M A i
1 k M1
ei jrv i
3
Business at the seven local theatres
last week was what might be termed
uhirormly good Neither Sag Har
bor with Sir James A Heme In the
chief role nor Mr E S Willard the
English actor In a repertoire of his fa
miliar plavs drew he audiences that
the excellence of the performances mer
ited This state of affairs however did
not exist at the Aca iemy of Music where
Rose Melville displayed her character
creation of Sis Hopkins nor at the
Xafajette where the stock company put
on a very satisfactory production of
Camille Manager Chase had a trav
eling company the Orpheum Show as
his magnet and as a rule good sized
gatherings attended the performances
The burlesque houses did exceptionally
-well with the Lyceum in the an with
the Vanity Fair organization while
The lrench Beauties at the Bijou
played to a series of moderately -tilled
houses
This week will see the Capitals visit
ors enjoying the delights of the lighter
form of stage entertainment The Na
tional will present the Alice Ntlsen
Comic Opera Company in The Singing
Girl duilng the variv part of the week
and lhe fortune Teller on the last
three nights of the engagement At the
Columbia the Rogers Brothers heading
the Klaw Erlanger Comedy Com
pany will be seen in their really reat
tlnanclal and laughiig success The
Rogers Brothers In Central Park The
Chase stage will be occupied by an oc
tftte of vaudeville acts prominent among
the number being Etienne Girardot as
Eitcd by four players in a new 3ketch
The Lafayette will show the abilities of
Mr Beilew s actors In the Gillette war
play Held by the Enemy while the
Academys patrons will be offered On
the iuvvanee River a pastoral comedy
drama that comes to Washington with
tin nx of a large number of
Important theatrical centres The City
Club will be at the Ljceum and the
llljou will put forward W B Watsons
American Burlcsqucrs
This evening there will be several thea
tres open for the entertainment of in
augural visitors Chases wjjl hive the
Marine Band Delia Fox Angela Norton
Sydney- Grant and the American bio
graph The Academy will present an at
tractive vaudeville and musical pro
gramme while at the National Miss
Anita Trueman will deliver a philosophi
cal lecture The Bijou will cater to those
who crave burlesque and vaudeville as
customarily showed in their familiar
form at this house
The Columbia The linger Brother
The Klaw Erlanger Comedy Company
with the Rogers Bros will be the en
tertaining factor at the Columbia Theatre
beginning tomorrow night They will
spread before their admirers here for the
first time their latest success The Rogers
Brothers In Central Park This plan of
gajty was drawn them by John J
McNally who fathered the previous works
In which they achieved success
The story of the piece begins at a matri
monial agencs turns Into Central Park
and ends on the root of the
Hotel The Germans go to the agen
cy for wives The sharper who runs the
matrimonial bureau hands them the right
to a trackless piece of land In a far corner
of the West Instead of the connubial part
ners They think the are the owners of
the real Central Park In New York and
irocced to celebrate at the Casino there
y inviting all of the customers of the bo
gus matrimonial agency Intermixed with
this ruffled current of experience for the j
Germans Is a spicy story of a w orlJlj man
who starts a flirtation by way of the 1
matrimonial agenft a Jealous wife and
a husband hunting aunt In the outdoor
scenes of Central Park there are man
attractive specialties and the curtain of
the act descends upon a spectacular dame
called a Dark Town Barbecue When
Reuben Comes to Town is another par
ticularly fetching number of the same
pattern as The Innocent Maid so fa
mous successful last season It is sung
by the Rogers Brothers and the Misses
Bageard and St Clair The last act on the
roof of the Waldorf Astoria at night Is a
brilliant scene In vv hich the rich co oring
of the costumes worn b the chorus har
monize with the -rich color scheme of the
surroundings This chorus by the wa is
not only big In number but Is refreshlnnlj
good to look upon because of outh and
good looks
All the music for the show was either
written or arranged b Maurice Levi the
musical director of the compan Klaw
Erlanger have given The Rogers
Brothers In Central Park a beautiful
production and chosen for their aid In
providing lively fun some clever perform
rs among whom are Isadore Rush Grace
Freeman Louise Royce Jcannette Ba
geard Edith St Clair Emma Francis
Will West Lee Harrison Johnn Page
and Arthur Gibson The Rogers Brothers
come to Washington fresh from the great
est success In their career at the Victoria
Theatre New York and four weeks at
the Illinois Theatre Chicago which
caused the greatest business returna In the
history of both houses
Ilic Nntlonnl tiler Mrbpu
Alice Nielsen Is now the representative
woman star of comic opera In this coun
try the is young pretty vivacious a
very capable actress a good singer
liard worker anJ a favorite with Wash
ington audiences The company which she
heads It Is safe to say Is the must com
plete and best equipped comic opera or
ganization now on tour It Includes Eu
gene Cow lea the favorite basso Richie
Ling a particularly agreeable comic op
era tenor Viola Gillette a promising
contralto and Joseph Herbert Jo eph
Cawthorn and John falavin all comedians
of the flrnt class Everything tiiat with
the aid of plenty of money managerial
experience knowledge and liberality can
do toward securing perfection In orches
tra chorus scenery costumes and cast
has always been done with Misb Nielsen s
organization
In the two past seasons Miss Nielsen
has two operas The btnginz
Girl and The r orlune Teller loth be
ing the composition of Victor Herbert
and both having achieved remarkable suc
cess throughout the country This yi ar
Miss Nielsen hag not found It necessary
to make a new production and lur reper
toire this week vrcn sin appears ut the
National Theatre will include these two
operas The Singing Girl will bi given
on Monday Tuesda and Wednesday
evenings and The Fortune Teller will
occupy the last three nights of the week
and the matinee performance on Saturday
afternoon
A large part of Miss Nielsens undoubt
ed success may be attributed to the strong
cast uy wnicn sue Has always been sup
ported She does not monopolize the hon
ors preferring to have clever capable
singers In the subordinate roles to the
average stars plan of emphasizing his or
her own superiority by a contrast with
a mediocre or incapable support In order
that a proper Interprttalion of Victor
Herberts orchestrations ma be given
Miss Nielsen carries a special orchestra
of twelve musicians under the expert
leadership of Herr Richard Eckold the
w ill known conductor this added to the
local orchestra will make an Imposing
bind of twenty musicians
Following lur aldington engagement
Miss Nielsen wil go to Philadelphi i
where she will end her merlcan tour on
the 16th Inst On March 20 she and her
entire companv vill s ul for England
where The Fortune Teller will be pro
duced at the Shartcsburv Theatre Lon
don on Mondaj April S
Cluion lolllr mult v lllf
The widely varyirg tastes In the wav
of amusement of the strangers In the
citv iniuguratlon week hive hi en cere
fully considered by Manager Chise In
the prc nration of the programme of
features which he announces for the
forthcoming seven ilijs commencing at
tomorrov s matinee It is for the most
part a comedy bill relieved by gool
music and containing a nui jcr of act3
that are new while at the same time
presenting several that hive been s ei
here before and are secure In public
favor
First to claim attention will be Et enne
Girardot and company in the sketch A
Game of Cards in whch Mr Gir irdot
has a part that calls forth all his recog
nized noiiitv as a ngnt comedian it is
not forgotten that he was the first to pi iy
tl e name part In Charlev s Aunt and
the success achieved by him lias never
been exceeded by any that have come
after him In that role Earl this sea
son he had a conspicuous part in Mam
sellc Aw kins A Western aggngation
Welch Trancis and company will Intro
duce themselves for the first time In a
breezj sketch that Is said to le wholly
different from the corned In which Mr
Glrardoi appears Lotta Gladstone the
quaint country girl will present her
Interesting but awkward heroine as she
appeared at a husking bee The week
will also mark the reapiearance of Miss
Louise Gunningwho has Lecom a favor
ite at Chases and has alvays clicted
art deserved the warmest commendation
for her genuinely artistic anJ rrelodlous
rendition of the more familiar Hlgldanl
ballads I a Petite Mignon win Is by
some considered u revelation of juvenile
genius is a mimic Is another newcomer
and it Is calculated she will give a divert
ing and agreeable n In Eans and
W hitc the black face Iaiclng comedians
will rav an important port in making
evcrvbiv laugh 1v com luelirg leature
will be the American tlograph motion
picture marhine which hes bcn absent
from the bills for a long time and which
will be hailed with pleasure by the many
who were interested by the perfect views
and varied scenes it exhibited last sea
yon It will continue on the programme
from week to week so long as the public
desire It-
The Lafayette Jlelil bj the Kiiem
Held by the Enemy Gillette s great
war drama Ir Svcacts vill be the offer
ing of the Lafay ette Theatre Stock Com
pany for this week Interest is added to
the production from the fact thatwhile
It Is one of the best of Gillettes plays it
has not been soen In Washington for a
number of seasons Its revival during the
week when Washington will be crowded
with military organizations of every sort
shows excellent Judgment on the part of
the Lafayettes management and is likely
to be rewarded by generous patronage
One of the most charming features of
Held by the Enemy Is the fact that
while It Is a war play and the whole at
mosphere of the piece Is heavy with the
scent of battle and Impending strife there
Is no attempt at stage fighting scenes
such as have been produced In many
dramas and which usually fall short of
the effect they are Irterded to produce
Gillette with masterly craft has given
by suggestion many of the incidents that
It would be impossible to produce In full
sight of th audience The clattering ride
of the despatch bearer the trooping past
of the bitlcry with Its rumble of wheels
and clank of trace chains and a dozen
other illusions are all wonderfully realis
tic and will be reproduced with great
fldf Uty In the present revival of the play
The cast will include all the regular
members of the company Miss TIaswell
as Susan McCreery Mr Ormonde as
Col Charles Prescott USA Join T
Sullivan as Lieut Gordon Hayne the
young Confederate officer Charles Wyn
gate as Tom Bean the war corn spond
ent and Robert Rogers as old Incle
Rufus the negro servant
The Academy Tin- Suvvnnce River
Stephen C Fosters old song The
Old rollcs at Home or ns It Is more
familiarly known Way Down Upon the
Suvvanee River Is the source from
which William E Sterling has drawn the
theme and title for the new comfdy
drama On the Suwanee River which
comes tt the Academy of Music tomor
row for an engagement of one week
The play Is said to have a healthy moral
and to have been treatfl In an Intelligent
manner It tolls the old familiar tale of
mortgaged estates love Intrigue and the
linal downfall of villainy but old
story is told in new language and new
situations Many pathetic and thrilling
scenes are said to occur In the four acts
of the play one of the most dramvtlc of
which is the scene where the blind girl
Is alout to cross a rustic bridge t panning
a deep ravine A iiortlon of the bridge
has been removed to make a death trap
Tor her As she approaches the opening
the old refrain of On the Suwanee
River comes floating through the air
from a band of plantation singers in the
rtlstanee Ihe girls progress is arrjsted
on the very brink of th chasm She
stops listens for a moment and turn
slowly sUrts In the direction from which
the singing comes Ihe blind confid ice
of th girl on the bridge the pathetic
side of tiie situation and her eventual
safitv make anew and thrilling cllmvx
Elaborate scenic tail has been i ro
vlded and a company headed by Stell i
May hew as Aunt Lindy Is promised
Others In the cast are Misa Willie
Francis Kate Weston Cherry I w A
Warnfr Fred Truesdill Allan H Bailey
Earl Atkinson llarrl on htedman
the Clover Leaf Quartette The usual
TuesJuv Thursdav and Saturday matl
lucs vill given and the popular Acad
emy prices will prevail
The llljou VVrlMinn tnicrli niiH
A hat promises to be the seasons lead
ing attraction at Jho BIJoj Theatre
Watsons American Beauties will hold
the boirds thlj week beginning with the
matinee tomorrow
This organisation of burlesqucrs Is
headed by the popular comc dlan Billy
Watson and the French chansonette
Janctte Depre and Includes a most be
lccl coti rle of vaudeville and
performers 111- Americans have
ihrnitflimd ll ttn Vi aAiin
with more than the usual amount of sac-
oss accorded to traveling burlesque ag
gregitlons and this Is I o doubt due lo the
e cccllcreo of th performance which
thi v prrcnt Prominent among the
xauilcvilllans miy be mentonul Miss
llllilred Murray a clever eonndlenne
Janctte Dupre and Anuli Yale pr se nting
an entertaining act Lassard Brothers
clever acrobats Mr George Diamond the
baritone Mngcr with Illustrate 1 so gs
Spencer Brothers In a novel blatk faeei
act Arlington and Anpcl ski ten artists
Two burlesques will In given both sail to
be njlcte ulti enjoj able cormJ Mr
Wattson v ill -day the lea lng comely
parts in both the onenlng mid closing
burlesques ilicie will be a midnight
performance Monday evening
Kcrnnnx The CIj Club
levers or burlesque either at home or
among the Inaugural visitors will be will
pleased with Mlacos City Club which
constitutes the attraction at lCernans this
week and which will give three perform
ances dally matinee evening and mid
night during the presence of visitors
commencing tomorrow matinee
The curtain raiser Satan s Will de
picts tin garden of Eden Into which a
newspaper reporter strays In searci of
Adam nnJ Eve but dlscovcriig their
daughter straightway falls In love with
The story
charming and
THE TIMES WASHINGTON HlNDAY M UCTl i isioi
her The piece calls for much scenic dis
play and mini costumes which while
not orthodox are described as pleasing
Tile burlesque Tin bultnn of Bulleho
ho In which the adventures of an Amer
ican and a German lend to man amusing
complications is salel to be resplindent
with the richness of the Orient and In
troduces many novelties that vie with
some of the most ambitious of spectac
ul ir productions Quite in entertaining
feature will bo the Female Boxers whose
Impersonations of champions lend addi
tional Interest to their act The olio Is
made up of artists Including Ed X Rav
Blxley and Flossie JIughes In a comedv
ct Dolpu anel Susie Lev lno music il art
ists Charlnnil and Lfi Pearl soubrettes
Cole and De iose slack wire artists and
Whitman and Davis and Theo Miss
Taniiy Everett makes a graceful Mephis
tophelcs In the llrst part and Ins i prom
inent iole in the concluding burletta
C IinseH Concert Tonight
At Chases New Grand tonight a splen
dd muscal programme will bo given
Manpgi Chase announces that It will be
as polite and artistic ns any given here
on Sunday niqhts diiring the winter A
most conspicuous feature because of her
enreer as a comic opera prima donna Is
Delia Fox v ho will positively be heard
The Fritcd States M lrlno Band will ren
der a number of popular and classic com
positions to please the cosmopolitan au
dience expected Mr Svdney Grant and
Miss Angela Norton nnd the American
Biograph motion picture machine pre
senting Its beautiful lifelike views of re
cent International pisodes and the men
that played distinguished parts In them
will conclude the programme
Anita TriieiiianN Lecture Tonight
At the National Theatre tonight an ex
cellent literary and oratorical treat Is
promised by Anita Trueman described as
the wonderful nlneteen y ear old girl phi
losopher In her lecture entitled The
Modern Standard of Greatness The
press representative of Miss Trueman
says She has built up a philosophy of
her own which has been spoken of as
equal to Plato s She has all the eloquence
of an Ingersoll or Depew and her au
diences on account of hercharmlng man
ner and dtllghtful ease of bearing are
predisposed in her favor She never dis
appoints but each successive flow of
thought carries conviction to all When
she erases speaking the audience Is held
waiting to hear more
Dr StnlTord mi Mm liftli
Rev D J Stafford will again deliver
his eloquent lecture on Macbeth at 430
p m March j In the Lafayette Square
Theatre
As Macbeth is conceded to be the
most sublime of Shakespeares tragedies
so Dr Stafford s lecture maintains his
reputation as one of the greatest inter
preters of the bard s Immortal plays Add
ed to his thorough and appreciative lit
erary taste Dr Stafford s great elocu
tionary and dramatic powers and rare
grace of gesture make an effect never to
be forgotten The becne of Iidy Mac
beths punishment Is especially remarka
ble
The White Rat Show Tonight
Henry E DIxey will be one of the lead
ing features of the big concert to be giv
en by the W hlto Rats of America at
the Columbia Theatre tonight James J
Corbt has given up his athletic career
and nade his appearance in vaudev lie as
a star monologue artist Recently in New
York he ent rtained one of the largest
audiences ever crowded Into the Academy
of Music in tint city with his entertain
ing string of stories
Another prominent feature with this
all star aggregation will be the opera
star Dorothy Morton who has been spe
cUHy engaged for this one concert Bon
nie Thornton Is another well known en
tertainer Lolan and Lenharr hlgli
prlced artists In vaudeville present a
novel form of entertainment As It Is a
concert and not a vaudeville performance
they will not present their sketch A
Burglar but will go back
to their llrst successful act that of mind
reading ara some Interesting and puz
7llng feats of telepathy wIlL be given
Ihe Dillon Brothers authors of some of
the most successful songs of the day Al
mont and Dumont the celebrated musi
cal hussars and Linton and Mclntyre a
bright team of vocalists and wits com
plete tne programme as a Bpeciai lea
ture to the White Rats entertainment
and In compliment to the association W
A Halev has offered the services of his
big band the band that Is to play the
music for the Inaugural Ball The regu
lar prices of the theatre will prevail
The Lcl iale Plillbnriiinnle Orclie itrn
A unique feature of the Lelpslc 1hilhnr
monlc Orchestra at the National Theatre
which will render a single concert on the
aftimooaof Friday March 8 Is that Herr
Wlndcrsteln has brought over with him
two concert masters Instead of one each
of whom is an artist of reputation and a
violin virtuoso of undoubted ability Herr
Soma Plclc Stelner has bien a prominent
feature of the Lelpslc Philharmonic Or
chestra concerts for several seasons and
he has everywhere created a most faor
able Impression One of the most recnt
additions to Winderstelns nlreadv admi
rable corps of musicians is Herr Ludwig
Lauboret v ho will henceforth shari with
Herr PIck Sieincr the responsibility of the
concert mastership both artists also ap
pearing frequentlv as soloists
Herr Wlndcrsteln his engaged for the
American tour of his orchestra Frank In
Anna Engel who Ij a highly talented
harpist Ihe Polish pianist falavinski will
be the soloist at the concert on Tnday
afternoon
NEXT WEEKS ATTRACTIONS
The Colintililn 1 he IJnirj Fiirm
Eleanor Merrons beautiful and success
ful pastoral play The Dairy Farm
which has had a most remarkable season
of nearly n yenrs duration Including
fourteen consecutive weeks in New Yolk
CKj and thirteen in Chicago and which
closed because of further time being
uuavallihle at the Chicago theatre at
which It was being played will he seen
at the Columbia next wiek
Eleanor Mcrron nllnir of Dairy
Ill nil
of the play
Is told by
is
simple and
compiny of
thorough artists engaged with u view of
their especial iltniss for the ch iracti r
they Interpret Ihe play wll be stasOl
with the original picturesque scenery
In fact the entire production will be the
same as seen In New York and nil of the
largest cities
The Xutlonill E II Sotliern
Mr E If Sothern will present his
production of Hamlet at tho Nutional
Thffltre next week and from all accounts
which hive come from the various cities
In which the drama Ins been presented by
Mr Sothern and Ills company there Is
even reason to ejpeet tint a perform
ance of unusual merit Mill bt presented
to the patrons of the Itiple pla house
during next weel engagiment Mr
Sothern will lie Accompanied bj Miss
Virginia llarned itnd a compinv of rec
ognized abilities
The present itlont from a purely spec
tacular point of vlewts said to be un
equalxl ill the anijSls Of the native stage
while the portravaj of Jha Danish prince
of Mr Sothern has been riotived with
a greit amount of critical praise
I lie rndem V t oiini A lfe
A Young Wife which has made such
i success at the Fourtec nth Street Thca
tie in New York will be at the Academy
next week The pla Is by J K Tillotson
author of The Planters Wife and sev
eral other very popular dramas The plot
of A Young Wife shows It to be a
strong play It revolves about the bride
of a ctpitallsts son whose half brother
is the black sheep of the famii
The New York uut will appear here
prominent among whom mav be men
tioned the following paj Misses belmi
Herman Edna G Brothers Alberta Lee
Messrs Adolph Jackson John T Nichol
son John I Wooderson HIchard G Wil
liams Charles It Craig Mark Fenton
and James J DeBarre
THE PASSING SHOW
The strike of the White Rats as the
members of the society of vaudeville per
formers arc known retained its position
at the head of the news column in the
theatrical world last wiek and after ten
days of the trouble everything points to
the difficulty lasting until the meet
ing of the Vaudeville Managers As
sociation on March C At that time It is
expected the S per cent commission over
which the present strike arose will be
abolished not particularly on account of
the action of the Rats walking out of the
theatres in which they had been engaged
and violating their contracts but solely
because the managers promised that such
action would be taken at their first meet
ing
Strenuous efforts were made last Mon
day In Washington and Baltimore to have
the performers refuse to give the regular
Chase entertainments The Orpheum
Show which was the attraction at the
Grand this city Is under the direction of
a member of tho Western branch of the
Managers Association and consequently
is not embroiled but notwithstanding the
fact that the 5 per cent commission has
never been deducted from any member of
the Orpheum company agents of the
White Rats were on hand early Monday
morning armed with persuasion and
threats endeavoring to have the actors
refuse to give their performances
In the case of the Grand the Rats met
with absolutely no success at all although
at Baltimore they succeeded In having
several of the advertised performers vio
late their contracts Manager Chase was
on the ground and with him were live arts
ready to take the places of any striking
vaudev illlans or their sympathizers and
the usual programme was given with
a good deal of success during the week
the Rats continue to send out enthu
siastic reports from their headquarters in
New York City and according to these the
managers are In a very bad position But
a nitration of these announcements dis
closes the fact the association s
houses In the different cities have been
open as usual during the week all supplied
with very attractive bills and so tar as
can be ascertained have played to their
customary business Toe public has man
ifested tut a small ambunt of Interest In
the warfare that Is being waged between
the plaers and the munagers and all It
evidently cares for Is an entertainment
worth the price of admission and wheth
er the actors are White Rats or members
of any other orga61zatlon Is of little con
cern So long as tjie rnanagers show their
ability to offer such good bills as have
been In evidence throughout the country
since the Inauguration of the strike Just
so long will they be rewarded with prolit
able audiences
Tile Rats hud a inostsuccessful benefit
in New York City last Sunday unlght
vvnlchxwas largely auenau
who supplied plenty of enthus
iasm but It Is aoubtful if 20 per cerjj of
the gathering were regular attendants
of the vaudeville theatres the theatre
going family element that really supports
these houses Naturally the Rats mis
took the cordlallt of their professional
filends as the real sentiment of the gen
eral community Just the same as they
were led to believe that the names of N
C Goodwin Weber and rields De Wolf
Hopper nnd several other actors who
have not been In the regular vaudeville
bouses as attractions for a numli r cf
y ears signify anything when attached to
1 rociamations explanations ami ine iite
The managers are equally as contldentand
support their claims of victory by tioof
of houses In full operation running as
well as ever On the other hand the
Rats are already out of pocket two weeks
salary for It Is almost a certalaty that
they will not receive any money for the
portion of the week they worked before
walking out of the theatres on account
of sudkn Illness
Apropos of the salaries paid to the
vaudevlle actors who have been seen In
Washington at Chases this season an
interested reader of The Tlme3 has asked
information regarding their compensa
tion Manager Chase when questioned
opened his books and a Times representa
tlvo took therefrom the following facts
Milton Aborn a third rate comic opera
comedian whoso appearances have prin
cipally been with 10 M and 30 cent organi
zations received J175 I ewls and Ryan
the comedians JK Horace Goldln the
magician JIM Wright Huntington in a
sketch Cu Le Roy and Claton who
play an enjoyable skit entitled Hogm
of the Hansom 30 Tllson and Errol
sketch artists 3 o Dlgby Bell SW
Charles R Sweet the musical burglar
J MJO James O Barrows t3W Mclntvre
and Henth J30U M irshall P Wilder iM
Ic vv S illy tho blackface comedian 515
Gardiner Brothers musical entertainer
125 the Hawaii in Queens three chorus
rlrls who formerly received as much as
MS a week each now dem ind W each
Charles Case a monologist who d scusses
his father and other relatives 100 the
MuslcU Johnsons tvo In number 101
Johnny Carroll b TomNawn the Irish
comedian who wltn his wife presents
a sketch f 7 Carroll Johnson a worn
out minstrel 150 Eckert nnd Berg 130
Trovollo a ventriloquist 150 Ezra Ken
dall the coined m soi lantzer trio ai
rob its lo0 Howe Wall and Walters
mulclins 2ii George Fulbr Golden
the President of tho W hlte Hats and be
sides one of the best monologue artists in
the vaudeville Held receives the modest
sum ot JAjO a wck for working n hour
each day In every Instance except tint
of Mr Golden the above figures are
actu il salaries paid to the different per
formers foi their appearances at Chase s
Mr Richard Mansfields press agent
finds time hanging so heavily on his
haids tin he has dashed off the fol
lowing p allelic toje which is forwarded
to The Times together with a statement
of the remarkablt business that Is at
tending the distlngulshijd players produc
tion of Henry V
Pretty Dorothy Sherrod Is In a sad
state of mind and though the remedy
Is in her own haTiasshe dotsnt know
hovv to apply It Mlas Sherrod Ins
been re engaged by Mr Tim Murphy
is his leading blery for next season and
has been given the choice of parts in
the comedians new play A Capitol
Comcily In all fairness should so
much good luck plunge a pretty am
bitious girl Into a sad state of mind
Miss Sherrod bus read the comedy
and finds tnrselftjitu st indstlll on the
point ot which part to play Ihtro are
two almost equally attractive roles
As she expresses ItJf One is a perfect
lis and tho other Is a regultr
trump j
To be sure there Is some difficulty
in choosing between d l Isles anil
truuins Mie feels HUo that old gal
lant who said How happy I could be
with either were other fair ch inn
er away or something of that sort
ihe iholce of dressing rooms never
presented the enigma to a leading lady
tint tin eh lee of tho leading part In
A Capitol Comedy presents to Miss
She nod Perhaps she can double
thee two fascinating characters Or
mjbe she cm Influence the author to
tut out one of them or write all the
e harms In one or make the e holce for
her and give his word that the unchos
en one Is or simply no consequence at
nil But stu wouldnt believe him
Miss Doroth Sherrod who in pri -ate
life is Mrs 11m Murphy must certainly
be in sore straits if her press ngent is to
be believed nlthough she Is not called
upon to endure tho nerve racking Insomnia-producing
condition usually expe
rienced by actresses at this time of the
year on account of the lire rtalnty of an
engagement for next season But being
the wife of a very clever actor she Is al
ways sure or being on the salary list of
her husbands company even if thc thus
keeps a real actress out of employment
However her present plight is nssjrndly
mest pitiful i nd the author of The Capi
tol Comrili should do something and
UUlcklj too to alleviate lur stress of
mind The Tinits ventures the modest
suggestion that two cipuble actresses be
engaged for her parts and that Miss bher
rod be given the pleasure of witnessing
from an orchestra chair a better per
formance than the Murphy organl7atlon
Is wont to give
Already the managers of New Yorks
theatres are beginning to cast about for
plays for next year and otj every hand
comes the report of a scarcity of suitable
offerings In this connection Mr E D
Price manager of the iianhattan Thea
tre New York writes
Where are next seasons plays to come
from inis is a vexatious problem that
Is wrlnklig ie forehead of many j dra
matlc produier The foreign market gives
no promise or great truiuuiness ine na
tive playwrights are now conspicuously
bestirring themselves
Clydt Fitch cannot write all the plays
required for America If he carries out
his present Inclin itlon he will give his
teeming brain a rest for the next year
and trv to catch up in the purely manual
task of cutting off coupons He is al
ready six months behind
Nearly even thing i i book form has
been dramatized except the Patent Oiflce
reports and British Encyclopedia Even
with the material at hand It Is a tight
squeeze to get through this season and
no end of road companies have been call
ed into New York to supply yawning gaps
In the bookings
Tsn womler manv a citv manager with
a big expensive theatie on his hands is
wearing a worried look as he surveys the
coming season s outlook Where are the
new plays to come from It is a hard nut
to crack
Edward J Morgan will Inaugurate a
starring tour In the spring under Liebler
Co s management An elaborate pro
duction of The Christian will be made
In which the character of John Storm will
be written above that of Glory and in
view of the tremendous success with
which Mr Morgan met during his season
with Viola Allen In the play it seems safe
to predict all kinds of favorable results
for the new venture Mr Morgan will
continue with The Christian next sea
son under the Liebler management
Helen Dauvray who was at one time at
the head of her own company but who
married John Montgomery Ward the
baseball player some ten or twelve years
ago and has not been prominently seen In
the vicinity of the footlights since has an
nounced her determination to re enter the
Srofession by the vaudeville route Her
rst appearance will occur tomorrow
when she will appear In one of the Keith
houses in a SKetch entitled Nights
Out At the time of her retirement Miss
Dauvray was regarded as one of the most
delightful and charming of native ac
tresses and promised to make a worthy
successor to the Iaie Itosina Vokes If
she still retains her old time vivacity and
charm her audiences will be treated to
unusually enjoyable vaudeville offerings
Apropos of vaudeville that hacn of
refuge for players out of work Grace
Van Stuouiford and Otis Harlan are
among the latest recruits to the ranks of
the and the continuous enter
tainers Miss Van Studdlford was recent
ly heard in this city with the Savage
Grau English Opera Company She has
been identified with a number of comic
rpera organizations notably the Bosto
nlans ind Jefferson De Angells
Mr Harlan was last seen In Washing
ton with The Star and Garter He lat
er tried to inject some humor into the
lines of The Girl from Up There but
without success and he was soon In the
market for offers from the vaudeville
ngents
Selm White the heroine of Robert
Grants famous novel Unleavened
Bread which will soon be presented in
Its dramatized form at the Columbia
Theatre Is one of the most talked
of characters of modern fiction The
book has had a great sale and whether
Selma represents a type of modern club
woman has been seriously discussed
Robert Grant disclaims any such Inten
tion yet club women all over the coin
try have arisen In their wrath o deny
and spurn the allegation Ever reader
will not full to admit that he has met
many such persons as Selma who had a
mission but was In doubt as to what it
was She abhorreel the exclusive set yet
craved money for social aelvancement
That the homes on Fifth Avenue did pot
fly open when she landed In New York
occasioned spasms When she became the
wife of Senator Lyons and came to
Washington sho was furious because the
President did not bring his Cabinet to
welcome her when she alighted from the
train A no very unusual person this
wrong Even curtain calls are In my
opinion wrong except at the very end
of the performance wlien the uctor may
with propriety step out of his character
and appear as the man not the player
If your audience in the kindliness o its
heart insists on seeing you at the end
of a scene the actor should construct
another tableau a little something that
happens In the action of the play -and
let the audience see that with him in It
But he shotildn t sten out of his canvas
to bow his appreciation ho must not It
he IsMn artist disillusion his audience no
matter how strenuously it Insists
The actors mission is to eelucate no
less than to amuse and when it comes
to a question of curtnln calls the player
mght as well commence to eelucate his
audience there as anywhere
The audience Is a molt worthy object
of stuuy I mean In the way audiences
as n rule differ Nor do I mean that
what I am about to say should bo taken
as a direct opposite to what I have al
ready said that an actor should neit no
tice his audience The applause in the
telepathic means ot eletermlnlng the
class of person slttlrg In front
You can divide audiences Into two
classes those who come in the esplrlt of
children to see anil hear with all thlr
eyes and ears anel those who come to
watch how the actor does things tho
method the trickery of voice gesture fa
cial play no matter what tho subject or
how the treatment The second audience
develops Its critical faculties oftentimes
to the detriment of Its enjoy raent It is so
engrossed at times in watching the
wheels go round that It mis3cs the pottry
of motion
nr course the stage has not always
1 clear sailing Ev lis spring up but be
ing evil they cant last me our uc
plorable tendency of the time Is the dra
matist who plays tailor the man who
thinks ot his auuience ami not oi
his art A certain actor or actress needs
a play and lo your tailor made dramat
ist gets to work Hi measures drafts
cuts sows Its and Just as your tailor
builds you a suit to your measure the
tailor dramatist bulldg a play to fit your
talents or your lack of them
And so your tailor dramatist is one of
the ev lis of the stage today but he Is not
an abiding evil for art isnt the warp
and woof of his texture He will pass
away Just as the ranter and the
passed away A
broader Intelligence is born Into the world
every second and the stage keeps pace
with every other artistic movement
With all due deference to lime Duse
the drama Is not degenerating It has
far less evils today than it had in Shake
speares time and will have far less a
century hence thar it has today
There Is no calling so Indifferent to
the considerations of ordinary business
life as that of the actor remarked
Charles B Hanford recently Some time
ago I met a manager who was about to
close his season He hesitated about no
tifying the members of the company I
hated especially to tell my leading man
about It he confided to me because he
gave up a good engagement In order to
secure the part I offered him But I final
ly broke the news to him as gently as I
could What did he say He merely
remarked that he felt like taking a rest
anyhow He had been wishing for some
time that he could get back home and see
how his folks were getting along Imag
lno an employe In any other line of busi
ness taking his discharge so coolly
Viola Allen with Lorlmcr Stoddard and
r Marion Crawfords romantic drama
In the Palace of the King has made
one of the solid hits of the season in New
York Miss Allens receipts for the eighth
week of her engagement at the Republic
Theatre w ere 10 1T5 and this Is the small
est of the Broadway- play houses The
immense popularity of Miss Allen has
been especially- demonstrated at matinee
performances when the houses have been
crowded to the doors
The voting contest instituted a few
weeks ago by the managers of the Lafay
ette stock company ha aroused an un
usual amount of Interest among the com
panys large following and has served to
call attention of many disinterested peo
ple to the fact that there Is something
doing In a theatrical way up on Lafay
ette Square -
The Idea Is an old one in other cities but
has proved a novelty to Washington in
that for the first time local theatregoers
have been given an opportunity to make
known their favorite pays and as it
were to hold the managerial ribbons In
their own hands to a small degree That
It has been appreciated and approved a
wonderfully Increased mall delivery bears
witness not to mention the ballot box
which has stood at the door of the thea
tre and which has had its capacity tested
almost nightly
During a matinee performance of Ca
mllle by the stock company last week a
representative of The limes sought out
Mr Thomas D Long whose- name figures
on the bills as associate proprietor ot the
Selma White after all Her visit to the company with Walter Clark Bellews nnd
Presidents reception with the meeting
of Flossie Williams Is one of the richest
pages In modern fictional satire
As a play Unleavened Bread has oc
casloned whole volumes of discussion
Miss Elizabeth Ty ree Is to impersonate
Selma White I J Morgan
tleton and Eleanor Robson
Hams
Wilbur
Flossle
Rlcharel Mansfield In his revival of
Henry V retains the characteristic fea
tures of this Shakespearean drama One
of the most notable and unique elements j na
In Henry v Is Chonis who will appear
in the Mansfield presentation By Chorus
is not meant the html of characters In
classic robes who In the Greek drama In
toned an accompaniment to the theatrical
epics of the ancients nor yt the tripping
band of men or maidens who distinguish
our comic opera
Chorus In Shakespeare Is a person This
person appears letween the acts anel an
neitatcs the action describing what Is
taking place In the entracte larss
Chorus was not an uncommon personage
formerly but the office of this character
if so it may bo cilleel gradually dvvindleel
to the recitation of a prologue and an
epilogue which were finally- given to play
ers In the action anel Chorus at last was
entirely- without occupation
There are four Instances only of Chorus
In Shakespeare In Winter a Tale be
fore Act IV Cheirus appears in the per
son of Father Time who accounts for the
lengthy lapse of years since last the cur
t iln fell Chonis without any other char
acteristic dislgnation appears after the
llrst act of Romeo and Juliet in the text
of Shakespeire though rarely In modern
ncteei versions In Pericles Prince ot
Tyre there are lines for Gower as
Chorus before each of the acts besides an
epilogue It Is onlv in Pericles and
King Henrv V that Chorus appears
after each act
In King Henry V the earliest eiltlon
disclosed no Chorus The superb lines
among the limst in all Shakespeare are
round first in the folio of 163 just twenty -three
years after the first production of
King Henry V There tho determina
tion is Rumor as Chorus That was
Shakespeares Invention In the many
notable presentations of King Henry V
since Chorus has as it were played
many a part
Two of the most notable Innovations
were Macrcadvs idea to have Chorus ap
pear in the guise of Time On that oc
casion the great George Vandenhoff was
Chonis When Charles Kein made the
celebrated revival at the Princess he in
troduce Chonis as Clio the Muse of HIs
tor Mrs Charles Ke in the renowncel
Ellei Tree was Chorus Mr Munstleld
with regard for the elrumntlsts origin it
Idta follows no strange gods In this m li
ter and In his revival of King Henry
V Chorus appears In the diameter of
Rumor
The better the nctor the more he will
Ignore his audience said Mr Willard
the other evening at the Nation il
An actor has no right to know that an
audience exists The true artist who
paints a picture the man who chisels
art from stone the novelist who builds
his brain wrought chiracteia on piper
no mnn If he be true to his uleals
thinks while he Is working of what the
world will siy of his effort To him the
chit fist joy and the most concern como
in I eing true the riglit touch of the
chisel In that curve the neidei tint in
the picture- the one Indispensable twist
to a phrase that makes tho character
in the novel real
nil so lot brain worker if lie is an
artist works ior an ideil not for the
plaudits of the world Applause is sweet
it Is true appicclation and Is uften an
incentive inward better work But he
best succeeds w hose efforts are made in
the hope of tre ndinrr closer toward per
fieflon and not for the h ind cljpplng of
the world
And that s why the actor should bo
oblivious to his audience not know tnjt
it exists
How oftpn elo we seo the nctor at the
end of a purtlcularlv strevng scene that
he has done uncommonlv well and for
which the audience gcmrously upplauels
hovv often do we see the nctor retard the
action of the play and destroy the Illu
sion of his character bv coming forwarel
vilillu the other characters wait to bow
to his audience Its wrong radlcaly
on enquiry at the boxofllce was directed to
a room upstairs which when reache 1
looked more like a small section or the
general postofnee than a theatrical man
agers sanctum Several clerks were cm
ployed In opening and assorting mall
tpewrtter ke3 clickeel vigorously and an
air of unwonted activity pervaded the
place Long was discovered behinel a
table covereel with small slips which told
their own story but to which the Lafa
ette Companys manager added not a few
facts of Interest
lou see said Mr Long the people
their own Ideas as to what thev
want ana ine secret ot a company s suc
cess Is to cater to the demands ef Its
patrons It naftirally follows that the
preiper thing to do is to learn what their
favorite plays arc and to gtve them the
best productions possible That is what
we are doing To sav that we are grati
fied In the result or the voting contest
puts It mildly The plan has succeeded
far beyond our hopes and has convinced
everyone connecteel with the Lafayette
company that the public Is more than
ordinarily Interested It stands to reason
that when a person will take the trouble
to cut a coupon from a paper fill it out
seal and stamp it and then walk to the
mail box with it he Is undeniably Inter
ested and every mail bring3 us hundreds
ot such suggestions The total number
or votes cast amounted to 1T67 und the
kno vledge that the company counts its
admirers by- such n high figure is encour
tiging to say- the least We have received
votes tor any number of plavs which were
not on the list from A Happy Pair to
H imlet In fact there were fourteen
nlays nameel in the contest and thirty
noelltlonal ones figured in the returrs
Some of them were made In good faith
and some otherwise very probably How
ever in making up the list we select ed
from standard sucecesses of recent date
those plays which are most available for
stock purposes and In all cases Irrespec
tive of royalties
e es to the number of 4335 elecldeel
the u favor of Sydney Grundys
great play Sowing the Wind which
has not been seen In Washington for some
years and which Is one of the strongest
works this prolific paywrlght has fur
nished the English stage Ibtween now
nnd the end of the season the tour plays
which were most unanimously called tor
will be numbered among our productions
The plays which Judging rrom the recent
contest leael in popular tavor are those
which appeal to Intellectual ami refined
minds showing tint the tendency is
toward the higher class of dramatic lit
erature
This plan is really the best after all
and It Is the only means of satisfying
populir choice Individual opinion Is not
without its value but It woulel never
solve the problem Tor instance you
meet a man on the street and ask Wlnt
plav would you like to have and hell
probably say Well I should like to see
Uncle Toms Cabin I have heard so
much about It but havo never seen It
Now Undo Toms Cabin Is all right
and one should have almost it same re
spect for old plays as for old people for
they both have their good points but It
Is hardly likely that the Lafayette pa
trons are clamoring for Mrs Stowes
story Then a student will suggest
Shakespeare and a matinee girl with hal
lowed thoughts of Sothern will beg for
Captain Lettarblalr anel what are you
going to do You lind yourself more at
sea than ever
Another proof of the company s pop
ularity Is noted in the appreciation which
Is shown for the souvenirs ellstributcd at
the matinees Last Wednesday l3no ot
these were given out ami atter the aud
ience had lett the theatre but twenty
were rounel on tho floor These signs or
Interest are very encouraging and now
that we are assured ot their support
the public may trust to the management
anil company that not a stone shall bo
left unturned in the effort to please them
anil tint they shall have the benefit of
all tint experience earnest effort and
good faith can offer
It Is not often that a man after two
years of play -writing can be called the
Clyde Fitch or the Bronson Howard of tho
vaudeville sketch field This Is the name
however that has been bestowed on Will
M Cressy who was at Chases last week
with his wife Blanche Dayne Mr Cressy
occupies a place In the world of vaude
ville sketch writers that has been gdlaed
- rttgzef3sxr
solely on his merits About tw o y ears ag
ncrstarteo in vacueviue iarge orcera nsei
been made to Denman Thompson of Old
Homestead fame to go Into this cktrs
of work hut he refused and sug
geated that Mr Cressy could play rules
similar to his In Tho Old Ilomstead
with success So Mr Cressy went In
vaudeville
He started to write sketches about the
same time and now It Is safe to say that
his services are more in demand In this
line of work than any other man exept
possibly George Cohan Another Inter
esting fact Is that Mr Cressy and Mr
Cohan have formed a kind of a vaude
ville sketeh trust By a mutual agree
ment neither will write an act for a per
former for less than JSert Mr Cressy sold
his first sketch for 1125 It was a great
succewi ami the performer who got It
had their nularlen nearly doubled on ac
count of tin merit The next one went for
MOO anel hi fame L gan to rise Then
two playem mmr along who wanted an
act but Mr Cry M not want to write
It for them an lie Ulel not like hlr olyl
of work and elk not think tt oxiM ult
thm He pot whut h bflttght wan a
prohibitive prte m Hr tut Tmiy jump
at the offer
In speufcln ot bbr WftTlf Ha xxUl I
hare hael a number nt rarUm Srr slew
I have bn wrlthtef skefenest Orm -man
who 1 a twht wlr ptffftffir
wanted me to write an aet tif Mr A mr
who swing club awl inzxle SomfSfn
while he walks em a revonriflsf bn w te
me to fix one for him I 1mv tvut rtT
two hundred requents for sketch
I have taken up that line of work The
most curious however came from a man
who keeps a hotel In Indiana He wrote
to mo anel said he was going In
vllle and that he was going to take his
housekeeper with htm In the business He
wanted a sketch and said he would pay
the highest price for It Ills specialty he
said was villains while the housekeeper
was a walking lady I took It for more of
a Joke than anything else and wrote him
that my lowest price was 500 He wrote
me a very IneMgnant letter saying that
he could get the best sketch in the busi
ness for 15 and asking If I thought he
was an amateur
Papers were signed last week with
E D Jordan the millionaire drysoods
merchant of Boston whereby that gen
tleman agrees to supply property and
cash to the extent or 550000 with which
to erect for E D Stair manager of tho
Academy- of Music of this city and A
L Wilbur the opera man a new theatre
on Tremont Street and Van Rensselaer
Place Boston This Is considered an extraordinarily-
good location being directly
opposite the new Touralne Hotel within
2U0 feet of the subway central station and
the new elevated railroad terminal and
half way between the new Colonial and
the Hollls Street theatres Messrs Stair
and Wilbur are given full charge of the
erection of the building with permission
to exceed the above cost by payment ot
additional rent or Interest thereon As
this Is Mr Wilburs home city he will
take active charge ot the preliminaries
and It will be his pride to see one of the
most elaborate and coziest playhouses In
America completed by next September
Its policy will unquestionably be that
which has brought success to the Stalr
Havlln banner good attractions for the
lowest possible prices catering to the
best element of family theatregoers it
will be run in clewse communion with
the magnificent theatre being erected for
Mr Stair at Broadway Fifty ninth
Street and Central Park New York City
The now formidable Stalr Havlin circuit
has lately be ajgmented by- the addition
or booking purposes of the Empire The
atre Providence the Grand Opera
Kansas City the Jarob Lltt houses In
St Paul Minneapolis and Milwaukee the
Walnut Street Theatre Cincinnati the
Auditorium an1 Hclllday Street Theatre
Baltimore and the new- Columbia Pater
son
Frank L is about to make his
second trip abroad with an amusement
enterprise On March 20 he will sail for
England with his pnma donna star Alice
Nielsen and her supporting compaiy ot
singers comedians carpenters property
men electricians wardrobe nnd
last but not least some fifty pretty Amer
ican chorus girls
3Ir Perley s first trip abroad was with
the Barnum and Bailey ctrcus His duty
was to exploit the mammoth iggr -Ration
In the newspapers and to advertise it In
every way tht his ingenuity- could con
ceive and his experience ruggest It Is
a well known tact that Great Britain In
the art or commercial advertising la
Ln1 e AAlnr T Tlte ne awe
pass the Britishers in our newspaper ad-
vertisements and Ideas So important
and widespread Is outdoor advertising In
England that the board of aldermen of
London derive an Immense revenue fnm
taxes on property where holdings or
billboards as they are termed In this
country are erected Some or these hill
boards are gigantic affairs and are nom
five to ten times as high as an ordinary
American billboard
Apropos of Mr Perley s coming visit
to London with Miss Nielsen he relates
nn experience that he had with the
I ondon Times when he was there with
the greatest show on earth He was
very anxious to get an Imposing adver
tisement In The Thunderer and sat
up the greater part of one night drafting
ane W hen the copv was finished It was
a startling affair full of scare head
lines alliterative adjectives and a strik
ing arrangement or rules and type He
took It to Mr Simon the business man
ager or the London Times who had
never seen anything like It and at first
would not consider a proposal tor Its
publication at all Mr Perley was so
anxious that t should appear that know
ing the liberality or the Barnum show
he offered 3000 ror one insertion or the
aeivertkement stipulating that It should
occupy one half page
This magnificent offer appealed to Mr
Simon who said he would subm t It to
the board of directors and would give
Mr Perlcv his ans ver the next day On
the following morning Mr called
and the answer he received was char
acteristic Mr Simon told him that the
boaxl of directors had considered his
proposition and had decided that Mr
Perlev could have the hair page adver
tisement by purchasing the London
Times but the Iondon Times was not
for sale
Frank McKee has entered Into a con
tract with Augustus Thomas to write an
original comeeiy tor Peter FDalley to
be produced next season Christie Mc
Donald will be Mr Dailey s leading sup
port In the new piece Although Mr
Dailey has made a hit in Hodge Podge
-it Ann nnl rein nlwavs
c co no ov ----- r
proved successful in musical farce he
tias long uesireu n iiiyr -
comedy Mr McKee has faith in his
11 nA rnm e raflfv this
anilines aim win - - --
ambition Mr Dailey Is a natural come
dim or unusual ability and should 5lr
Thomas tit him with a part as well as he
has Willie uouier in u me wuici im
will undoubtedly- prove a big success In a
new field ot stage work
Sis Hopkins alias Rose Melville stood
in the wings of the Academy ot Music yes
terday afternoon waiting tor her cut
when a Times representative dodged
those famous horlzortal braids ot hair
and claimed a tew minutes or the actress
time The pall or pease which hep so ma
terially In RIdy Scarboros confession of
love for Sis was jnugly tucked under her
arm anil she supported herself comforta
bly on hr ankles as if nature had tailed
to provide her rcet with soles
Im Hopkins gal said Sis In her char
acteristic monotonous drawl and then on
seeing her mistake added Scuse me but
I thouqht you was one ot them city folks
So you want to know all about me and
Miss Melvlle was herself again Wed
you ought to ki ow Sis pretty well consid
ering her number In spite of all that has
lsen said to the contrary I originated this
character Some eight or nine years ago
my brr wrote a rural comedy
called Zeb and one of the minor parts
drawn from life was that of a gawky
almost Impossible country girl which I
originated and which from that time has
grown steadily until It has developed into
my present offering Sis Hopkins
I am from that part of Indiana where
such characters are not unusual and
through a thorough study ot them I have
been enabled to make my part more nat
ural and lire like each year Carrie Gra
ham who does a Sis Hopkins sketch de
clares that the Idea originated with her
but that Is a mistake We were together
In The Prodigal Father and she asked
me one day to sell her the sketch which
proposition I did not consider ror a min
ute But she Is using It Just the same and
declaring everybody- else her imitators
Every year my Piny undergoes changes
and I always endeavor to keep it within
the limits or gentility I am perfectly sat
isfied that Sis Is mine and feel confident
that I shall be play ing the Posey County
girl tor some time to come
Miss Melville sacrifices herself complete
ly In the make up of Sis and proves her
absolute disregard for personal appear
arce In her effort to be true to the charac
ter of the little backwoods philosopher
who didnt see no use In eloln nuthln for
nobody- what never done nuthln for you
T
u
V
CI
f