The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-09-27
NEWS AND GOSSIP
OF N. Y. THEATRES
Elsie Janis to Make Her Per-
manent Home in England,
Mother Says.
pOINGS OF STAGE FOLKS

The next play by Max MARGIN to see
the footlights will be Are You My
wife" II Is a farce in which Mr.. Mar
Elm elaborated with Roy Atweli, the
actor. MIR. Atwell md Mr.. MARGIN. in
fact, evolved this play together in their
moments Of leisure. and II was ar
ranged that Mr.. Atwell. In addition to
figuring as the author. should also play
the leading role.
The Shuperts bought the piece soon
after IL was submitted to them. but did
no. think the part In which Mr.. Atwell
was to be seen was at all suited to his
talents rs a comedian. Mr.. Atwell, as
well as the author. however. disagreed
with them and the play passed out OF
the possession OF the managers. But It
was not long before another purchaser
was found. Cohan Il Harris bought the
rights TO the play. which about a year
ago had a trial performance on the Jer-
sey coast. The event was satisfactory
20 far as the farce was concerned but
the managers preferred Mr.. Atwell as
an author to What he accomplished in
the piece as a comedian, so once more
Are You My Wife" came OF the mar
ket.
At this junction Mr.. Atweil decided
that he would prefer to appear only as
author rather than continue to cause
the postponement OF the production. SO
when Are You My Wife," was again
put on the market there was no longer
the string attached to II that Mr.. Atwell
should play the comedy role. He will
therefore. when Edward MacGregor pro-
duces the piece next. month, be satisfied
with the honors Of the dramatist.
Elsie Janis Is to- be seen next week
at the Cohan Theatre. but II is settled
that England Is to be her permanent
home. Her mother recently made this
declaration in her native State.
Elsie and | are going back to Eng
land one Of these days" she said. and
~ are going to stay in England.
We spent two years there. We
love the English people and they seem
10 like us. We'd rather live there.
so far as Elsie's concerned. she likes
working on the london stage. So far
as | am concerned. ! like II because I'm
not pestered TO death about being a stage
mamma"
Peggy o'Nell will be the star OF "A
Tale With a Wag,' which is a play
made by George II. Atkinson from The
White Linen Nurse" by Eleanor H..
Abbott. Miss O'Neil. who was one of
the first actresses selected by Oliver
Morosco to succeed Laurette Taylor in
Peg O. My Heart" will play the part
o. a nurse. although she Is compelled
10 become one under protest. The dram
atist has added two characters to those
In the book.
Cyril Maude. who is taking precau-
lions against the failing popularity Of
Grumpy" has a new play by Githa
sowerby. who wrote Rutherford & Son"
The new piece was written In collabora-
tion with her husband. Capt. John Ken
dali. and is called Dad. Mr.. Maude
also has a play by Horace Vachell from
a novel by Mrs. Belloc Lowndes.
valeska Suratt Is to return to the
stage not as "A dancer In burlesaue or
vaudeville but as an actress. She will
appear In a new version of Daudet's
'Sapho.' made for her by Paul VI.
Potter. Several heavyweight leading
mel are now In training for the stair
case scene.
TIE fact that TWO fashion shows are
Just now impending in New York when
there never was one here before shows
the initiative character even OF such
s~howmanship. Formerly II was the usual
theatrical performance which displayed
styles sufficiently to satisfy the public,
on the programme of Ned Wayburn's
Town Topics at the Century Thentre
there are half a dozen d~ressmakers
NNIntn as CTettoES VI INC lTochS uaNn
are worn in the various scenes. That
method of displaying dresses has al
WAYS been regarded as sufficient in the
past.
Rut when IL was reported with appar-
erly every appearance OF authority
hat a musical play was given last
spring through the financial backing OF
n dressmiking establishment and that
me mannequins OF this shop paraded
EhpOnr1t ~. aiSt.G % ulQ evident that
an advance in the art of displaying
modes had been made. Now two elab-
crate performances have been devised
merel! with the idea of displaying the
frorks OF the season.
II they should succeed a great prob
lem will be removed from the minds
OF managers. 1t will not be necessary
In the future 10 worry about actors
and authors 1t will be enough to
get a corner on all the dressmakers.
One Of the scenes In Town Topics"
burlesques the recent ways OF distrib-
uting tickets TO theatres. A potential
th.atrcgoer tries TO buy tickets at the
box office. None Is to be had. Every
thing IS sold. But a neusboy is able
70 sell him one and so Is a sausage
vonder who has plenty of tickets to
sell.
Groicsque as the burlesque Is, II is
not altogether wrong. There was a
time last spring when men walked
through the business streets downtown
distributing cut rate tickets In large
numbers 10 every pedestrian they met.
or course these were not passes. but
tickets emitting the holder 10 buy seats
a. half price,
Bernard Granville, one OF the most
talented and versatile comedians on the
American stage. has been unable TO do
euythlng with the play "He Comes UP
Smiling In which Douglas Fairbanks
appeared for "a brief season at the FL
tiuge Theatre last year. Evidently he
has smiled for the last time.
Ralph Herr is one OF the headliners