Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-03-06
THE PLAYCOER'S
WEEKLY TALK
Dissertations on Plays and
Photoplays Of Interest to
Philadeiphidns

rTvlIE Playgoer learns that George NJ.
! Cohan has made up his mind to re-
write the first act Of "Thc Irresistible
Genius" aud now in plain vernacular
there isn't anything that will prevent it
from brcc2ing into popularity. 1t will
be interesting to philadelphians who
don't know the miracle manner IN
which George NJ. turns out successes to
visit the Broad the middle of next week
and note the changes effected. Thus far
Mr.. Cohau has merely spent his time
In removing dcadwood, so called, from
tho piece and Tightening the action. In
plays which he salvagcS Mr.. Cohan ad-
heres closely TO the inspiration and sub
stance of the playwrights, his partici-
patton being confined to utilizing his
valuable sense Of the theatre and his
wide and varied stage experience. The
play, as rctouched by Mr.. Cohan, will
lose nothing Of the basic idea or the
clcverly entertaining development Of the
co-authors. John Il. Mcintyre aud
Francis Hill.
A full realization of what Mr.. Cohan
has really done by making star
overnight, of Georges Renay,ent is
gradually being reached. And it may
be stated that the theatrical world in
general was startled with the announce
ment since little or nothing Mt all was
known about RcnavCnt, save for his
connection with Mrs. Fiske's COM
pany. In "Mis' Nelly of N'Orleans'
Renavcnt gained favorable attention.
but as for holding stardom magnitude
well, it wasn't even thought of. -.
Renavcnt promises TO be unusually
popular with the youth of the theatre.
This further convinces the outsider that
George NJ. was inspired to make his
10 Cd Rppnpont haannan hn
found him out to be (using Cohan s
typical cxpressiou) "a regular fellow"
Twenty six years old himself, Rena-
vent is bound to grow up with the
youthful generation Of contemporary
theatregocrs.
TIES a blond with the frankest eyes
IL that arc either very merry or very,
very serious. He's James Dyrenforth,
the handsome young hero of Take 1t
From Me" And he has his own ideas
on publicity. He scOrns the time
honored ballyhoo.
"It's all so palpably untrue" he
told the Playgocr. "Tf you have any
thing good to offer folks. what's the
sense of plastering it over with bluff
LNRED HEIDER, who so drolly
l. plays the clerk in Listen Lester"
divulges some interesting rules of con-
duct for stage struck youths and also
those who have struck the stage:
Don't take chances changing the
authors lines ad lib. unless you're sure
you've got a funnier one to pull.
Don't take too many chances with
an audience that likes you. Give them
your best all the time. Audiences are
people.
on your part. There are couple of
million other actors could play it as
well as you do-don't let them prove
it."
~ NJ. ANDERSON. producer Of
VI. "Frivolitics Of 1920" the revue
which is scampCrng about the Chest
nut Street Opera House. is encouraging
the emigration of entire families to the
musical stage. in the preliminary re-
hearsals of his extravaganza no less
than five sets of sisters we're striving to
uphold the honor of the family and il
Illuminate "Frivolities'' at one and the
same time. There now remain but
-four pairs. the Sisters Kouns, lyric so
pranos, whose singing is the melodic
feature; the Barr twins. whose dis
tinctive dancing is one of the highlights
n DulT VI NOlIuIlCe' NhV 'OhIi lput'
considerably TO the luminosity of the
front line. and Josie McRae and Alice
Winters. sisters who choose to operate
under dissimilar captions.
Tn THE course of the action of
"Seven Days Leave now having
"A run at the Walnut. Il number of SOL
diers and sailors appear. and because
of its patriotic character it has been the
policy of the government 10 permit
regulars to participate in the perform
ance throughout the country. During
a "Sevcn Days Leave" engagement
here n detail from League Island ap-
pcarcd at every performance, and.
needless TO say, they were chccred at
every appearance.
IEIILLIAM HODGE. whose Guest
w of Honor has not yet been seen
in New York. doubts the value of a
long Broadway engagement as an in
dcation Of plays strength outside of
the metropolis,
"A peculiar phase, Of conditions on
the American stage today said Mr..
Hodge the other night. lis that the four
big cities of the country have each their
individual taste with respect to plays.
More and more as ] study the records of
runs OF successful plays in New York,
Philadelphia, Chicago and Boston | am
convinced that the sO-called broadway
run means nothing whatsoever to the
other big cities.