The Topeka state journal., 1914-01-10
ON OTHER STAGES
1aude Adams in Barrie's
~Legend of Leonora."
Notes of Plays and Players In
y the East,


1aude Adams. who was obliged to
retire temporarily after her long west
ern tour. which included two presenta-
lions OF peter Pan" In Topeka. has
returned to the stage In a four act
comedy by Barrie. 1.-THE Legend of
Leonora." She is appearing at the
Empire in New York in the first full
evenings play Barrie has written
since what Every Woman Knows"
the plot Is unique, to say the least.
In the courts Of old Bailey-Eng-
land'e most celebrated halls OF justice
turks a legend of an adorable crea-
through Mr.. Barrie's head, quite
blandly and pitilessly pushed from a
railroad carriage q selfish, rude crea-
ture who insisted on keeping the car
air rush in upon the sick child Of
Leonora. Three times Leonora had
closed the window; three times the
man had opened it. Calmly then she
opened the carriage door and threw
him upon the tracks below.
Peaceful Of mind, Leonora then
rests upon the ch.valry of all men the
instant that they hear that her little
girl had a cold" At once all England
rises to Leonora's defense. She be-
comes a mother triumphant. and with
a charm that sweeps everything be-
fore 1t she dispels the dignity OF the
judge, the sense of duty of the prose-
cutting attorney, and all legal logic
from the minds OF every member OF
the jury.
Evidently in New York the sex
drama 10 beaten, says Burns Mantle
Broadway, for the nonce, is technically
pure. The holidays. which break the
season in half find only two sex plays |
in the list of thirty or forty attractions
in theaters of the first class, and one |
~ N nf hi
er words, a season that was. as Mr.
Hammond might say, mostly at sexes
and sevens to start with, has righted
itself and promises to continue on its
ordinary course from now TIL spring:
our all but virgin purity. and even
mother may run her finger down the
list OF plays offered along Broadway
at this good will to men season and
find hardly one that would bring
sufficient blush Of shame to her
cheeks to worry over.
There have been 10 many rules given
to write q successful play that perhaps
the public would be Interested in
knowing how to obtain q failure.
So the Dramatic Mirror asked Sed-
ley Brown. dramatic director and play
wright, what, in his opinion, were the
correct lines to follow to write . "fliv-
ver.''
Here's his reply:
How to write q failure.
Select q subject that your audience
will understand and appreciate.
Get your atmosphere from direct
association.
Take your characters from life,
transplant into your play. and see that
they receive plenty OF dramatic rain
and sunshine in order that they may |
continue to grow.
Write your play along the best
Iii nvxyy, and nm IN date 1tnea NJ Ara
tic construction.
Direct your best efforts to appeal to |
the emotions Of your audience. and |
make your characters act as the ma
would act under the existing condi- |
tions.
Take your play to a manager and
sign a contract giving him the right
to use your material AZ he thinks best. !
Let him engage actors totally un-
suited to their roles-let him change
the lines and situations in such a man
ner that they lose all semblance to
the laws Of continuity and sequence
let him produce the play at the wrong
time and at the wrong place-and you
have a failure.
what became Of that play you
wrote five years ago?"
1.-The managers decided it was too
daring to produce"
Send 1t on again."
IT did. They say it's too tame now"
Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
Growing reminiscent. Frank Will
stach bethinks him of q manager he
met in q small town vaudeville house I
in Norfolk, Va, earlier this season.
This manager he narrates ''is
one of those gentlemen who claim
anything and everything in sight az
attractions that have played his house.
I heard Of this popularity and decided
to feel him out. So I dropped around
to his show one evening, looked at an
act or two and q picture, and then
drew him into conversation.
Did Nat Goodwin ever play in this
house?' 1 asked him.
Yes, indeed. he did, last season.
"'And Marie Dressler?'
Season before last
How about Sothern and Marlowe?
DID they ever play for your
''He reflected on this for q minute
and then said Yes
When?' I
Three years ago. I remember, be-
cause the tall one fell off the trapeze
the first night"