The New York herald., 1921-01-23
Did You Hear )?
That Young Actress May Play Drinkwaters Heroine
That Duchesses Direct London Plays, and That
the Poor Paywrights Are All but Hungry?

and hurry Off to lunch, while another
would regret she had TO be off some
where else. But there never was time
when we had not one or more OF the
volunteer stage managers with us. Most
of them had titles.
Things went from bad to worse
Three days before the performance the
star did not know a word Of the last act
There had been little or no preparation
for Il. 1 urged the actress TO postpone
the production since it was obviously i'm
possible to have the play ready for the
first night. But she would not listen to
the suggestion. Postpone it, she said
in horror. why the Duchess Of Oxtail
and Lady Mary Beeswax and the Prn-
cess Pollywog have taken stalls and
boxes for the first night. Indeed all my
friends are giving dinners and bringing
their parties here. 1 could not think OF
putting them out like that
80 the first night came. Somehow.
some way, the play actually did get to
its end. There was a great deal of
applause and I was assured that the
first night was brilliant. That may all
have been true. but know the version
OF my play that was acted was not brill
liant by any means"
Taking the Dip Harder.
The day in which the somewhat aged
star or the fading soubrette of renown
was accustomedt to take what was called
"she dip into vaudeville" is evidently a
thing Of the past. Well known actors
and actresses who find that they are lag
ging superfluous on the stage do not
find the vaudeville agents in the least
anxious TO snap them up Indeed. 1t has
been some time since any well known
actor has made his first appearance as
a vaudeville head liner" "The last one
to do IT," said an agent In the lobby of
the Palace yesterday played a sketch
for p week, down on Staten Island in a
Brooklyn house and finally at one of the
big New York vaudeville theatres.
"TIe was a real celebrity since he had
been an established star for years. But
the audience did not care much about
him His sketch was good enough, but
there was scarcely an act on the pro-
gramme that did not go better so far as
the applause of the public was a test.
Consequently he got an offer which al
lowed him so little after his company
was paid that he dropped out of vaude-
vile after three weeks.
Lots of vaudeville acts by people
known only in that business go over
much better than anything the best
known star can 90. NauueNllle auul-
encos know what they want. There are
half a dozen we'll known stars just now
anxious to be booked for season. but
there is not the least enthusiasm on the
part Of the agents. And some of them
have one act plays by very well Known
authors"
what VIZ the Poor chaps 90.
Pity TIE sorrows Of the poor dra-
matist. His troubles increase every day.
When the theatre goes right on slump
irg and slumplng the films just must
shut up shop. the income tax won't come
down at all and the Equity won't stay
put, how can the poor playwright man
age 20 struggle AGAINST the h. J.?
Take Avery Hopwood for example He
ls a typical case OF the misfortunes that
may overcome the man who sets out 90
make living by such a precarous
means as pleasing the public
Last week. for instance. his royalties
were reckoned at a mere $4,000. This.
comprised the amount turned in by The
Gold Diggers." at the Lyceum. which
David Belasco intends 10 present until
July: "The Bat" at the Morosco. IN