Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1894-09-16

ally consisted or from thirty 70 loisJ
people, every one Of whom was q nrst-
class actor or actress In his or her llne'
and every one OF whom strOve to do the
very best he or she possibly could with
every part assigned them. The utility
men took Just as much pains win d
part OF eight or ten lines as the leading
man did with his role. Nowadays a
| utility nan would not play such . part
II he could possibly could get out OF IT,
q super would have to be put in for IT,
IN THE GOOD OLD TIMES.
Everyb body in the cast would be letter
perfect in the lines OF his part at tue
first rehearsal. Now you will see them
reading at the last one, and on the
night OF the first performance you Will
see them with a book IN their hands
every moment that they are not on the
stage, aud worried 10 death for fear
| they will forget something. The plays
presented were standard tragedies,
dramas, comedies and farces. The per-
Torrance began at 1880 o'clock sharp
and lasted until eleven, often much
later-especially on benefits nights
Between the pieces, for there were
always at least two, Of which the latter
was . farce-there would be a song or a
dance, so that there was never a walt or
a dull moment for the spectators from
the beginning TO the end OF the per
formance. Many people who atterward
achieved fame as great actors and
actresses began by thus filling In Whist
would otherwise have been tedious
waits. Among such was the late +. l..
Davenport, who when q young man bad
a very good voice aud often sang be-
tween the acts.
After an absence OF several years /
returned TO philadelphia with my hus-
band, the late John E. Drew, in the
season OF 1S5l-52, and we were both en-
gagged as members OF the stock company
at the old Chestnut Street Theatre,
under the Management Of Mr.. Quinlan.
Mr.. Drew made his first bow to a Phila-
delphia audience on August rs, 1852, as
Trapante in Cibber's comedy Of "She
Would and She Would Not" l APP
peared as Donna Hypolita. Mr.. Drew
made a pronounced hit, and later in the
season appeared as DR.. O'TOole in the
Irish Tutor" and in that part gave
the public an intimation OF that de-
lightful style OF Irish portraiture which
afterward made his reputation world
wide.
william WheariOH who aiterwSrd'
made a large fortune while manager Of
Ni0lo's Garden, New York, by the pro-
duction OF Jarrett and Palmer's BLACK
Crook, was then a dashing Juvenile &C
tor and a great favorite with Philadel-
phla theatre goers. He and my hus-
band, anxious TO try their hands at man
agement, leased the Arch Street Thea
ire, Philadel phia, and opened IL on Au-
gust %, 1855, with Bulwer's comedy OF
Money" then highly popular. l
made my first appearance under their
management on the 10Th of the follow
ing December, as Constance In THE
Love Chase" which held the stage till
the goth, when appeared as Lady Vol
atile in paris and London" which
proved a success. During that season
l appeared as Jane Shore, Beatrice in
Much Ado About Nothing" Mrs. Oak
ley, in The Jealous wife," Young Nor
val. Widow Chesely, and other widely
divergent parts, being most kindly re-
ceived in all.
II was during their management OF
the Arch that Wheatley and Drew gave
an elaborate production OF Shakes
psare's Comedy OF Errors" which had
an unprecedently long run for those
days. John Drew aud his brother
Frank, played the two Dromois, and
William Whestley and L.. Z. Shewell
played the two Antipholi.
NEVER EQUALLED SINCE.
1t is doubtful II that performance OF
those parts has ever been equalled
since. The two Dromois were sued a
perfect counterpart OF each other, as
were also the two Antipholi, thatit was
utterly impossible TO tell them apart.
One night Mrs. WheatleY called Mr..
| Shewell aside behind the scenes and
conversed with him ten minutes on do
nestle matters before she discovered
J that IL was not her husband to whom
she was talking. On another occasion
! Frank Drew waS "~indisposed" and my
husband PLAYED both Dromois until the
last scene, when they came together
for the first time. Frank recovered
sufficiently TO appear in the final scene,
and the audience never suspected the
doubling John had done.
In 1855 Mr.. Drew retired from the
management and made a starring tour
Of England aud Ireland, which was
phenomenally successful. On his re-
turn he again caught the management
fever. lie leased the National latter
ward called the Continental) theatre,
on Walnut street, Philadelphia, and
opened il May 16, 1857, with the "NaIad
Queen" The company was an
unusually strong one even for
those days, and included Joseph Jeffer-
son, the late Edwin Adams, the late
| Mary Devlin, aiterward Mrs. Edwin
Booth, George Boniface aud others.
The venture proved unfortunate and
the house was closed after the months
Of losing business. During the season
Of 1S57-5S my husband and myself were
| members OF tie stock company at the
Walnut Street Theatre, Philadelphia,
then under the management OF Mrs. ID.
z. Bowers. After a farewell benefit at
that house In November, 1858, Mr.. Drew
made a length tour OF California aud
Australia meeting with great success
everywhere.
MRS. REv A MANAGEKESs.
After the retirement Of Mr.. Drew
from the management Of the Arch Street
Theater, his former partner, Mr.. Wheat
ley, had formed q new partnership with
Mr.. John ). Clark, but they gave up
the house at the close Of the season Of
1S6O-61. l then became the leasee OF
that popular old-time theater and con-
tinued as such for many years. MIR.
Drew returned from his Australian tour
in 1862, aud rs%appeared at the Arch