Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-01-10

Mary Anderson Said to Have Resolved Never
to Play Again.

4 NEWS OLE THE SIA6E.
Mary Anderson Said to Have Resolved Never
| to Play Again.
SIZE n RKPoRrEp TO HAVE TAKEN A RELIGIOUS
AVERSION TO TIE pRAMA-How A THRIFTY
MANAGER MAKES MONEY OUT OF DIvANs-rHE
Sun OF THE NEW YORK PRESS AGENT SITTING
| JAY GoULD's THEATER.
Correspondents of the Evening Star.
NEW YoRK, Jan. 9.
THE PROBABILITY and almost certainty
l. that Edwin Booths present retirement from
the stage viii never be broken IL accompanied
by the assurance from Mary Anderson, con-
veyed in letter over her own signature, that
she has positively decided to never act again.
An American manager sought her out at her
English home less than month ago to make
an offer Of 5000 week for her individual
services during an American tour of three
months next season. She refused TO even see him,
and he wsntaway without having even exchanged
word with her. His card was returned to him
by the servant, with the verbal message that
the lady did not care to meet him. As he had
formerly managed several Of her tours, and
their business relations had never been un-
pleasant, he was surprised by the repulse. The
e1-actress knew his errand and the amount Of
money temptation which he brought, for
he had communicated with her by
letter. An explanation Of her singular
conduct u given me by An intimate
friend Of her husband. Throughout the full
filled portion Of her abruptly terminated tour
IN this country. when she enacted two charac-
terr in "A Winters Tale" with such great sue
cess, her nervous system became seriously de-
ranged and the disturbance amounted to .
mental malady, taking the form of religious
aversion to the stage. This monomania became
80 serious that at length she deemed her soul
In danger of damnation if she continued in her
profession. That was the reason why she ter
minated the tour abruptly. Her manager bad
good case for damages against her, Of course,
and notlong ago she settled his claim by the pay
ment Of S1S, 900 in cash. Under the influence
Of quiet, restful life she has regAined much of
her former health Of body and mind, but her
feeling against theatricals remains unchanged
and she has not witnessed q stage performance
since she gave up acting. She declares that she
VIII never again see others act, much less act
herself That would seem to deprive us beyond
hope Of the greatest Of American actresses.
There has been an impression that after = pro-
longed holiday she would return 10 the stage to
reap the great harvest Of dollars which would
have grown for her, but the most persistent
doubters Of her sincerity must now believe that
she u really An ex-actress.
DlvANs As PkoDucKRs OF MoHEY.
At one Of our theaters the manager has
taken business advantage of the sentimental
fact that loving couples like to sit snugly. The
current play at this house is drawing crowds
and every extra chair means an extra dollar
and . half. Each row clear across the parquet
contained twenty-six chairs Of the ordinary
size. The idea struck me" he Says, Gin sur
veying q packed audience . while ago that
most Of the couples Of young persons were
leaning against each other and actually wasting
space on their outer sides. 1t seemed o pity
TO me that these interstices couldn't be turned
into cash. Then invented Q way Of doing il.
You will see," and he pointed out the re-
arranged section Of the auditorium, that l
have removed four rows of the chairs and in
their places have put what we call double
divans. Each of these will hold two pliddling-
sized persons and no more. Two fat ones
couldn' squeeze into the space. As this does
away with half the arms of the old chairs we
get room for two extra persons in each row.
That Is, in each line at either side of the CEN
trail aisle We have six Of these divans instead Of
the eleven single chairs. As four complete
rows OF the sofas have already been placed the
cash earnings Of the invention are s12 at each
performance. Now, You are going to raise the
objection that strangers wouldn't like to be 30
intimately coupled. We avoid that difficulty
by selling single ticket for each sofa, admit
ting two persons, Of course; and the ticket
seller always explains that it is a sofa, not two
chairs, that he is selling. Do the sofas give
satisfaction Well, 1 should say SO. Some
times I see q husband and wife wriggling o
little, as though they were uncomfortable, but
really ought to call them double divines, in
stead of divans."
SHUTTING OUT THE PRESS AGENT.
The business Of the theatrical press agents
has been SO annoyingly ovesdone in this city
that the boomers are under taboo in the news
paper offices, and the critics of several of the
greater journals deny themselves absolutely to
these visitors. When it is considered that even
after the destruction by fire of the Fifth Ave-
nue., we have thirty-five dramatic theaters in
New York and the suburbs, besides almost "a
many more variety shows, concert balls and
other places Of amusement, il is clear that the
small army of stalwart boomers would become
intolerable il permitted. The consequence in
that most of the local managers have aban-
doned the practice Of sending solicitors
to the newspaper Offices, but, instead, mail
the particulars Of their plans and such
other matter as they wish to have published
This material is treated differently BY the dra-
matte editors, according to the usages of the
various Offices. The situation is sometimes q
puzzle to the press agents of the travelling
companies that come into town. The majority
OF these energetic gentlemen intermit their
labors largely, upon being informed that they
are likely to do more harm than good. but the
minority do not take vacation so lazily. One
of these workers has this week poetize. his
usually proaic efforts. He has sent to each
important Journal an original and exclusive
poem in praise Of an actress who employs him.
The verses are smoothly rhymed and metred
and they extol the lady's beauty and ability
with all the enthusiasm Of O knight Of old, ex-
uberant over his lady love. None Of these ef-
fusions, however, has yet gained publication.
JAY oouLD's THEATRICAL INVESTMENT
Jay Gould owns the theater which commands
q higher rental than any other in New York.
This is the Grand Opera House, over in sth
avenue, and it is run on Q half-price tariff
ostensibly, at least-although o system of pre-
tended ticket speculation in the Hobbies really
raises the cost of good orchestra seats to dol
lar as against the dollar and q half charged in
the Broadway theaters. The Grand was built
by Pike, the Cincinnati millionaire distiller
and was first called Pixies Opera House. the
owners intention being to make Of it O fash
ionable and artistic temple Of music. There
was brilliant season or two and then Pike
gave up the project. The thester, big as it Is,
occupies less than half of the building and the
rest Of it was the headquarters of the Erie
Railway Company during Fisk and Gould's
control The restless and venturesome Fisk took
1t into his head to become a theatrical man
ager, and for several seasons he made
the Grand famous-it would be about as ac-
curate to say infamous-by means Of French
opera performances, in which the women were
his notorious sociable friends. Toetee and
Aimee we're the foremost celebrities. Fisk also
produced pantomimic spectacle called king
Carrot" noted in the dramatic history of New
York as having drawn more money in a month
than has ever been received at any other New
York house. But the splendors Of Jim Fisk
died with him and the property was depreci-