The Topeka state journal., 1913-08-02

With the end of July comes the
end of rest for the theatrical com
panies The busy season commences
in August. Eastern actors are leaV-
ing cottages and mountains and
fIoc1ing back to old Broadway. Man
ayers are returning from abroad with
new bookings. Several stellar COM
panies commence their western tours
this month New York playhouses
| open. Rehearsals for new produc-
| tions have begun.
| Colgate Baker, the very clever dra-
matte writer for the New York Re
| view" has a whimsical article in the
| current number entitled Behind the
| Scenes in Fairyland with Peter Pan. -
| Part of it is reprinted below: MISS
| Adams never grants Interviews
State Journal reporter was courteous
| ly but firmly refused when the Amer
| lean Peter gave her two record
breaking performances of the Barrie
play in Topeka last spring Mr.. COL
never Land is particularly enter
tanning because Peter doesn't often
let a dramatic critic in.
Miss Adams, by the way, recently
had a long conference with her man
ager, Charles Frohman, and made
plans for practically the remainder
of her stage career. She is at her
home in the Catskills, reopens Aug
ust IL in Peter Pan" at La Crosse,
Wis tours until December, when she
begins rehearsals in the Legend OF
Leonora" Miss Adams's repertoire
is to consist solely of Barrie plays
Peter. Leonora. RosaHnd. The Ladies
Shakespeare, Quality street, Little
Minister. Little Mary. and Punch.
Following are parts clipped from
Mr.. Colgate's interview:
Coclz-a-Doodle-Do 1 have been
fairy,
ask Miss Maude Adams. 1t is a fact
have made a pilgrimage through
Never-Never-Never Land; been intro
duced to the lost boys; smoked c1-
gar with the most anna BILE lion IN the
fairy world; fed lemon drops to the
crocodile: shaken hands-beg pardon,
/ should say the foot-of the ostrich;
enjoyed a chewing gum tete-a-tete
with the pack of wolves; slipped fire
water with Great Big, chief of the
redskins, and made flight through
the realms of fancy with the incar-
nate sprite of this wonderful de-
mense, dear Peter Pan.
l admit that 1 do not make Np we'll
as a fairy. When I went to the COM
pany manager and told him that
had decided to become one OF the
fairies, he looked a little dismayed.
He was cruel enough to say:
But, old chap, are you not just
little over weight?
Handling money makes people lose
their Imagination.
Hush" whispered the stage man
ager. here comes Peter Pan and I
must depart. Only fairies are al
lowed back here, and L am not one
of them. Goodbye; l will see you
later.
Then out of the gloom of the flies
came Peter.
.'Cock-a -doodle-do, whom have we
here?' cried the radiant youth, eye
ing me critically.
He says he is a fairy, g1ggled the
silly ostrich.
Don't look bit like one to me
too fat to fly" observed Peter.
Now. look here. Peter: L am |
fairy all right, although l admit to
rather more embonpoint than is ap- |
propriate for such fanciful creature. |
and I can fly. too-only have lost my
Wings
oh. I am SO sorry. I do hope you
will find them again." Peter sympa- |
thetical1y made answer where dld |
you come from %
"I have just arrived from the world
of grown-ups-poor old Mother Earth, /
where human beings are continually |
striving for things that make them
miserable
u left that world so long ago, I |
have forgotten almost all about it.
How is it getting along, pray
I'm Just about the same old way"
Wont people ever learn? Learn
what is really worth while in life
learn how to be young again?"
There are a lot of US who would
like to, Peter. I am sure. Won't you
tell US how you found it out?''
''Ah, you do not understand" cried
Peter, shrinking away and pressing his
hand to his heart. "I-why, 1 never
was old. l have always been just what
1 am ever since | played the pipes in
the reeds by the banks of the Tiber,
aeons and aeons ago. 1 never had to
become young again, you see-
Away in the dusk some one called in
a childish treble:
''Peter-Peter, dearest Peter, Liza
has a toothache. What shall we do?
And Peter Pan vanished on an err
rand Of mercy.
I was left alone, dreaming in a land
of dreams of the things that might
have been, when out of the stiffness
came a sybillant chuck1e, out of the
darkness there shot a flash of light,
and Peter Pan was beside. me, crow
ing '.Cock-a-doodle-do
$50, It is just as I thought. you are
not a fairy after ALL said Peter, re-
Il tell you what to do I suggested.
Sprinkle Il little fairy dust on me and
that will make me a full-fiedged fairy
for the rest of my life
Yes. Yesi" said almost every one,
SO Peter was forced to yield. I was