New-York tribune., 1914-11-29


war" across the seas has superseded
he theatre of make believe in this
city, managers have sought ventures
that promised the minimum OF chance.
So when Days Theatre reopened last
week managers uptown shook their
heads and asked each other why the
brave producer didn't try French opera
IN the Irving Place Theatre
Al Woods. who confesses he got his
start in melodrama. hurried down 10
see who "this fellow was who mad
sneaked in on gum shoes And great
was his surprise when he learned that
Daly's new tenant was Charles A. Iay-
lor. who. as author OF The White IL
girls Of japan" ." "The Female Detective
and other such. had helped Mr.. Woods
make his fortune In the early 9OS.
And as old friend 20 old friend
Woods asked Taylor how on earth
meaning Broadway be expected TO
make melodrama pay down IN Daily
when he, Woods, couldn't make II pay
in the New York Theatre. He even
cited Big Jim Garrity' as a concrete
case
Mr.. Taylor's answer had something
20 do with faith. Melodrama has made
many fortunes for both men, but
Charles Taylor has never deserted IT,.
His faith in il now is as great as II
was when that form Of lurid amuse-
ment earned him $3.50 daily royalties.
So Days was reopened with "1ose-
mite" one Of the first plays Mr.. lay
lor wrote. and the one he considers
his best. Il was first produced in San
Francisco twenty-five years ago and
has been revived in the West from
lor wanted the public TO see the talent
and charms of his wife, who had been
learning the art Of acting in his com
panies. SO he revived Yosemite Tor
a New York opening, with Laurette
TAYLOR i'm the leading feminine role.
But New York had TO wait for Peg
o. NV Heart" before IL knew the full
extent of this young lady's talents.
Yosemite" featuring Laurette lay
lor was played in Buffalo and Wash
.ncton. but did not reach New York.
Mr. Taylor's past includes as many
successes in the thriller line as does
he past Of Owen Davis. There was
The Derby Mascot The Queen OF
the White Slavers,' "The King Of the
Opium Ring" "The Queen Of the High
way" "The Female Detective
Through Fire and Water The
Child Wife" and other villains ana
beroines too numerous 10 mention. But
Mr.. TAYLOR goes further than TINS rec
cld for the basis of his faith IN melo-
drama. o.,
"As we all know" Mr.. Taylor said
% Tribune reporter, the big things
In life are the simple things, the
things that every one can understand.
Problem PLAYS will make good II tne
rroblem is the problem OF the audi
ence Propagancas and movements
have such a restricted appeal. Death'
birth, love. marriage, are thlhgS '1aO
ere common 20 every ore, and mclO-
Srama is merely the highly colored
and dramatic telling OF these tnlngs'
n Gets under their shirt; IL makes
heir hearts beat faster. ,.o,.,.
Nowadays, Of course, u is diHculs
90 end the ardent, open devotees OF
relodrama, but they DO exist. Ahe -
,ou mt on a meiodrama they VIII llnu l'i
E. out. and if it pleases tnem Vn.y
will tell others. The woman VINO 10 -
through an Ibsen play ana tIlTS
len awake just 20 feel sne u IL i..t,,,. i.si
brow company, is umlo @DOG, "fsce
t+cLo+s for rnelodrama at the DoN oIlioe
~. cot +hem she viii, somehow a"H
tbo theatre The successes VI
so ,,oers have been melodIamaS un
past yeal' nroes still believe that
- 90 "a the theatre 10 be thrll''u' '
PeJPiiSS tS,our plav makes them laugh VI
Gnu - 'stirs any Of their deeper eilo
cry u - nlev will be a success
.'Ins tashoy Won label it problem pay
"nreo'n;oioSical "ne'Hi STUDY, an expose OF JUST
pure melodrama.
coincidence Of Joseph I Cr2sn 5 pro,
duction Of "The Garden OF faIaulSe
developed in an interview during one
of the dress rehearsals OF tne pay
"Tbe story Of 'Swanmid,' Inc LlI-
lie Mermaid has been especially dear
10 me-" said Mr.. Urban. " nave drawn
her many times. In BOOK OF Andet-
sens fairy tales published IN lso9 you
VIII end nv pictures Of her, and again
i'm q book published ln 1911. 80 IL
gave me unusual pleasure when Mr.
Sheldon and Mr.. Tyler, the director OF
tho Icbler Company, came TO me az
he end Of last season 20 have an op-
portunitv 20 make the scenery and de-
SIGN the costumes for my fayorite fairy
story.
ALWAYS when ! design the scenery
md costumes for a play or opera, J
6rst read the words slowly 20 myself
oy have "A translator help me read II
when il is English, as with The Car
len Of Paradise have not yet learned
~ understand everything IN English.
when / have read, then ! close my
evos and dream the pictures as they
eeem to me they should be. When
fcei il bere"-he pressed his hand over
his heart the look of every little
,baracte-. the colors they should wear
tbe sky. the rooms, then ] make
ssetcbes Of the scenery. For the hg-
ures That J dream ! must first make a
nroper setting. so that they may walk
and talk and breathe IN an atmosphere
which belongs 10 them.
I'm The Garden Of Paradise the
urircipal idea of the scenery is to
bring out the beautiful atmosphere Of
The fairy tale. In the first part Of the