Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-08-01
THE RIALTO IN SUMNER
Interesting Gossip About Theatrical
Matters.
LOVE-MAKING ON THE STAGE.
Hatred and Malice Disguised-Geo. Knight's
Sad Ending and What Caused It-wH Lin
coins Assassination He Dramatizsd?-S
Lights on Bowery Characters.
pecial Correspondence of The Evening Star


NEW YoRK, August 1, 1891.
bronson HOWARD DROVE GEORGE s.
~ knight into lunacy, and in sorrow for do
ing it has given q sum of money to him. That
is the days news among the idle summer actors
in upper Broadway. and it is the subject of the
days talk. Like most Of the bold, bald asser-
| tons on the Rialto, it needs explanation and
qualification, although it isn't a lie outright
Sophie Worrail-Knight. the actress. had come
to town to seek an engagement. She had met
Bronson Howard, who had recently returned
| to America.
Sand how is George?" he had asked of Mrs.
knight, as they met casually at a theater.
1--WE have removed him from the Burn Brse
| Asylum to his mothers home in Philadelphia. II
the wife replied, 'and there he will die before
long"
A witness of this dialogue reported that,
while further Conversation was going on. the
playwright gave roll of bank notes to the
actress Howard is rich and generous. Knight
dying In poverty. So the incident was
reasonable. But II is hardly fair to accuse the
playwright of driving the comedian into lunacy,
although it lis a fact that a drama BY Howard
crazed knight. The play was Baron Rudolph, ~
and 1t was through the impersonation of the
| principal character that the actor became n
y,
baron became a dcmented tramp and was
depicted with great fervor and vividness by
Knight, but without success as a means of d.
| version. Audiences found the tramp an I'M
pleasant fellow, and all tine more so by reason
| OF the actors clever imitation of the genuine
| thing. They had been accustomed to merri-
| ment In this dialect actor, and they wouldn t
accept his pathos in rags. Only one speech of
| his was satisfactory in the whole play.
"What do you want?' he was asked by a man
| into whose doorway he had strolled.
Thereupon the scarecrow of a wanderer sur
| veyed his own plight rnefully and responded:
''BleaSe dell Inc Something's vat dond want"
Knight now occupies himself day after day
IN meandering through his role in Baron
Rudolph daZedly and indistinctly except when
he comes to the one utterance which used TO
gain round of laughter and applause, but
that passage he delivers invariably for its full
dramatic worth, and he imagines that he hears
the responsive noise of audience. After
ward he mumbles incoherently about the fate
OF the piece, beseeching imaginary friends and
enemies to give it one more chance, and fuctu-
atlng weakly between elatlon and despair.
HOW HE DISCOVERED THE CHARACTER
Knight had saved about $4,000 from his
stage success since quitting the variety shows
and going into comic farce when he hit upon
man who. as he believed, constituted good
character for the stage. This person was n
characterization. who, although driven by mental
and physical weakness to thoughts of suicide.
proudly resented an offer of aims He spoke
the broken English Of an educated German
and wore his rags with the air of a gentleman
Knight encountered him in the street and at
once concluded that he had found the stage
parsonage whom he had been seeking He
paid So, 900 cash down to Bronson Howard to
write suitable play and subsequently as much
more in royalties.
Public critics and judicious personal friends
alike decided at once that though the work of
playwright and actor was praiseworthy, their
best joint efforts could not put a repulsiye-
looking tramp into general dramatic heroism
Knight wouldn't accept the verdict and lost his
last sense ana cents In trying to reverse it, He
dies a lunatic. like the man in whom he dis
covered the fatal character of Baron Ru-
dolph."
FOR TIE SAKE OF LINcoLN's MEMORY.
In these days of covert booming it is not
easy to discriminate between news matter and
advertising devices. So, while it is a fact that
man has been busy ascertaining whether il ia
actually intended to put the assassination of
Apraham Lincoln into drama, and it is be-
lieved that he Is employed by the law firm
which includes William ~ Eyarts nobody can
be free Of suspicion that his errand isn't after
all. trick OF the proposed plays promoters.
1nere has been great deal of talk and sur
mise as to what Booth might do in regard to
theatrical representation of Wilkes Booth q
crime; and now. just as it is sensibly con-
eiuded that the eminent tragedian could do
nothing preventive or suppressiye comes this
supposed action for the sake of L,ncoln's
memory. The story goes that sensitive ad-
mlrers OF the nartyred President being
shocked by the announcement that the prcai
tragedy OF assassination is to be enacted in
mmicry by play actors. have determined to
save the subject from what they deem desecro-
tion. 80 far as the theatrical venture is con-
cerned 1T Is meant to be an artis.ically sedate
and commercially business-like affair and il
would, OF course, gain money value from any
opposition that fell short of prohibition
1t Is said that Congress will be asked to pass a
law against making a theatrical show OF the
murder of President. When it is considered
that passion play was stopped by law in New
York only few years ago it is not difficult to
conceive OF legislative action of the kind de-
| sired by Lincoln anti-dramatic friends
One of the few actors that have not gone to
Europe this summer was treating his artistic
soul TO soft shell crabs and beer in a Broadway
restaurant the other night, and to the admiring
crowd surrounding him he gave some interest,"
Ing Ideas OF the fascinating trade he follows
AT SWORDS POINTS.
Zone of tho pleasant things in our business ~
said he, lis having to play the lover to woman
| that you would like to boil. Oh, it's lovely to
caress and swear eternal affection to a woman
who is doing her best to queer YOU at every
point. l suppose that it is the usual thing for
|
leading woman. They clash at the start, Won
| see In sentimental play the question is
whether the hero or heroine will be the central
great character. The leading woman is sure TO
believe the play is all hers and the leading man
has precisely the contrary notion. Hence the
| enmity
There has been any quantity Of men come to
me and say: by Jove, dear boy, envy YOU
your chance Of playing your part with such q
sweet creature as Miss So-and-So.' Ali the
time Miss So-and-So and simply loathe each
! other and would just as soon kiss door ma,
as kiss her. I've had some tough experiences
| Of this kind. / have more than once PLAYED
leading business in a theater where the leading
! woman and never addressed word to each
other except ION the stage. 1 have had to
kiss lips that had deluged me with gross in
suits and offer to die defending the good name
of woman who hated me as though / were q
snake.
| JEALOUSY AND HATRED.
zone case in particular was very painful.
and the leading lady had had frightful row,
the elimination Of weeks of jealousy and sauab-
| bling. She had called me some OF the hardest
names had ever heard and had threatened
| to call In policeman and have her elected
| from the premises. 1t was that sort of a wild,
vulgar Tight you know. That night we played
| our lover parts usual. l had gone through
the most difficult scenes heroically, not shirk-
ing the caresses at any point. She had little &c
| DO but submit. but in tho third act she had a