Evening star., 1915-03-14
A Chat With Ferguson.


Modern theatricals have been the tar
get for so much abuse of all kinds that
one who knows but little of them
might be pardoned if. accepting the
judgment of those who profess to
know, he should conclude that there is
no good in them. And if the plays thepn-
selves be SO lacking in Righteousness.
why not the players also?
Such. of course, is superficial judg-
ment, rendered. judgments are so
often rendered, absolutely without u
real knowledge of the facts. But it is
made excusable by the reckiessness Of
modern playwrights. and it may be
added also by money backed stars of
| season. The products of both, imma-
ture and unsatisfactory when put to
the real test, have much to do with
| rash conclusions that the modern stage
has gone to the demnition bow-wows.'
as Mr.. Mantalini might tersely observe.
But just as there are exceptions in
plays, SO, too, are there notable ex-
ceptions in players. And w. J. Fer
guson, that splendid product of the old
school, who has been making WASH
ington audiences split their sides with
laughter"-to use vulgar parlance-
the past week, is one of them.
or all the players now before the
footlights none. perhaps, has had SO
wide and SO thorough an experience in
the profession which he adorns, and
none has more acceptably met the re-
quirements in every line than Mr.. Fer
guson. And yet. after years of the
most exacting training and the most
fndisputable proof of his ability, IL
seems singular that none of the Broad
way managers or producers has YET
had the courage, not to say the graft
tude-for Mr.. Ferguson has been big
Broadway attraction for thirty-five
years. and his drawing powers are stilt
undiminished-to star him in a play.
Mr.. Ferguson began his theatrical
career right here in Washington as a
call boy at the old Ford's Theater, on
10th street, some time before the as
sassination of President Lincoln, which
closed the place forever place OF
amusement At the time of the tragedy
he was very young man, alternating
between holding the prompt book and
playing minor parts, and sometimes, as
| on the night of the tragedy, doing both.
MY father and John t. Ford saId
Mr.. Ferguson, were deacons in one OF
the strictest of old-fashioned blue
stocking Presbyterian churches in
Baltimore, and yet it was my father
who placed me with Mr.. Ford for a
| theatrical career. because. as he told
me once. he had watched me al play
with the boys. and he thought l had
that sort of talent.
1T was a good thing even for "A Pres
byterian deacon to do" said Mr.. Fer
guson. "for it put ME where j had no
time to run around and SOW wild oats
or get into mischief. / never drank
or was at a horse race in my life. And
it was the habits of life then forced
upon me, when / was earning So =
week. that have kept me well ana
strong ard active through my entire
life ] was never sick a day in ms
life" And those who saw the spright-
ly comedian in The Blue Envelope" the
past week may judge how active he
is-and he is more than twenty-five
years old.
"I had a thorough training" he said.
Il have actually played during my
career, and in its development every
one of the leading parts of Shakes
peare's great plays that have been
played and many of the minor ones.
There never was such a school as
Shakespeare, for he was an actor as
well as a playwright. Shakespeare, the
Bible and Pilgrims Progress ! regard
as the three books the world could
never do without They were Lincoln's
guide to greatness, why not. therefore.
the guide of lesser lights.
But another important thing in my
training was that / learned from the
bottom up-not from the top down
and my daughter, who is now playing
with me, is learning her profession IN
the same way-from the bottom mp
That is the only way in the theatrical
profession to hope to remain at the
top-if you ever get there.
hale and hearty and a glutton tor
work Work never hurt any man. IL
was not a curse to Adam, but GODS
merciful blessing to soothe him, when
he had lost the greater prize. No mat,
ter what, when. or where L play,
take my place with the cast and get
the full benefit of the entire rehearsal,
never leaving until the last
IT have had my successes. 1 have
them now, and it is a source or the
keenest qualification TO me to know
that Broadway does not tire OF me
and Broadway has put thousands 10
sleen everlastingly. But 1 attrlpute
everything, after Gods providence 10
NV early hardships and training, TO
~ course was obliged to follow
that yielded up to me of the best
and to work, work. work, the very
hardest and most exacting kind OF
work" A.. , ,;f.
of the nimble comedian who made
thousands laugh the past week. and
NOT one of them, perhaps, ever thought
or remembered for an instant that
NJ W. J. Ferguson's road to his pre-
a,,;,ence in his profession today was
"a long, long way to Tipperary."