The Washington times., 1913-11-22
Master Burford Hampden, Star
Of "The Blue Bird" Sees the
Great Author.
CHILD untroubled by Maeter-
linckian mysteries Is Master
Burford Hampden. who por-

/ a CHILD untroubled by Maeter-
1 ~ linckiaf mysteries Is Master
~ Burford Hampden. who por-
| trays the role Of Tyltyl IN THE
Blue Bird" which is coming to wash
ington next week. He Is Just boy.
but most remarkable boy actor who
made his first success in a play called
| "Pinkie and the Fairies three years
| ago in London. 1t was a Tree produc-
ton in His Majesty's theater, and when
/ Sir Herbert Tree decided to revive "A
! Midsummer Nights Dream he thought
Of the elfin. supercilious little herald
! whom he had seen in the fairy play. the
| little chap with his mock seriousness
] and exquisite air OF condescension to
| his fellow fairies and the audience,
! and he said to himself. 'this Is the
very Puck I want"
| So 1t was settled that the little chap
should be Puck, the coronation affair
was a glittering success, and before 1t
was over, Master Burford had put a
| girdle round the earth in FORTY min
,, utes," for their majesties, King George
and Queen Mary. and the hit of the
| whole performance had been the small
boys acting.
OF course, 1t followed that an Amer
lean manager came for him, and. need
less to say, he obtained what he went
| after. Mother and Father Hampden
gave up promising careers in England
to accompany their son to America.
Mr.. Hampden is the Daddy Tyl in ''The
Blue Bird and Mrs. Hampden. tiny
girIish woman. goes on in the produc-.
ton as one of the hours, stars. and
happiness.
Has Longest Role s=
Of Any Actor. %.
In THE Blue Bird the boy has one
of the longest roles that ever fell to
the lot OF an actor. His father mas
been his teacher, and through the
patient care of both parents he has
achieved the remarkable success that
has been his lot.
One of the most interesting events in
the life of the young English lad was
the visit he made to the author of the
play, Maurice Maeterlinck. an expert
ence which he will treasure as long as
he lives. 1t was during the recent va
cation visit that the Hampdens mother.
father. and son, paid. to the little
French village of Caudebec. stopping
at a quaint little hotel which was near
the abbey OF st. Wandrille. where the
Maeterlincks. live. One Sunday after
noon the boy and his parents walked up
to the Abbey gate and rang the bell.
Monsieur Maeterlirck will not see any
body was the message that was given
them by the keeper, qualified, however,
b ythe statement that any message they
might send would be given the author.
The trio left. disappointed. but on the
second day thereafter came a telegram
saying that the author would be pleased
to see them, and explaining that he had
been away on an excursion into the
forest.
So they again hied themselves to the
Abbey and this is what Master Hamp-
den saw:
Not the Maeterlinck of his childish
dreams. not a grand gentleman OF the
knighted Thespian sort he had so often
met In London. but powerful. broad
shouldered forester or country squire,
his head crowned with white hair, his
garments OF homely cut. and his square
tocd boots still bearing traces of the
forest mud. His laugh was a good hon
est laugh. and sincerity and simplicity
spoke IN every eNpressioh- buiioiu
thanked him for the pleasure of the |
visit
..Pouruuoi?' he asked. with simplicity. |
why should any one want to see me:
am a countryman. a forester. not an |
Immortal People would much better
direct their pilgrimaGes elsewhither.
TIL, n. with still greater simplicity. he
asked. You take The Blue Bird about
in America? You move the Palace OF
night. the Kingdom of the Future. from
town to town. from city TO city-make
railroad trains-unpack and unroll
scenes. marshal the fancies of my brain
ar given hours and places. and so ever
or and on? 1t Is wonderful. Non. c est
tres difficile; c'est impossible!'
Mr.. Hampden explained that there was
more than halt a hundred mechanics to
undergo this labor. and that the work
OF the trio was confined to the acting OF
the plav. But MaeterIinck could not
quite understand how it came that the
a,.tors themselves did not struggle with
the scenery.
Master Hampden and the author of
the play had wonderful day, the boy
asking many questions of Maeterlinck.
the master always answering them with
as much attention as though he were
talking to man OF his own age and
experience.
Tell me- MONSIEUR said the boy.
why does the blue bird iy away at
the end of its journey? ...
"Ah. Qui sait?" responded the sage,