Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-02-08

THE PLAYCOER'S
WEEKLY TALK
Observations on Plays and
Phofoplays Of Interest
to Philadelphidns

vLyHEN the Playgoer was three de-
w cades nearer the cradle, that Is TO
say in the late SOS. tall. gracefu,
young girl with an eloquently muslGal
voice played leading feminine roles with
Edwin Booth and Lawrence Barrett,
when those effulgent luminaries were
touring together As a rule the sup
port" of these stars were as tallow dlps
to a great arc light In comparison with
their principals, but one remembers TINS
young lady came in for generous NEED
of praise from critics and public ailke'
She retired from the stage and later re
turned, but her renewal of stage work
was not widely heralded, for the
memory Of the public Is short-lived'
But there we're many who did not, nor
would not forget.
The Playgoer had the pleasure OF
greeting the lady the other evening and
. a pleasant surprise as we'll For there
responded to hrs salutation gfacefui
woman one would have sworn must
have been child in pinafores when the
great Booth and Barrett last appeared
together. 1t was Minna Gale Haynes
VINO is playing the part Of the society
leader in "A Tailor Made Man at the
Garrick. Taking journalistic advantage,
the question was ventured as to how she
kept looking so young. And her reply
gave food for reflection as well as ad-
vice herewith cheerfully handed over TO
those who are wise enough TO take It,
my method is." said Mrs. Haynes
ito forget all about time and ages. not
TO fret, and TO keep eternally busy.
Life Is big through what we do ana
what we achieve, not through the num-
Der of years that pass over US Keep
cheerful and be kind
Mrs Haynes, In her early days on the
stage. played almost exclusively IN
Shakespearean plays She retired for
some years, during which she devoted
herself to platform reading, She ex-
pressed herself regarding the expert
ence as follows: There Is In Shake
spearean parts a fleXibility absent from
the modern. Perhaps imagination would
be the better word. But find JOY IN
this modern role, for In the modern play
there Is more spirit of cooperation,
which was gravely absent with the IN
dividualistic actors OF the old. days
This individualism is a Joy in Itself in
platform readings, but It should not be
in the acting of a modern play. The
lack of cohesiveness resulting would be
disastrous"
OUCH a wide experience as Ernest
- Lawford. Of the "Why Marry COM
pany had has left him a lot OF vivid
and interesting impressions of famous
people with whom he has worked. AS a
result he is brimful of anecdotes ana
stories, couple of which he released
the other night in his dressing room.
Mr.. Lawford was rehearsing one time
in "a Clyde Fitch play and constantly
Mr.. Fitch kept admonshing the actor
that he did not display the proper feel
ing for the character he was portray
ing. Mr. Lawford replied each time that
he would display the feeling when the
audience was in front of him. At GER
tain point when It was time Tor Mr.
Lawford to speak, Mr.. Fitch arose,
asked the company to wait a minute,
stepped to the rear of the theatre and
into the managers office, returned
quickly and holding aloft a sign. he
said: Now you may go ahead Mr..
Lawford" The sign was one used by
the management in the lobby to inform
the public when the theatre was en-
tirely sold out and read-"HOUSE
FULL"
Mr.. Lawford recalls with relish an
incident which reveals the humor of
vIames NJ. Barrie. A certain pushing
Young actor who had been understudy-
ing a part at the Criterion Theatre in
London for a long time was finally
given an opportunity to play the part.
Early in the day the cheeky actor sent
kilograms to everybody of Importance
telling them the glad tdings of his great
opportunity. The famous novelist and
playwright was the only one of all
those notified who made any reply, and
his reply was: Thanks for the warn
ing"
yIyILLIE COLLIER and Cecil Lean.
wv who is signalizing his return TO
vaudeville by Keith engagement, had
one thing in common at least.
The success achieved by many per-
formers on the American stage. par
ticularly in musical comedy and vaude-
VILE, is often the result OF their own
ability to "fatten" the roles given them
by injecting lines, bits of business and
even up to rewriting the part given
them in the original manuscript. In
some instances authors object to having
PLAYERS change the manuscript, but
there are a few musical comedy stars
who demand that privilege before sign
ing contracts.
Cecil Lean Is one OF these. Mr.. Lean
has rewritten" every part he has. ever
played. He Is known as an "impromptu
Comedian" and rarely sticks to the lines
OF the script" Mr. Lean Is to musical
comedy what William Collier was TO the
straight comedy stage. Mr.. Collier never
played a part the way II was written ;
neither does Mr., Lean, and audiences
gain thereby.
JLyINTER GARDEN shows come and
w Winter Garden show 60 and the
theatregoing public takes them as a
matter of course. giving little thought
to the huge institution where they are
oonceived and produced. Few people who
enjoy these shows realize that the eX-
travaganza they are viewing required
7 Derhaps a year or more OF preparation
before Il was ready for public approval
( The largest of the Winter Garden shows
are the passing Shows" II is only at
the Winter Garden, in New York, where
permanent force OF specialists in all
lines is employed. that this sort of en-
tsrtaInment could be properly put to-
= gather. The making OF a Passing Show
requires many months of preparation
with all departments of the Winter
Garden force lending their aid. The
books and lyrics Of tho Passing Show
are provided by Harold Atteridge. who
has been connected with the Winter
Garden in this capacity since 1t was
opened in 1911. Sigmund Romberg has
composed most OF the music for the
Passing Shows" for the last six years
Various prominent composers collabor-
ate with Mr.. Romberg. For the "191s
edition" Jean Schwartz has furnished
several numbers All the Winter Gar
den shows are staged by ]. c. Huffman
and the dancing numbers and baletf
are arranged by Jack Mason. The
scenic department includes scores oi
artists-every bit of scenery for thes,
= shows being finished In the Winter Gar,
den studio. There are three attractions