New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-12-29
Plays and Players

Many people suppose that Cecil Yapp,
who is appearing as the Miser in
"Bctrothal" at the Shubcrt Theatre, is
an English actor. Tho mistake is a
natural one, since many of his hits
we're made on the London stage; as q
matter Of fact, no was born in st. Paul,
Mimi, and Is a graduate of the st.
Paul High School. His father is
leading figure in railroad affairs in
that section of the country and it was !
his earnest desire that his son should
follow in his footsteps. Mr. Yapp'a ef- I
forts to master the intricacies of his
fathers business were but half hearted,
however, for the stage interested him
always and claimed him eventually. He
became a pupil Of Bcerbohn Trees
dramatic school in london and later a
member of that actors company. His
first professional appearance with Tree
was at His Majesty's Theatre, January
"A, 1905, as Sexton in "Much Ado About
Nothing.' Other parts in the Tree re-
pertoirc followed, among them Publus
i'll Julius Cesar the Prison Keeper
in Orchard IL and Dodor in
"rrilby." A tour Of the provinces with
the same organization followed, offering
opportunities to appear as Creighton
i'll "The Garden of Lies Bishop of
Selby III Doctor Wakes Patient" as
Lively in SUNDAY" and in the dual
roles of Pettywise and Netherby in
"Jim the Penman." In the summer of
1907 Nj Yapp appeared at Ter1ys
Theatre as Deacon Bagby in "Nlls.
Wigs Of the Cabbage Patch' In
October of that year he was Bishop Of
Bath and Wells in "Sweet Kitty Bel
lairs" at the Haymarket and Lord Mel
son in "1he Nelson Touch"
Returning to this country in 1910
Winthrop Ames engaged him to create
the role of the Cat in "The Blue
Bird" a part which he made famous
and which earned for him unusual dis
tinction as a character actor. Although
young man, still in-the early thirties,
Mr.. Yapp has been so successful in this
line Of parts that it has cost him a
possible future as matinee idol Of
this fact he observes regretfully:
"Atany a good straight part on which
| have had my eye has been handed to
some one else because managers asso.
ciate my name with character bust
ness" After his appearance as the
4 Cat in 1.-THE Blue Bird" Mr. Yapp
4 continued under the Ames management
4 at the New Theatre. In The Cottage
II the Air" he was Reverend Edward
& Morrison, in Galsworthy's 'Strife" he
had the part Of Henry finch; Master
\ Brewster i'll "Tha WITCH" Cripple III
4 "Sister Beatrice" the Second Lord in
4 "Winter's Tale and the Snake in ''Tho
4 School for Scandal which was gen.
n orally conceded to be the best perform
4 ance of this role that the present gen
b Grafton has seen When Jane Cowl
I produced Lilac Time" at the Republic.
d Theatre Mr.. Yapp created the role of
y the old "Grandp6re' The latest char
8 acter portrait added to his already ia
nous album Of characterizations is that
1 Of the Miser in Winthrop Ames's pro
4 duction Of "Bctrothal.7
4 Georges Deachaux, who plays the pant
Of veteran in THE Crowded Hour
at tho Selwyn Theatre, created his owr
I part i'll the play. Monsieur Deschau.
is a Frenchman who fought III the wa,
I Of 1870 and in whom the flame Of in
tense patriotism has not been dimmcl
\ by his age. lie lived in the environ.
I of Paris most Of his life and playoc
{ various parts in the "ComediG Fran.
\ caisc" during the eighties and ninctica
i He was particularly we'll known for {
/ soldier part that he created in a pop
ular French comedy of that time calct
4 "Un Soldat de la France" He hae
retired from the stage some time be
fore the war and was living PEACEFUL,
1 in the town Of Douai Forced to leavr
4 his little home and most of his posses
4 sons, he determined to come to Amel
\ lea, where some Of his relatives lived
u Here i'll America he was unable t,
ililt llo 1CldClNCS. L OF SOllP IltllC IL
I did all sorts of odd jobs for living
Z until he finally secured position in
/ translation bureau. But an actor i
! never too old to feel the lure of tn
B stage and old Deschaux had his ely
I open for a chance. 1t did come in tn
! form of a four word part in "rh
4 Crowded Hour: "rhe Americans Ar
! Coming" he was to say in French
4 During one of the carly rehearsal
A Monsieur Deschaux did not stop at tn
. end of his part, but continued t
4 harangue in a fiery manner for som
4 time. what is all this" inquired Nh
4 Selwyn in some amazement of Flateal
one of the other Frenchmen in tn
company. 'Hc is delivering a eulog
on the work of the American soldier
Z in France" Sounds good to me-" sal
Selwyn, and so the part was left in.
Miss Jane Cooper, who is so abb
I supporting Norman Trevor and ass,
\ ciates in "a Place in the Sun" at tn
4 Comedy Theatre, is d Californian VIII
Stl1dipc for he s+acro IL, Paris and .