The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1895-12-28

the low coutediiin to the leading lover,
all the personnel Of n well.1ppotnted the
a,rical company have been fitted out from
the material with which the dusty, property
room was once Uttered.
Ia- The puint room lies ut the right OF the
property room. Looking upward from here
the massive hand-hewn timbers which.
heavily bolted. support the theater. can
be seen. The old pafBtfrdIne on which many
u scenic Artist has worked hiAfha gtc wonders
is literally worm eaten.
IN AlODg,tlle gallery over the right side Of
the stage number OF dressing-rooms are
situated. These were crow ded with quaint
properties In AianagcrKelly slime. Against
the outer wall OF one of the dressing-rooins
still stands high, STRAIGHTFORWARD Shak-
sperian chair, such as Is used in the banquet
scene In "Macbeth' This chair has been
about the theater for fifty years. and has
been occupied In itsday by Kean, Ma cready.
Edwin Forrest and the elder Booth.
A DIFFICULT JOURNEY.
The route from 1.-The narrow shaky gal
lefy to The dome OF the theater is
tOrtuOus, not 10 my- dangerous, one, and
the journey taunM be made without the
assistance OF lantern, At the end OF
gallery on the prompt side OF the stage,
or rigilt.hand side as one faces the au-i
alitoriun, Is the top Of the prosceDium
though faded. drop curtain still hangs.
The picture ON the curtain represents an
Italian scene, with an ancient ruin and
dancing peasants in the foreground. The
drum over which this curtain formerly
rolled has been dsuasi since 1856, man.
lager Kelly having discarded 1t for the
more convenient and modern slides, by
means OF which 1.-THE rag" Is whisked
bodily up into the flies.
The floor of the dome" or large room
over the auditorium Is so thickly padded
with dust that the footballs of visitors TO
the theater are scarcely audible. Here
are many singular old theatrical aces
sories. Ono Is a coffin containing papier
mache cadaver, which was used In some
long forgotten melOdraina. The other
truck 10 OF a paRtOmimlc character, ex-
cept q most uncomfortable bench taken
from the orchestra circle OF the theater
by Manager Kelly. Upon 1t sat in gloomy
grandeur those who heard Jenny Lind
and paid jewelry prices for the privilege.
Under the auditorium and beneath the
sidewalk level on the eastern side OF the
theatcr is a circus ring marked by a rail
about three feet high. The center OF the
circle Is filled with dry, hard earth, and
from II, on the side OF the rail next TO
where the audience sat, the IlOOr slopes
away at steep angle for the better vision
OF sght-seers. Access To the ring in Tor
have nearly oil been brcked up by the
present management. Horses were brought
in from large stables, which may still be
seen near the Front street side of the bui.d-
ing, AMI the performers dressed IN rooms
which iatterly were used for other pur-
poses. The theater was SO arranged that
upon the removal of the sea Is and floor OF
the auditorium those sitting in the parquet
and the first and secoud balconies could see
down into the ring, the seats which sur
rounded the ring when Kelly and Collier
leased the trelter. forming fourth circle.
sUBTERRANEAN CURIOSITIEs.
From the ring the space under the stage,
thick with matted bla ok cobwebs and APP
pliances for working star, .'sink" and
vampire. trsp s. is but a shor, distance. |
Here may still be seen the subterranean
stables an which Cookies fifty horses were
consumed by fire, and In the Janitor's
apartm efts adjoining are old plaster
moids and strange display wood-cuts used.
by Manager blanchard. repre-
senting equesfrians in all sorts OF at lit udes |
which. although consid cred Impossible
OF executiou at tie time those bills were
upon an unsuspecting public,
are now accomplished every day in mod
ern circuses and horse shows.
Front Street Theater is not. as some
suppose, the Oldest playhouse in Amer
lea. 1t is considerably antedated by tile
ACai ensy., OF Music in Savannah, Ga.
which was erected in 1896. AT one time
the Front WAS managed by the late Will
lam +. Burton, the great comedian, who
conducted ittn conjunction with the Arch
Street Tieater In Philadelphia. Burton
retained the old playhouse for eighteen
years. with the laie Thaddeus E. Barton
OF this city as resident manager. During
his snianagsneao, NJ. and Mrs. Charles
Reane appearest there fer the first tinsc In
America after their MA rriage. Mrs.
keane's maiden stage name was Ellen |
Tree. Macready and a strong company |
also vpla yed here under this management. |
When Mr.. Barton succeeded Burton as |
sole manager or the Front. Dan Rice's |
circus appeared there. Manager Barton |
also engaged Jenny Lind through 7. T. |
iiarnunI- ami, during lIer engagement gave |
a concert for the benefit Of the school |
children OF Baltimore, from q 900 to 5000 |
Of whom were packed in the ancient struc-
ture like sardines. '-' 9T'
Mrs. W. J. Florence, who was kno wn in |
the profession as Nrs. Annie Lyttell be-
fore her marriage with the favorite come
dian, used to sing and dance between the
pieces, at the old Front under Barton's