Omaha Daily Bee Newspaper, January 23, 1910, Page 20

THE OMAHA BSUNDAY BEE: ir Charles Wyndham’s First Visit BW YORK, Jan 16.-8ir Charles Wyndham, who opens his short New York season with his last Vear's ess, “The Mollusc, with Miss Mary Moore as lead- ing lady, tells among other in- cidents of his New York visits, which ex- tend over a period of thirty odd years, of a “veteran” dinner he gave in this city to three former comrades. One of these men was a journalist, whose acquaintance with Sir Charles began long before he ever dreamed of haying & handle to his nams; another was o fellow member of the pro- fession, who appeared with him many times in the '60s on the American stdge, and the third was a companion in arms when the clvil war engaged his attention to the ex- cluston of histrionio affairs. The soldier friend brought as a souvenir to the dinner a copy of an old photograph of Charles Wyndham, showing him as a young man, with shoulder straps and “dundrear: Today, in spite of his 70 years, Sir Charles still has a distinctly military bearing. He s above six feet In height, straight and slim as a sapling and his complexion is ruddy. He no longer wears whiskers or moustache and his clear cut features are topped with lron gray halr. In manner he s cordial and yet a little reserved. Many of his American ad- ers have forgotten the fact that he came here first to enter the northern army in the elvil war and served as surgeon. “Every man,” says Sir Charles, “has two reasons for every impprtant action that he performs. Oftentimes he decelves himself in the beginning by assuming that there is only one driving force, but later on, after the deed has been accomplished and he sits down and thinks things over calmly, he admits that the second, the hidden reason is perhaps the true one. “As & yr:{n( man 1 believed myself to be the champion of a great cause. Aboll- tion was the banner cry which, T asserted, brought me across seas and landed me on the field of battle. Today I realize that, irritated by the opposition shown my pre- dilections for the stage, I came here be- leving that I would find it easler to see an opening in the dramatie profession and that T eould follow the calling without the social and parental opposition that I hud to struggle agalnst in my native country. Going on the stage was synonymous with 8OINg to the dogs then in the eyes of ihe majority of people. “My father, when he discovered my bent, calmly informed me that he would much rather that I elected to become u tailor, and it was due to his stoady, unwavering disspproval that 1 submitted to the extent of finishing my medical course and taking a diploma, 80 that when the dreadful some- ing happened which he constantly fore- told I would have a real profession to fall back upon. That the something did not happen {s merely a matter of blography, and naturally success has its emoluments, among the rest the change in view of one's former opposers. “In those early days I played many times with Wilkes Booth and other well known actors of the thne. T had also a strong friendship and a stage companionship with J. 8. Clarke, brother-in-law of Booth, who after that went to England, made a great success there and took up a permanent abode on the other.side. One of the early plays I Gppeared in wad ‘Saratoga,’ and T had a long repertoire of other popular and unpopdlar m& A reference {8~“The Lily” leads to a Wuestlon concerning the Americanization of important plays, and Sir Charles, after & moment's hesitatiom. puts himself on record as against any radical change from the playwright's Intention. “It Is not loyal to him and to the art whose dlsciple he is” he says. ‘He ls dealing with a subject and he should he allowed to remain falthful to his principles. If the subject is important enough (o recelve dramati¢ interpretation it is surely mportant enough to be allowed to travel to its logical or artistic goal, for the two words are synonymous. It seems to me that it is much wiser to cut out any play entirely than to change its original intent. #Naturally I do not mean to imply that & play should be allowed to stand always as it is received from the playwright, for oftentimes he is unable himself to follow his subject logically, and & good play Is oftentimes spoiled for the lack of weeding and changing, which comes within the province of those to whom the work fs sub- mitted, T am speaking of course of plays that are artistically correct and are so received In one country, say France, for example, and are brought to America—I WBR0S, HERPICID think we do 1t less in Bngland —and ohanged to suit the m: jcal morality of a possible - theater- golng people, Truth Is so great that it canmot be killed, even by & fourth met. “When Mr. Davis brought me the man- uscript of ‘The Mol lusc,’ which has had really & phenomenal success in London as well as here, I wa captivated by the fdes, but thought It altogether too novel and too good to be fampered by a lot of extraneous matter and the Insertion iIn the cast of several characters who, amus- ing as thelr’ parts were, did not seem L0 have any vital nection with the fun damental idea, so af ter several d! . slons everything but the work of the small cast who now appear was cut out—really w delicate operation 1o perform. There was a question then whether the motive of the play bi enough to stand suck a limited number of players for the great number of theate goers who want the! money's worth and to whom quantity and quality are synony mous, “Do I think thers are many ‘Mollusces’ in real lite? I ce tainly hope so. You remember whgre Miss Moaore savs that A Molluse must be a very pleasant person to have In & hold.” I consider her as a charming tity; she s In sense an object ridicule, but an object of admiration. “By never doing any- thing for herself she keeps other people up o a keen sense of” their own responsibilities. She is a very congistent character, falthful throughout to a very human policy, or himan eccen- tricity, If you prefer. We should not let the race die out, but preserve it carefully. “To refer again to the subject of chang- ing plays; mot very long ago a playwright brought me one of his productions and I suggested to him that he rewrite the last act; it did not seem to me to. have that logical ending that the strength of his theme demanded. He refused and the play was brought out as it was. We are not as demonstrative in London as you are here, but on that occasion, to my amage- ment, three curtain calls were given after the first act, flve after the second, eight after the third, and the fourth was greeted with & large, unmistakable ‘Boo’ and the plece was killed. I have never had a simi- lar experience, for it has many times hap- pened that three good acts would carry a weak first or fourth. “But the life of the actor manager Is one of surprises, and after a bit he is sim- ply surprised if he is not surprised, that is all, “In England the next step after playing cork was no ot ~as a star is to become an actor manager, the natural evolution with us, but it does not necessarily follow here, I understand. Personally, I think this does away with the weakness of the star system, where too often everything is sacrificed to his popularity, and though we actor managers are often flerpely criticised for not sur- rounding ourselves with competent sup- port the contrary s the case, for it s cer- tainly to our own best interest to get just a8 neay perfection as we can. I judge that your own managers are more and more working along the same lines and that the star system abuses have practically coaged. “No one except those of the profession knows the struggle, the continual struggle, to cast a play propery, an effort that starts with hope and optiuism and ends usually in t acceptance of anybudy who ecan read the lines of the sinailer parts. Even with the principal roles, how often do you Imag wrights ang are satisfled with the people they are forced to sclect? Not often, 1 as- sure you, Sometimes 1 have been sick at heart at the compromises we have to make. “I notice ome differ- ence in the applicants we have to choose from in England and those the managers here have at their disposal, I think you have more feminine talent and we more mas- culine, 1 don't.know why this is, except, pérhaps. there are not With us 80 many ambitious young women with tal- ent, or freed from parental restraint, which still questions the stage life, as you have. “But it is quite easy to see that the American youth of-education and breed- ing does not see quick enough returns in the dramatic profession and prefers com- mercial Mfe, while our country, less fer- tile fn opportunity of tffs kind, turns out every year from colleges and universities & class of young gentiemen who are only t00 glad to adopt the stage life, and I think our drama profits by this and yours, too, for many, I might say the majority, of ‘eur actors age Englishmen.” Referring to the short season Bir Charles is facing now, he says: “Since I was here last 1 have only played in one charitable production. I only want Wrvuaa \ Its Use Becomes a Habit Easily Acquired and One of the Best The young are as liable to dandruff as their elders. Acciistom vour child to the use of Newbro's Herpicide and you will never have u bald headed son nor a daughter wearing false hair. Herpicide will keep the hair and scalp sweet and clean, kills the dandruff germ and stops that terrible itching which causes the child to scratch and dig at the head. of cleanliness. The Herpicide habit is a habit A THICK ORUST OF DANDRUFF NOTHING WOULD REMOV! “I used one bottle of head and am charmed with the result. Herpicide on my daughter’'s She always had a thick crust of dandruff which nothing would remove. I shampooed the head once a week with your soan and rubbed her scalp and hair with the Herpicide. has disappeared and what be destroyed by another' vhe crust littlesdandruff remains will bottle. I take pleasure In recommending Newbro's Herpicide to my friends as a great scalp remedy and halir grower. Herpicide.” Charleston, June 3, 190 I will atways use Mrs. Frank T. Morgan, 162 Broad St. The youug readily form habits and the Herpicide’ habit 1s a most commendable one. It stands for. personal cleanliness and as- sures a healthy, luxuriant growth of hair at the age when beautiful bair/is most appreciated. Don’t take sometbing just as good. Pemand' THE ORIGINAL REMEDY, For Sale at all Drug Stores. One Dollar Bottles Guaranteed. Applications at the Best Barbe: Shops. Kills the Dandruff Germ. ~Stops Falling Hair. SEND FOR SAMPLE AND BOOK Sendy10c postage for sample and book to The Herpicide Company, Department 1., Detroit, Mich. SHERMAN & McCONNELL DRUG CO., 16th and Dodge Streets OWL DRUG €0, 16th and Harney Streets Special Agents. JANUARY 23, 1910. to America and His Present Tour" the most important factor on the stage. Take it from either and you have left but the moulless corpse. It ia_ the love fn- terest that engaged the sympathies of the audienece and you cannot {gnore that help. You have a great way over here, when machinery fe still rew, of discarding It because something newer and better comes on the market. That s what makes the life of your trade. That is what makes a more progressive nation than we, who are still clingimg to our old machin- ery and will cling to It even when It wears out. But there is no new fashion in the machinery of love, which is the motor of life. You can't l‘v\l(‘blt by anything you else. You cannot discard #fwnd the stage which s but an epitomizc® picture of life cannot ignore it either.' Sir Charles was caliled as one of witnesses in the censorship Inquiry summer th London, He says: My absence from England prevented my appearance, but I was very much In- Jorested. The outcome of the inquiry hits - pleased me, because I belleve that the cen- sorship by Mr. Radford does more good than harm. It is certalnly much better than the censorship of the police, which ¥ou have here, is it not? “This particular play by Mr. Shaw which started the disturbance had, as I under- stand, certain irreligious expressions that could easily have been left out without in any way hurting the play, and it seems to me that is o much simpler & course to take than to offend susceptibilities, But ~Mr. Shaw is a very pecullar person )i, the Stage soclety, which produces ted plays? You have been You should go. I w and repeat the experience, because dunlicate the thrill I re- the last never once A never play nplace, but Freaks? 1s use ? Yes, that ex- cisive. The men had long hair, and the ipposedly a step beyond the mod- attired in and effects out when the down.” not the that bad, women the were “0 merely comi and the mien! word me you nere ms ern that 1 wave were had supposed of astheticism ~ir Charles has for years tried to sup- of “booing,” by which express disapproval of gowns went aled s the system I audiences plays. It is brutal and cruel in the extreme. You should be thankful that you have nothing of the kind here,” he says. “In ny own theater it is practically elimimgted, cut it has taken years.and strength and money even what 1 have new to accomplish done I had one frightful expepience that I alsolutely shudder to recollect, a panio croulng due to the contest between two factions in the pit, and an actual riot took placi When was restored I came before the curtain and -aefUred my au- dience that if it took every dollar I owned in the Id such a_scene should never be witnessed there again, and it never has beew. i - “Briefly told, T discovered that there ex- isted an organization which had for its object the killing off of any play that happened to meet with its disapproval, for any reagon whatsoever. It was an organi- zation of no mean size and attainments, and when 1 tiifeatened one of the mem- bers, a young man of good family and education, with exposure and a police court appearance, he calmly told mé that I should let him go, for while it was true that the society had created the riot on the night In question and practically killed the play, it was due to them that certain other plays had sucgeeded. I remarked casually that I had no doubt the playwright and actors would be glad to know why they were successful, but I hardly thought his conclusion warranted their high handed ao- tion in other matters, “The organization was finally broken up, but in order to accomplish it it was neces- sary to have policemen in plain clothes in the pit and other precautions taken. Don't ever let the ‘booing' custom get & «heater and after a disappointed been given hore somelhing new We are England In 18% I gave the first ‘David Garrick,’ and last year I played it \0 the largest audlence I have ever had ‘David' has been put to bed now after a Jong and trimphant day. I think he should have a nice, long rest. ‘Faithful Davia.' * Although reserving the:n sald ‘Oh, but that play's before,) 1 want to see You can recall my order.’ faithful to old favorites in in to tone quiet more wo production of Sir Charles has been asso- ciated of late with the drawing room drama, he says In answer W a question as to the possible success of great com- mercial and political probléms in the form of plays: “The greater the subject, the greater ance it has to engage the attention of an audince. I am sure plays dealing with themes like that in ‘The Fourth Estate,’ for example, will always interest. If they 1 it is not on account of the theme, but on account of the construction of thée play. I do not see that there Is gny sub- ject which deals with the feelings and - ‘ actions of human beings that, if artistically ; treated, is not available for this purpose. now 1o keep my Interest alive by 00~ “I realize that a-revival ls a rather “But I think there is only one subject casional returns. I think I have earned hazardous thing to attempt in America; in lacking which theer could be no perma- tho right to rest and I am going to enjoy fact, I know of .a case where a woman nent success. I refer to love. That is the life. telephoned for tickets to & fashionable most important factor in life and it is THE HOT SPRINGS OF ARKANSAS More than a mountain resort, more than a fashionable playground—these wonderful springs, with their mysterious health-giving waters, have become world-famous as Nature’s Greatest Sanitarium set apnrf by the United States government for the benefit of humanity. 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