New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-10-23
Comes a Question on the
Subject of Authors
Curtain Calls.
TWO PLAY AGENTS
FORM NEW COMPANY
Ohio Girl Wins Novel Prize by
Her Beauty - New
Productions.
BY HECTOR TURNBULL,

BY HECTOR TURNBULL.
A reader, who signs himself j. Z. R.,
OF Orange, N. j., asks us a question
touching upon a subject Of more or less
interest TO that privileged class of
playgoers who attend first nights.
why" he writes, docs an audience
call for author And when did the
custom of authors first night speeches
originator" While our ideas upon this
subject are rather hazy we believe that
an audience calls for the appearance
OF the author at first night because
audiences are. after all, astonishingly
human, and therefore capable of ex-
hibiting a vast amount of morbid curl
osity and cruelty. Those who shrek
speech" however, are far more adj
vanced type of human. These Great
Ures revel in the inarticulate writings
of an author on the rack for the same
reasons that naturalist is ecstatieally
happy when observing the struggles Of
beetle or n butterfly pierced with a
pln-because they are specialists. Each
agoniZed gasp or kick has to them a
subtle significance, and what seems to
the lay mind extreme torture is, to the
specialist, quite the best part of the
evenings entertainment. AS to the origin
OF this barbaric custom we are wholly in
the dark, but we believe it must have
started about the time when those gay
blades Farquhar and Middleton were
writing for the stage and il was con-
sidered the thing for playwrights to
train for first nights in hospitable ale
houses-thus equalizing the sport.
While on the subject of authors,
be II known that Elizabeth Marbury
and John Rumsey, play agents. who
have conducted separate agencies in
this city for some time, have formed
the American Play Company, Inc, and
have purchased the play agency bus
mess Of Selwyn & Co., as well as the
interests previously handled by the
De Mile Company. The new concern
will not engage in the production Of
plays and will, therefore, be in a posi-
ton to give fair and adequate attention
to their clients manuscripts.
Blanche Austin. a seventeen-year-old
girl from Dayton, Ohio, has her at
tractive face to thank for a rather UNI
usual opportunity. As the winner of
pretty girl" contest held by West
ern motion picture concern, she will be
given the freedom" of the Belasco
Theatre, permission TO watch the Be-
lasco productions rehearse and the
benefit of the great David Belasco's
tuition If she shows ability as a
player. Then she is privileged to en-
roll with the Jesse Lasky Feature
Film Company in Los Angeles as a
novice. What will happen after that
is not announced, but we presume that
her name will be among the Broadway
lights next season after such school
ing.
Mr.. Lee Shubert has decided to re-
vive the spirit that once romped about
the galleries of theatres in the old
days. When "The Battle Cry" is pro-
duced at the Lyric Theatre on Thurs
day night the price of gallery seats will
be rs cents-frst come, first served
Mr.. Shubert will supply the regular
programmes instead of the customary
handbills, and has had the Lyric gall
lery renovated and redecorated.
A contract was signed yesterday by
Jos lph Brooks, Rachel Crothers and
Kate Douglas Wiggin for a dramatiza.
tion of the latter's book, Mother
Carey's Chickens" Mr.. Brooks will
produce this play early in January,
with Edith Taliaferro in the principal
role.
Mayor Mitchell and a party Of friends
visited the Winter Garden last night to
see Dancing Around" In the party
was George McAneny. II this signif-
cant item were in "The Gotham Ga
zette" the editor would add, "Ah, there,
Geo.l"
Charles Frohman and Klaw & Erlanger
will present Elsie Ferguson in Hubert
Henry Davies's play, "0utcast" at the
Lyceum Theatre on Monday evening,
November 2.
Edwin Milton Royle, author of "The
Squaw Man," has been persuaded by
William Faversham 10 return to the
stage after an absence of fourteen
years for one performance. On Novem
Der 13 at the benefit for the Prince of
Wales Fund Mr.. Fayersham will give
his one-act version of "The Squaw
Man" at the Lyceum Theatre, and Mr..
Royle will appear as Petrie, the law
yer Mr.. Faversham has also asked
George FaWcett to play his original
role of Big Bill on that occasion. Ten
per cent of the receipts on this occa-
sion will go to Mr.. Faversham's fund
for the families of European actors
made destitute by the war.