The Washington herald., 1918-08-11

very old one. the most notable ex-
ample being Hamlet" But the
authors OF Among Those Present"
have gone further than their pre-
decessors and have employed this
trick by weaving together the threads
of the ones play with the other in
such fasfion that at times an un-
tangling seems impossible. This Ii
accomplished, however, In a humofous
fashion.
The plot of the comedy Is largely
the work OF Larry Evans, one of the
younger short-story writer's and now
elists. George 8. Kaufman. dramatic
editor Of the New York Times, and
more noted for his wit in New York
than in Washington, has rounded the
play into acting form and embellished
the structure with much dialogue
which contains a vein Of satire di~
rected at certain Of the foibles Of the
day.
This fake chority business makes
me tired" remarks one of the char
acters in the play. Percy GIendenning
has money enough to give twice as
much every week as his amateur per
formance can possibly make. Why
NOh PCOPAC 6ANC AuOHcy uIIGCIlJ TO
charities instead Of investing it along
with a lot of wasted time and effort
In some darn circus or fete or bazar,"
A discussion Of thievery in act three
brings this from another one Of the
characters:
Honesty may be the best policy.
but mighty few people are willing to
pay the premium on it. For my part
IA Tafhnr he
hits me over the head than be swim
died by a suave coal dealer who
charges s13 a ton"
Wallace Eddinger, a very good
young actor, who will make his
hrst-stage, at least-appearance
in the role of "A Very Good Young
Man" in the play of that title to-
morrow night at the Belasco, has
some unconventional ideas about
the stage-unconventio that is,
from the standpoint of a very good
and successful young actor. And
lest someone who has never seen
him or whose theatrical memory is
hazy. doubt the statement that he
is Just that, it should be here set
down that three roles in the past
six years have sufficed him. and in
the last of these, that of Budd
Woodbridge, the young man in
The Boomerang" who was love-
sick and thought 1t was his stom-
ach. he played three years with
scarcely a breathing spell between
seasons.
Il am not what you might call
an old man." said Mr.. Eddineer in
the conversation in which his her
esy came to light, but have been
on the stage a good many years
and 1t has lost a lot of the lure II
might still have II had not begun
my career at a tender age. made
my first appearance when I was 6
years old. My father was on the
stage and when Charles T. Ellis
wanted a little boy in a play I was
that little boy. I played until I
was IL and then quit to 90 to school.
returning at 90
1T was before 1 retired that
played Lord FauntIeroy, yellow
curls and gil. was one Of the
original eighteen Lord Fauntleroys.
who were almost as numerous as
the original Florodora girls. and /
played the role two and half
years in every part of the United
States.
Il suppose 1t was in those early
years that got fed up on adulation.
for am impervious to ii now,
1 am not strong for the matinee
hero thing. and I do not believe in
art. You know in a scene
between two people when one play
er wishes to monopolize a scene he
gradually works his way up stage,
thus spelling the bolance and put
ting the other player at a disadyan-
tage. 1 have found that an effective
cure for this is to turn my back to
the audience and the up-stage imme-
diately grasps the significance of
my move.
Likewise do not believe in the
star system. The average theater-
soer never looks at his program
unless some one on the stage inter-
ests him especially, so most of the
prayers are nameless to him. I re-
Iuse to be starred because I do not
care to go out of New York and live
IN hotels and berths, and a manager
Doesn't like to star an actor and
Identity him with a play unless he
Is willing to stay with 1t.
30 you see have no great flu
slons about the stage. In its high
est estate acting Is an art. to be
sure an art worthy of the greatest
respect and one that demands the
greatest sacrifices from those who
master It For these sacrifices ~
pays handsomely. but that they are
sacrifices only one who has PLAYED
stands in the provinces or
even a two-year's run in the same
part In Manhattan can appreciate"
An actor who does not relish adm
lation and refuses to be a star.
though he is onel Boy. page Mr..
Matinee Idol. '0s.
An almost. incredible, amount Of
work was accomplishedT at Moore,s
Garden Theater last Meek during
the seven days that the, house was
closed. On last Monday morning
the house was as the crowds had
LEFT IL Sunday night-except that
, o0M.sgzD 0s EAsz Ma =