The Washington herald., 1915-12-05

New York. Dec. 1.-E. II. Sothern has
put aside that agreeable comedy. THE
Two Virtues to revive again The
American Cousin" in which he assumes
his fathers mantle. or, to be more ex-
act, his fathers side-whiskers. in the
role of Lord Dundreary. There seemed
to be no reason to take off The Two
Virtues" as it was playing to good busi-
ness and seemed to please every one who
saw it. both as a play as well as in the
way il was acted. In fact. II is said.
there is likely to be litigation over the
change. the author. Alfred Sutro. claim
ing to have a contract providing that
his piece should be kept on in New York
SO long as the weekly receipts did not
fall below $500. Why theatrical people
do the things they do is often beyond
the understanding of the layman. but II
is entirely possible that Mr.. Sothern tired
of pla wing the not sensational role of the
bachelor i'm The Two Virtues" and it Is
also possible that those interested with
him as actor-manager of the Booth The
alter saw an increased advantage in hav-
ing him in the part of Lord Dundreary
in a play involving no payment Of au-
thor's royalties.
Question of the Palmy Days.
Those who dare to say that the the
atcr of today has declined from what IT
was within their own recollection, are
easily disarned with the charge that the
change is in themselves, not in the stage
that they find faults because they no
longer see things with the eyes and en-
thusiasm OF youth.
This has gone so far that the term
the palmy days applied to the sage
has become almost a term of ridicule.
F.. II. Sothern. in an interview printed
the very evening of his first appearance
as Dundreary in the present revival,
voices that opinion admirably when he
says: .Old ladies and gentlemen never
cease to prate about actors. actresses
and plays of the past. for the plays and
payers they see later in life can never
appear to them quite the equal of those
Nividly remembered and hallowed ones
Of youth. when hope was new and life
VAS fresh and beautiful This Is why
the aged lack the interest and attention
which was freely given in their younger
days. They go to the theater with
pocket scale or dramatic weights and
mea with which to test theatrical
wares
Coming from Mr. Sothern In the cir
cumstances this sounds as though he was
trying to dsarm possible comparison OF
his own acting of Dundreary with that
of his father. Unfortunately he raises
the question of age versus youth and
gives in his own case an unusual oppor-
tunity to present an Illustration in behalf
Of those who dare occasionally allude to
the ridiculed ''palmy days
PersOnal Argument.
The present writer was an ardent ad-
mirer of the elder Sothern. 1t is likely
that no one now writing Of the stage saw
the eminent comedian so often in his
various impersonations the record COW
orfo If n IN nj
lar one week in which f. A. Sothern
gave seven appearances. five as Dun
dreary. one in David Garrick,' and one
in brother Sam" Making all allowance
for the enthusiasm and impressionability
Of youth. this should also give fair
equipment. in fact. as unusual dualiica-
tion as things OF the stage go. for a re-
Prospective comparison.
The matching of the younger mans
performance with that OF his father does
not result entirely TO the disadvantage
of the former. Physical differences have
much to do with il. +. A. Sothern was
tall and retained the look Of slenderness
to the last. He had the lines of a grey
hound as to waist and hips and this ex
tending to head and neck enabled him To
wear the wig and famous side-whiskers
with no appearance OF heaviness. His
Iightness his feet made the affected
skip and his dancing steps laughable in
a graceful way. His voice. too. was of
lighter quality than his sons. which al !
though there is a resemblance in tone,
gave his lines a better comedy quality !
This also intensified the contrast when !
he threw IL into the deeper register.
These physical attributes gave to the !
impersonation of the older actor an ele-
=ance and distinction lacking in that of
the son. When the elder Dundreary was
- q laughed afI