The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1890-11-16

their musical farce-comedy, the W. S. Mail, y" is
the biggest money winner west of the Mississippi
River. Mr.. 1hmsen is doing the advance work,
and has made great record. Mr.. Brooks looks
alter the interests of the show in the East. The
latter has just returned from a trip to New
York, where he signed four clever people. Misc
Emily Northrup was one of them. She will be
pleasantly remembered here as a member of
"Fantasma.' Arthur Rcketts, an English
comedian, and Dorothy Fox, bright and clever
eighteen-year old Boston girl, and Fred Eusts
were also signed. Eusts is to direct the musical
part of the ~. S. Mail,n and resigned from
Minnie Palmer's Company to accept an offer of
500 a week, made by Mr.. Brooks. In addition
to these people, every one of whom stands very
high in his particular line, Mr.. Brooks has
signed two well-known Washingtonians, Miss
Etfie Darling and Mr.. William Caulfield. Miss
Darling has bright and catchy style of singing
that wins her sure favor from her audience.
She was for a long time pupil of DIR. Kimball.
Mr.. Caultield is perhaps better known. owing to
having spent all of his life here, while Miss
Darling has been ION the road" Mr.. Caulfeld
is Il son of Professor Caulfeld, which is guaran-
tee sufficient that he knows how to use his
voice. Mr.. Brooks thinks he has prize in both.
The ~. S. Mail" comes to this city some
time in February, and is certain to have
| a great reception. The enterprise is essentially
a Washington one. Ihmsen and Brooks, together
with E. A. Dietrich, of Baltimore, bought the "U.
II,
but went quickly to work looking to its presen-
tation. Mr.. Brooks was selected to go to New
York and launch the new enterprise. He went
there without knowing single person connected
with the theatrical profession. He offered his
piece in turn to a number of the leading firms.
only to be told that they could not handle it,
But he had faith and determined to push it him
SELF He did so and now the show has been out
eleven weeks and he has earned in that time
forty-two thousand dollars. This means profit
of nearly $4,000 to the plucky journalists and
| their party.
In the play of Money Mad" prayer IS pro-
nounced by an old negro woman in the second
act, and when the play was first produced at the
Standard Theatre, in New York, the aforesaid
! prayer touched some supersensltive feelings,
and critical opinion pronounced against its con-
tinuance; so Manager Hill determined to learn
what the playgoers thought of it. Accordingly.
one night Steele Mackaye appeared between the
third and fourth acts and made short speech,
in which he said that while the prayer might be
slangy in text it was no less prayer, and the
language was that of an ignorant negro woman
wrought to Il state of ecstacy and religious fer
vor Each member of the audience was re-
quested to express his or her opinion as to the
retention of the prayer by casting ballot "aye"
or mo" as they went out. OF the 1900 in the
audience 1000 ballots were cast, twenty-four
only being in favor of striking out the prayer; so
| it has been retained. Manager Hill is nothing if
not original.
| The old-comedy season at Days Theatre, New
York. will be introduced this winter by a pro-
duction of Mr.. Daly's special version of Sheri-
| dams comedy of 'Ihe School for Scandal" :" in
which Miss Rehan will essay for the first time
| the character of Lady Tedzle, and Mr.. Drew will
appear for the first time as Charles Surface The
scenery will be new, and the costumes will be
made expressly for this production. "The
Country Girl" will also be included in the COM
edy season, which, this season, will positively be
! limited on account of the new plays which Mr..
| DAILY has in process of preparation to be pro.
duced during the season. The new plays will
include an emotional comedy of present interest
and two pieces of an extremely novel character
| Miss Lavinia Shannon. who is supporting
Thomas Keene, is receiving an ovation wherever
| she appears in the West. Her impersonations of
her parts are characterized by the Western jour-
mails as showing thorough appreciation of the
| dramatic demands. Tacoma paper in speak
| ing of her Ophelia says LAS Ophelia Miss Shan
non surprised and delighted even her most ardent
admirers. In the scene where she shows too
| plainly that her reason has been dethroned her
stimulation of insanity, and particularly her
maniacal laugh, were remarkably good.n Miss
| Shannon evidently has brilliant future as his
| trionic star.
| First impressions are generally thought the
| best, but this does not seem to apply in Steele
Mackaye's case with his plays. The famous
| play, "Hazel Klrke," was first produced under
| the title of "The Iron WILL" His recent play
| paul Kauvar," first saw the light in Buffalo as
Anarchy" money Mad" his latest, was origi-
nally known by the title of Through the