which was TO follow
Twelfth Night at that theatre. would
prove an attraction. during the late spring
full OF Ideas for his next campaign. An
other wanderer. back In London, after
a wears journeyings IN the far east. is
William Archer. who arrives just In time
to witness the first performance al the
Haymarket OF his own translation of Ib-
sens historical play, The Pretenders,