Evening star., 1915-03-28
erary and dramatic matters to the San

erary and dramatic matters to the San
Francisco News Letter.
That he isn't there yet, and it's just
possible he sometimes wishes he was.
is due to chance. Chance took the
shape of a legacy of $4,000. He
knocked off the daily grind and turned
his attention to playwriting. Among
his earlier plays the better known are
Cousin Kate" in which Ethel Barry
more was so much admired: The Mol
Iusc," in which Alexandra Carlisle and
Joe Coyne were seen in this country,
and Mrs. Gorringe's Necklace pro-
duced at Wyndham's Theater, in Lon
don "Outcast,' his latest play, was
originally presented in London.
Last summer Mr.. Davies came to New
York to attend the rehearsals Of Out
cast prior to its American production.
To friend he afterward gave these con-
fidences:
Il attended the rehearsals and. for the
first time. 1 saw my characters trans
saw come back to life in an American
theater a character l had originally
seen in the streets of London. And
the reincarnation had greater truth
than all my writings and suggestions
had ever dreamed of. Then it was
forced on me that only that person in
the theater who has completely mas
tered the device of self-loss and can
really be somebody else than himself or
herself controls the destiny of a play.
'If there wern's these extraordinary
people who can recreate other per-
sonalities. there would be no need Of
men like me to contrive personalities
for them to vivify. So. you see, it's
the actor. not the playwright. who
translates life to the stage. The actor
is to a play manuscript what voice and
breath are to the human being. Moth
ing could be in the theater but for
the actor.
Strait out Of life 1 took a char
acter and reduced it in writing to a
record. But it remained dead record
until ! turned it over to young
hand; revivified the character, gave it
substance, beauty. humor. fawless
truth. so that after Ave years 1 again
see that character live. The young
woman who has done this is Elsie Fer
guson."
A Weird. Fascinating Melody.-The
volga Boatmens Song" one of the
striking numbers of the Russian Bala
laika orchestra's program, Is typical
Russian folk song. The melody. as
performed by the musicians on their
three-cornered, three-pegged. three
stringed instruments, produces pleas
ing and lasting impression on the ear.
One part, which modulates into D
minor, reverting back to A minor, is a
tone picture of haunting harmony. The
doleful strains linger in the memory
long after the artists touch of the
strings has ceased to enthrall the music
listener.
Has Skaw's o. KIN writing of
Beatrice Herford, the vaudeville
monologist. Bernard Shaw is quoted as
saying: "one OF the most remarkable
pieces of realistic acting 1 have seen
lately has not been on the stage. but
on the concert platform. by Miss Be
atrice Herford. Miss Herford, with the
aid of a chair. pretends to be a lady
with child in a tram car, a shop girl,
a dressmaker hired out by the day, and
maddeningly idgetty old lady in a
train. Very ordinary entertainers bust
ness apparently. until you see 1t. Miss
Herford began by amusing me and end
ed by appalling me. But for her oc-
clever pantomime. should. SO to speak,
have changed carriages, SO faithfully
did she produce the ways of irritating
people"
Lines From "Disraeli."-There are so
many bright and epigrammatic lines in
Louis N. Parker's comedy, "Disraeli."
that 1t is difficult to Gull limited se-
lection. Here are a few Of the best:
THE magic of first love is the ig-
norance that it can never end.
An obedient wife commands her
husband"
Pearls are like girls; they require
quite as much attention"
If you are not clever you should be
conciliatory"
Marriage? / respect the institution.
have always thought that every
woman should maryland no man."
There is no modification, however
keen, no misery. however desperate.
which the spirit of women cannot in
some degree Tighten or alleviate"
There is no wisdom like frankness"
Some people have great knowledge
of society and little of mankind"
My idea of an agreeable person Is q
person who agrees with me-.
Departures should be sudden"
There is no education like advef-
sity."
1T is a great thing to make q for
tune. There is one thing greater. and
that is to keep 1t when made"
II do not believe such quality as
chance exists Every incident that
happens must be link in q chain
The man who anticipates his CEN
tury Is prosecuted when living and pill
fered when dead"
The youth of a nation are the trus-
tees Of postertty.'
Travel teaches liberation"
"A deviation from truth IL, in gen-
eral, the foundation Of all misery"
Assassination never changed the
history of the world
zone should conquer the world. not to
enthrone a man. but an idea, for ideas
exist forever" =.