The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-10-31

keith's Union Square Theatre. After
hat ! was engaged as principal come
dian in Fred Twins burlesquc show
at a salary OF slJ "a week, which was
Increased to s55 the following season.
Then came an engagement TO play
Wariicld's part In 'Fiddledce-dec" in
Buffalo during the pan-Amcrican En-
position. was there twenty-six
weeks. went on the cad and was en-
Gagged to play the sam" part in Fishers
Theatre. san Francisco. for twenty
weeks. | stayed five years. ! played
everything from juveniles 10 ShplOck.
! thought at FIRST that tho role OF
ShB'0cb was n joke because there
were no laughs in 1t. | was then 90
years old. and n of the San Fran
cisco critics called me the youngest
SdUiock in captivity. | then came TO
New York and tried ~ get a part. but
all | got vas n orportul ity To stand
out in front and tell Jokes In musical
SHOWS. | begged the managers to
give M" n part, but without avail until
Mr.. Woods came along with Potash
y I'erlmutter.' and here I am"
| T.. II. Sothern, who IS ~delighting his
admirers 10y his acting in The Two
Virtues" at the Booth Theatre. was
never an advanced producer Of
Shdkospcarian plays. So IL IL inter
ostiug to hear him talk now about
tie more modern mannc Of stage pro
duct,on. He said to TIE SUH re-
porter:
"That school OF painting which re-
suited in purple COWS and ladies with
green hair and yellow faces has no
doubt served a good purpose. Such
eNcesses may lead after a return to
sanity TO some slight modification of
former errors. The men and women
Who followed in the steps Of Oscar
Wilde and actually walked the streets
"f London with s~unilowers and lilies
in their hands. who peraInbulated IN
velvet knee hrccchcs and %grcenery-
gallery frocks did in the end affect the
color of wall paper.
In "A similar sense the pending rev.
uluti'n in theatrical scenery may show
as the way TO accomplish some desir-
able reforms. one tree with a lime
light un it. solitary on n dark stage.
will perhaps. after the Japanese fash
ion, suggest u forest, one plato n BAN
quct. one swallow "A summer. These
"ii oo
The spectator in a theatre must
never he in cub az 10 what Is in
tended. There must be nothing to he
cN plained. The understanding must be
satisfied II the emotions appealed to
instantly. ana the critics canno help
MS To understand plays that require
particular information to comprehend
them, for at such exhibitions among
twelve critics there will shortly he
t~wenty-four opinions; which is as 1t
should be, for opinion among tho wise
is but the expression of temporary
conclusions. The wisdom II to-day is
the ignorance OF tomorrow. So even
to the learned the Significance of the
scenery must he nj once evident, or
the effort 10 understand Il will detract
from the effects of tho play as a whole.
"It is not necessary to be an expert
to recognize evident truths. To know
a h%aystack in broad day one n~ed not
Ice an authority on agriculture. Pro-
fessional judgment is sometimes tenn
percd by tho liver. and persons who
close one eye in order To see more
clearly may conclude that the best
view VI an object IL obtained by clos
ing both. ] have Known an expert to
declare that Portin should wear a mus
tache in the trial scene of The Mer-
chant OF Venice Mr.. Mansfield was
highly praised for his impersonation
of Hdmict, a part he never played, and
The Proud Prince a drama which I
produced, was condemned by a man
who was not present at the perform
ance. which would seem to indicate
that there are none so blind as those
who are In the dark, and hat there
is apt to be more bane than benefit
IN the habble OF the bilious and be-
nishted."
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