The morning times., 1896-08-09
Greenroom and Foyer.
-HE summer comedy season, which
closed last night after eight success.
fui weeks in battle against the heat
andpubiic purse, hasleft behind many

---HE summer comedy season, which
closed last night AFTER eight success
fui weeks in battle against the heat
andpubiic purse, hasleft behind many
pleasant memories. The public will
remember il for tie new friends and Old,
the repeated favorites and fist nights.
The opening was dubious. Up TO The morn
ing of opening no one knew whether the
play and players would in the evening be
found at the National or at 4lie Grand.
Nevertheless, Tie opening was big. The
very discussion of whereabouts seemed to
have whcttcd public curiosity. Moreover,
there were too many familiar names in the
cast to keep the public away.
"CoDfusiGn,'' the. first Lii, was ere OF
the successes. DIR. Bilr' is remembered
for a hilarious second act, and THE
Private Secretary for Charley Ccote's
amusing cura,e. Turned Up" was not
an uproarious success. but tue least OF
the season was pleasant diversion. Then
came SNOWFALL" prime favorite, fol-
lowed by another repetition, My Awful
Dad" The Dad won't Lear scrutiny, but
the laughs were all here. School stands
out as the opc dramatic piece of the season,
which closed in with he farce, The Magis-
trate."
Washington dramatists monopoIized the
curtain raisers. "A Summer shower
which preceded Confusion" aud "a Bit
of Gi!bert's Gaiatea'' Were the only ones
OF foreign manufacture. Nancy" don't
count 1t was OF English construction and
had to be taken off after the first per
formance Everyone who saw Mil lard
Holcomb's Her Last Rehearsal car
ried away favorable Impressions of its
cleverncss, and Paul wiisiach's Bridget"
and Buff met hearty response ut each
performance.
6ood-by to the players means au revoir.
No one whu saw the company would wish
for single change. Frederic Bond Is 4
host in himself. Handsome Charley
Mackay is dear TO every Washington girls
matinee heart. Honest Johu Findlay and
versatile Percy Brooke have kindred inches
high in LOCAL affections. Our Billy"
Boag gave many notable chara ctcrizatiOns
during the eight Weeks which emphasized
his abilities as an artist and made us glad
he belongs to this city. AIR. Hutson aud
Mr. Stevens bear with them the sacred
satisfaction Of small things We'll done.
.-Of the ladies', how shall the honest COM
plments be distributed and no sting Of
Partially? None is meant Edythc Chap
man came Il compa rativc stranger, she
leaves warm friend of all the stock Pa
irons. She came with reputation Tor
tragedy and classic drama and leaves with
Il scrapbook bullying with praise OF her
comedy powers. Agnes Findlay Should sure
ly belong to Washington. No summer stock
would be complete without her susceptible
old maids and taDtalizing housekeepers.
Mary Sanders does belong to Washington.
We are proud of her. She Is as clever a
little actrc as faces the footiights IN
season. When she plays maids every man
in the audience would fam know the IN
telIigence office when she registers and
when she plays the pretty younger sister
it's the elder brother or the fortunate
sweetheart who is most envied. Britta
Marti is remembered as the beauty of the
company. She is 4 novice and developed
even as the season progressed. Miss
Parker and Miss Seaman are two Washing
ton girls vino played small parts con
spicuously well They are going their
ways, seine to take engagements. some 10
seek them, ami may thos. that have them
keep them to rcnorn ami profit, ana those
who haven't get them speedily and sat
isfactorily.