The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-04-20
NEWS AND GOSSIP
OF ENGLISH STAGE
Hamilton Playing in Get
Rich-Quick Wallingford'
SEES FAMOUS RACE
Sir Herbert Tree Plans to Visit Site
of Panama Exposition-Forbes-
Robertson Scheduled to
Get Title
aY JOHN a. CARPENTER

By JOHN A. CARPENTER
London, April HALE
Hamilton, who is playing the name
mart in the London production of Get
Rich Quick Wallingford came in
,couple of days ago with tale of
woe He was fond of horse racing, he
said. and had seen so little of it In
The United States of late years that
he was most anxious to make up for
lost time, now that he was in Eng
land. But fate was not kind to him,
and every time he wanted to see one
or the famous fixtures of the English
rurf about which he has been reading
ever since he first opened his eyes on
this world his theatrical work inter-
fered. Now 1t was the Grand National
the biggest of steeple chases, which
was to be held in the middle of the
afternoon at Liverpool, more than 200
miles from London and. of course, he
could not be out of the bill In the
evening because he was too healthy
looking to plead Illness.
eDo you think you could possibly
get UP. at o'clock in the morning.
] asked him. emphasizing the morn
ing
1Why?" he asked in answer, turning
the question over in his mind as IL
IT were one with which he had never
before been asked to grapple.
only this" / replied. "If you will
get up at that unearthly hour and fol-
low my instructions I'll guarantee that
you'll not only see the Grand National
. Liverpool, but will play in the even
ing bill at the Queens theatre. Lon
don.
Fire away" he said, and l dug out
an A. B. c. railway guide and gave
him his time table. Here it is.
Get up at Z. shave. dress, have
breakfast and catch a taxi for ST.
Pancras station. arriving there before
s. Board o'clock train for Central
station, Liverpool spend five hours and
40 minutes in a stuffy compartment of
the train and arrive at your destination
at 20 Minutes to 2. Take trap foi
rack track, see the Grand National
The dream of your life, IA minutes Of
jumping in which there are probably
about 10 seconds of real excitement
take trap FOR station, catching the 3:3o
train for st Pancras Spend four hours
and % minutes in another stuffy ira n,
arrive at ST. Pancras five minutes to
s, get taxi for the theatre and arrive
III your dressing room just in time
to dress for the rise of the curtain.
Result: one day of glorious SPORT
don't think But the funny part of Il
was that Hamilton did think so and
actually took the trip. l haven't seen
him since!
Tree Coming to America
= Trees production of 'The Happy
Island" at His Majesty's theatre, with
Sir Herbert himself in the leading role,
received such stating from the critics
that IT is useless to keep 1t on the
boards. 1t will be withdrawn almost
Immediately and active rehearsals be-
gun for revival of The School for
Scandal with which Tree scored
big success four years ago. The re-
Nival will be Interesting chiefly be-
cause II will give that precocious
daughter of a famous theatrical family,
Miss Nelson Terry. one more opportu-
nifty of displaying her versatility in the
role of Lady Teazle.
Naturally one must suppose that the
parents and advisers of this young girl
1ealize what they are about And one
must believe that with their unrivaled
knowledge of the profession they kno ~
hat is the best path to a great flu
ture for the talented youngster. But
one cannot help wondering if this
forcing of her talents will really have
the desired result. Without any pre-
]iminary experience in the playing of
small and varied roles-an experience
which we are all taught is invaluable
even TO the most promising of act
1csseslshe has been set to playing In
quick succession most of the great
roles of the classical drama. Although
not yet 20 years old she has played
Juliet. Rosalind, Viola and Desdamona
to name only her shakespearean roles.
The harm of it all would seem to be
that 1t is utterly impossible for girl
still in her teens to comprehend such
roles and In playing them she inev-.
1tably becomes more or less fixed in her
interpretation These immature render
ings will undoubtedly color and mar
her future playing of the parts and it
Is extremely doubtful IL we shall ever
see the perfect artist of whom her
present ability gives promise The
pity of IL is that her talent seems to
lie particularly in this line of work
and that she will ever shine in roles
that would suit for instance, young
Marie Lohr. In other words. she is
butterirg today the bread she must
eat 10 or 20 years hence
Tree is the kind of man whom
failure does not affect in the least
Having drawn a blank he cheerfully
pntsit in the wastebasket Immediately
and tries his luck again. He has sew
eral plays in view but so quickly does
he change his plans that it is useless
TO predict what will follow "The School
Tor Scandal" !" He says he will not visit
The United States in the fall as he
at one time planned--a more ambitious
plan is now running in his mind. In
fact, l believe I am correct in saying
that provisional contract already has
been signed. This plan will take him
10 San Francisco. and perhaps other
vest coast cites, for the Panama ex-
position. He will carry with him a
complete repertoire, his own scenery
and costumes and-although this last