El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-11-11

Nj Tyler had quite a time picking a
= cast for "Pollyanna-" Getting
the proper persons to take the roles in
an important production is always big
niece Of work. but when the PLAY is
a dramatization OF a widely known
novel. the problem is immensely more
complicated
Remember that several hundred per
sons in every audience will have read
the novel and formed a mental picture
from the authors description Of just
how each character looks
And then think that each Of these
persons expects to be perfectly sats-
fled when that character steps upon the
stage-believes his mental picture
SHOULD be mirrOred forth I'm the flesh
You see what Mr.. Taylor was up
seains+ in ..PolIvanna." The most ca
Fable actress in the world might take
The leading role in ~POllyanna' or some
other dramatized novel and fail mIsera a
blv-just because she didn't come up 70
the spectators pre-, once5Neo H0'iOiis VI
how she should look and act
In play that has not been drama
TIED. the first actors 10 take the roles
create" the parts. as the saying IS
And this word create expresses the
idea exactIv When the play Is given
again. il il has been a success, the sec
ond produce usually tries TO get an
actor for each part who viii give the
same effect as the corresponding actor
in the first production
Creating a Role.
For instance. Laurette Taylor ere
ated the title role in Peg o Ny Heart
and all late Pegs" must look as
much like Laurette as possible
In the case OF Pollyanna. Mr. Tyler,
his general stage director and several
bu haan rqrEfug their memo
ries the dramatic agency lists and al
other sources OF information without
hitting anyone who seemed TO fit
Mr. Tyler and his assistants had IN
terviewed two dozen or more prospect
i've candidates, but none Of thein
seemed capable Of realizing Polly
anna" The end Of the difficulty is told
By NJ. Tyler as follows;
Just how Miss Collinge came 70 DC
. FORGOTTEN until then viii always remain
I 4 mystery. The dramatic agencies say
she did not appear on their lists De-
/ cause thew thought her under contract
She had earned a reputation Tor her-
self as one OF the most charming
. ingenues on the American stage, and
+ her name should have been one of the
P first on the list, but il wasn't
The memorandum went into thf
waste basket during our first interview
The half timid little way she Shppec
into nv office in response 10 tele-
phone call her perfect self-relianct
when she began TO speak the qualn'
manner in which she unconscious
O. curIed herself VI in the big easy chail
alongside nv desk the little note o.
. tenderness in her voiec-all these ana
4 many other things convinced me ina
3 here vas Pollyanna in the life ana W.
3 need 20 10 further. And We didn't IA
o tlicia CollinGe Is POllyanna and Polly
. anna i Patricia COllinse-"
"OId Lady 81"
@ Continuing on the subject or casting
+ for a dramatized novel. Lee hugei hi
. IL right when he selected Emma punI
F to play tie leading role in the sWee
/ and amusing play Rachel CrotheFs MAJ
. made out Of Louisa Forsslund's story
. "Old Lady 81" The piece has opened
al the ssth street thester-
angie" IS readers or the move
- know. is the wife OF n retired sea cap
. tain. The old couple are impoverishe'
, through the purchase OF supposedly
worthless min NJ stock. So the captain
brings his vile 70 the OLD Ladies home
The caDtafu proves such pieastn
g companion 10 the other old ladies' enc
q is so affected ~ the thought OF leavihg
his wife that the inmates OF the clois
. tered institution smuggle him INSIDE
where he becomes old Lady 81 Hi'
3 presence ie1dS 10 numerous humorous
3 incidents. stirring up jealousy in heart
I which might he thought TO have lef
, such feelings behind many years be
fore.
Then there is . pleasant love epiSod
between 4 boy and girl, added by MIS-
Crothers TO the original story Mari
Carroll and Stuart Sage won the heart
Of the first night audience in tines
roles. Viva ogden and May Galyer
also proved capital entertainers In OH
: character parts
~Old Lady 81" is the antithesis q
melodrama and the popular crook play
But the great majority will welcom
this quaint pleasant portrayal Of New
. England life.
.gThe show of MOnderS.-
The new Winter Garden production
The Show OF Wonders" is so Devil
! deringly full Of good things that il i
I difficult even TO mention them all in
short review
The most prominent feature is tire
g baIiets : Burmese story is iuterprete
/ in one Of these. although the narrative
| something about a statue of Buddh!
: spouting fire and then a white soul,
! a bit hard TO follow The settings 10
7 this and for "DiabolO" and the Italia
. Ballet Miniature" are striking and tn
! dancing is good. even If no one woul
] expect the standard Of Anna Pavlow
| here.
More funny ideas have been furnishe
for this Winter Garden show than wer
/ ever offered in any of its 10 predeces
/ sors The humorists are legion Waite
4 sarr-n. -,