New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-06-04

~ NOTE with surprise" said Marie
Tempest, by way Of noting with
.r-,rise that some people looked
rDo, the story Of A Lady's Name as
q;cblv improbable.' The word improo-
,bis, when applied TO farce, ] would
,bol;sb oLli.erate. extinguish! The
yerv name Of farce rTesupposes i'm
,-obabnitv. But is the story OF MI
ua-court's farce improbable? ! 90 not
think so. I have heard Of hundreds oil
Instances where authors have INDUCED
IN all sorts OF amazing proceedings
when in search Of copy. The doings oil
Mabel We're in "A Lady's Name are
70 me highly likely and quite within
the reaches Of possibility. knowing
Mabel We're intimately, her exploit IN
search Of copy is what might be eN-
pected Of the lady. Aware OF the con-
slant stretches Of the arm OF comet
d.,ce. readings out that are constant
y occurring TO all Of US almost daily
fnnrobable' seems futile word
Given q moiety Of imagination, nothing
n play. much less in farce should
seer, improbable. Otherwise-hewlng
"a the line Of the credible, presumable
and likelv-most plays would be dull
drab affairs.
Because Of the odd, the strange ana
n, curious that one finds in biography
lam strongly addicted to that form OF
fiction. Next to biography ! love fairy
tales. which are naught else than truth
p,rsonifed. Why is it that the nc
tjopeer. as we'll as the novelist, should
rot be permitted 20 draw the long bow
Of reality? Why, every day things
h,ppen 70 ourselves and our friends
which II put into a play would bring
down upon the head Of the dramatist
tn. charge Of utter improbability.'
an a play produced in New York
early in the season the ingenue dis
covered that the boarding house that
,h. was supposed TO attend in the play
vas the very one where, at Brighton
England. she was educated! II a novel
ist OF a dramatist had put such a high
~ probable occurrence in either novel
or play he would be hooted. Fur
thermore. another drama was produced
during the season in which one OF the
characters IS invited 70 village
church 20 attend a wedding. This actor
was married in that very church thirty
years before. Highly improbable? Not
81 all. Il is the sober truth. What
would the plays Of Shakespeare be Il
the bard had had the boyle Of prob
tbility dangling before him. But
shskespeare's time was one OF imagl-
nation. not one when the fairies were
pu. 70 sleep. Who enjoys The Win
tsr's Tale less because the child Fer
di,s is lost and finally, after many
curious wandcrings, turns up grown
Soman a; the opportune moment IN
the last act? Can you imagine Shake
lpeare during his time being told that
be had better disown The Winters
Tale as being highly improbable
Then. too. there is Pericles,' high
ly probable story. In this play Thaisa
dies at sea; she is placed in a chest
and the chest is thrown into the sea.
This chest washes up on shore, is
opened and Thaisa is found to be alive!
You see, 20 enjoy q play you must have
Imagination and not bother with old
probability The supposed improba-
hlities Of such play, for instance as
Monte Cristo' do not exist. Dumas
'ad Imagination, only he didn't let him
'slf 90 enough II he had not been
Bothered by fairy tale haters, Monte
CrstO' would still hold its place on
he stage.
When The Two Orphans was re-
hved, years ago, read somewhere that
he play was all very well, but highly
mlkelyl This, by the way, was eX-
'e'ly what was said Of The Great Di-
,lde' when it was produced by Mr.
hiller and Miss Angliu some years ago.
' was a highly improbable story, in
"sd. Well, while in Chicago last win