The New York herald., 1922-11-05

| to his course.
Days fortunes were declining. The
whole complexion of the theater was
changing. The stock company with its
| corps of favorites appearing and reappear-
ing season after season in a list of plays
which, however attractive. bore strong
| family resemblance to one another. was
losing favor. Special companies, featured
players elaborate productions and the new
blood of authorship were in demand. On
the ground to meet this demand was 2
resourceful, far-seeing, Imaginative little
man, Charles Frohman. He saw in John
Drew popular favorite in New York and
realized that he could place him in set
tins that would make his name a trade
mark wherever comedy had an appeal and
theaters had draught The supporting
companies should be the best procurable--
the productions beyond reproach-the
plays selected from whatever source
brought the most deserved vehicle, and the
attraction should always be JOHN DREW
Here then opportunity cried aloud. 1t was
inevitable. Thus success continued to
guide the Drew fortunes through the years
of Frohman management
The memoirs amble along in an i'm
pressionistic way-hit ing the high places
One always feels the authors keen in
terest in the people and conditions about
him and his easy humorous view of the
theater and its associations In the earlier
chapters he is especially humorous i'm his
view of himself He spends no time in the
analysis of his art, of the characters he
played or of the plays in which he ap-
peared- Had he done so the result would
nave been much more voluminous than
the pleasant narrative of 23S pages. To
the theatergoers of the Daily days and the
later Frohman regime the volume will
bring recollections of plays and PLAYERS
popular in their day It brings back 10
me an echo of ouoyant spirits and keen
sense of humor Of Ada Rehan. the dry
chuckle and the cantankerous "Hehi" of
James Lewis, the assumed dignity of Mrs.
Gilbert, which covered the sweetest nature
in the world, the old school majesty OF
Charles Fisher. the odd theatricalism of
Charles LIE Clerq. the beauty and grace of
Virginia Dreher and the mischief and
jollity of May Irwin.
He speaks briefly of the London engage
ments of the DAILY company The first was
in 1884, when little band of us appeared
under the joint management of William
ferris and Augustin Daily at a decrepit
and foul box of a theater. Toole's in
Chandos street. We were all frightened
and quaking over our appearance before a
London public. We had heard stories Of
the rowdyism of the pit and felt that we
were in for massacre.
No great calamity befen us however
The comedy of "7-20-S," which had been
a favorite in America, was received with
liberation. seven weeks engagement.
with the repertory extended, was played
to a discriminating few of the London
public and Daily left reputation behind
that led to a success in 1886 with "A
Night OFF, at the Strand Theater and the
never to be forgotten revival of "The Tam
ing of the Shrew" at the Gaietv Theater
in 1888.
Flashes OF noted men and women appear
through the pages of the book like figures
on moving picture screen: Forrest. Booth,
Wallack,, Generals Grant and Sherman.
Wendell Phillips and Charles Dickens
Brigham Young, Adelaide Nelson, Fanny
Davenport, Maurice barrymore. Joseph
jefferson, William Warren and. in the Lon
don chapters, Irving, Terry, Bancroft
Continued on FoHOi0inO Page.