New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-11-28
SOMETHING ABoUr RIP VAN wINKLE.

Tn the early part of his professional career Mr. Jenersoe
was the many parts but OF late years ne mas pecn
pleased to restrict himself to ZIP Van hinke Cdes
Pt,smmer Aeres Mr.. Goltghay, Hugh de Brass and d.
Cllapod His name and story, however are more init
mately associated with Nip Van WinkIe than with any
other character in dramatic literature For the Original
NJ Mn Van Wrinkle we look back to ancient Greece
One of the old Greek stories relates that Epmendes was
sent into fields by his father In the middle OF osy
to look for stray sheep He went into cave ana ien
asleep THERE and he remained asleep during nfyseven
wears when he awoke emerged and resumed his search
for the lost animal The quest did not prosper ana he TO
turned into the cityto find everything changed and ns
home in the possession Of strangers Finally he met ms
Youngest brother become an Old man, ana Dy Nun
was recognized and from him he received an explanation
of the new Of things This theme Is also found IN
ancient German literature. Bayard Taylor mentions it.
Washington Irving treated it, In his beautiful Sketch
Book" and his little story is perfectly well known IN"
pay of Rip Van Wrinkle is widely dissmilar from the
story and Jefferson in his acting OF the central char
acter presents ideal creation person not only unlike
but totally at variance with the rustic sot who suggest
ed by Washington Irving.
There are several plays this subject, but no one Oh
them dates further back that May 1929 Charles D. Far
sons an actor who turned clergyman acted kp In the
autumn Of 1929 in Cincinnati, and the part was ac'e"
almost simultaneously in Philadelphia by william map
man. The latter actor is thought to have USED Vefs
OF English origin, made by Mr.. Kerr. James H. HACK
the old Park Theatre, NewYork and visiting England
1879 detained there new version Of the piece from the
pen OF Bayle Bernard who had already made play Oh
the subject for the popular comedian FREDERICK icnJ
Yates william sherwood played the part AT baltinore'
in s33 in a version made by Mr.. John H. Hewitt
Charles Burke acted nip in piece which was largely s
own work. though based on an earlier drama Inc n"hs
erson was first seen in ls49 the Arch street Theatre
Philadelphia Burke playing KIP and Jefferson playing
Seth Parsons Chapman Hackett, Yates Flynn, isher'
wood and Burke all predecessors to Jefferson IN TINS
character Jefferson fomerused the Burke version ana
also IL NAV be said that although now he If an enurey
original actor he began by making Burke his model
Almost every Young actor initiates somebody at the start
hut there is anything in him. he presently quits ima-
ton and becomes himself The play in which Jefferson
has acted Kip since September a. 1862 was made ioi
him. and largely accordance with his suggestions Dy
Dion Roucicaut The second act Of that piece-the plan
Of making the spirits remain silent and only the man to
speak-was conceived by the actor Mr. Bouccauit put
in the scene with the children and, still better rccog
ton scene which Is a remote reminscence OF hng Lear
and Cordoba.
Mr.. II. p Phelps, of Albany the scholarike and es-
teened author of that valuable theatrical record Tho
PLAYERS OF Century has pointed ont since the publica-
ton of my Life of the Jefersons that performance OK
" Bin Van Wrinkle" occurred at an earlier date than Is
commonly supposed. Quotations from the Albany press
of 1928 certain that the first representative OF
Kip Van Wrinkle upon the stage was Thomas Flynn, AMI
that the performance was given for the first time May
90 1928 at theatre in Albany Inc Albany Argus OF
Nisv o. 1928 contains the following advertisement:
"MRs FLyYS's BENEFIr.This interesting and favorite
actress date Miss TwhlD. takes her benefit on Monday
evening May 80 when will be performed for the hrst
time an entirely new melodrama written by gentleman
of this city, and called Rip Van Wne taken from tho
celebrated Washington rvngs novel OF that name his
piece we understand, has been several days III active
preparation pronounced by competent judges one
of the best ever dramatised The characters are well
delineated and replete with wit and humor which
added to locality of the piece in story which Is
familiar to every one. cannot fail 70 draw full house.
The play il will be observed is called "a meodrama,
term which the present time understood to denote
n niece dcpen exclusively on situation but which.
I'M those DAYS described kind OF drama then very popu
lar that was chiefly composed OF action aud music me
AlbauY Argus records that the new play OF KIP VA
Wrinkle" was repeated Oh May 30 The cast then stools
follows:
knckerDockef
LOwena
Alice. '.''A'' 'N'DN~
No account of the performance has been found b,
doubtless this WAS the original cast The name OF t'
author rs absolutely unknown prologue also wrtcr
gentleman of Albany, was spoken on the nrst hSD'
and this,-a curiosity,-has been preserved:
hv sis tai