Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-11-24

The Play and the Press.-One of the
most famous of modern stage quips is
that of the three most rapid methods
of .communication-"tel tele-
phone and tell a woman
One of the seven wonders of the
footlight world is the rapidly with
which the news Of theatrical pro-
duction becomes current. A new play
may be produced which has the adj
vantage of neither a well known au-
thor nor well known star. while in
conflict may be another which has
them both. An unknown management
may sponsor the one, while the other
Is put forward under mana gerial
auspices that are "a sure guarantee"
and yet the unknown play may be-
come the talk of the town" within
twenty -four hours. while the other
makes d mad rush for marathon hon
ors in storehouse race.
And now comes the reluctant admis-
sion of the observing author of the
foregoing:
"a play produced with conspicuous
success in the large centers has a
ready-made public awaiting it the
country over. The result is due al
magazine publicity. for nearly all
newspapers and magazines of any
pretenSion- make the theatrical de-
partment one of their important fea-
lures, because the theater is a nation
al amusement, and. therefore, an i'm
portant element Of the news of the
day. The readers of the daily press
look to it for news of the theater, a
fact the recognition of which is prov
cd by the generous amount of wall
liable space given to it.
"A remarkable instance of the ra-
y1iditv with w of
stage onering travels is that of The
Nan Who Came Back
liam LIE Baron wrote his first success
ful work for the stage long before he
graduated from Columbia University.
This was the musical comedy 1.-THE
Echo" which Charles Dillingham; pro-
duced Last year The Very Idea."
with its satiric treatment of the
science OF eugenics, kept New York
shrieking with merriment- His latest
product. the new comedy, Back to
Earth" is now to be presented by his
drst sponsor, Charles Dillingham;.
After graduating from the univer-
sity. Mr.. LIE Baron, in addition to
writing plays, took up journalism as
profession, and today he is editor of
SO11lSI " cShIy. his stage WCIh SO
far proclaims whimsical mentality.
Taking social subjects of immediate
public interest he adaptS them to his
purpose with humorous dexterity
that reaches to a great extent a
Gallo freshness and indicates an en-
urely original point of view.
He comes Of ancient New England
lineage. A zetetic biographer gives
the following:
about the year 1886 a certain Brit
ish ship-of-war came into battle with
Q French warshfp to the discontinue
Of the latter. Among the prisoners
taken by the British was a certain
French nobleman who refused to dis
SloSe his real name. When the pris-
oners were landed in Massachusetts
suffering from an epidemic, and that
there was little or no skilled medi-
cal aid to cope with it. The French
nobleman hereupon revealed that he
was a physician. This to the no small
establishment Of the settlers, who
man Of any race could be learned in
anything but tho arts of killing or
ornamentation
In tho little community he won
SAeir gratitude - such an extent that
the government of the colony pre-
scented him with q large tract Of land
near what is now the city of Ply
mouth. This land, however, at his
death he bequeathed to the city, and
IL f. to this day known as Le Baron
Park.
Since he persisted in continuing the
mystery of his name after he had
landed. the nobleman in the course of
time came to be known among his
fsllow-citizens as NJ. LIE Baron. and
thus 1t became his family name This
IL ~ much as is now vouchsafed OF
Henry Le Baron's pedigree"
o. q fAe sKlddie1."-Do you re-
1amber the little house that Wendy
Suslt and tho little children dancing
all around In their cute little pajamas.
While Maude Adams acted as the fairy
Peter Pan In the play ten years ago?
II you do. you may remember that
one of the cutest of the little kiddies
was q little brunette with long ring
lets of hair and a wonderful complex
ion That cute little kiddie. who play
cd all through Peter Pan" with Miss
Adams, was none other than the vola-
tile and effervescent Anna Wheaton.
who sings and dances through the
two acts of "Oh. Boy"
Since she helped Wendy build the
house in the forest of Peter Pan and