Evening star., 1897-06-12
THINGS THEATRICAL
Opera Still Holds Sway at the La
fayette Square.
ANOTHER new COMEDY 1t COLUMBIA
High Class Vaudeville Appears to
Have Caught On.
SOME INTERESTING CHAT

II bless my Washington season for one
thing especially" said James o. Barrows,
the popular comedian Of the Columbia
Stock Company, "and that Is 1t bids fair
to relieve me Of the curse Of being one
part actor. This is one of the greatest
misfortunes that can befan a player who
takes some little pride in versatility, and
who, Hike all men, Hikes a little change once
In a while. But If he happens, even by ac-
cident, to make q particular hit in one
character, he is likely to find himself con-
fined to that line of parts for the rest of
his stage life Managers, who are un-
willing to try experiments, cannot see him
In anything else, and the public soon be-
Genes accustomed to associating him with
that same style. And the climax comes
when they begin to tire of too much of a
sameness and say: oh, he's always the
same-he's tiresome E. s. Willard and
Olga Nethersole. you know, had to come to
America to escape their regulations as per-
trayers of villains and adventuresses, while
Lewis Morrison has become SO thoroughly
identified with the role of Mephistopheles
that people cannot credit him with being a
guileless man on the stage.
Now, while / do not mean to compare
myself with these players, have been suf-
fering from very similar experience. Dur
ing the nine years have been with Froh-
three OF these have been comic Irishmen.
l played the Irish sergeant in Shenandoah
for three years, following it with two years
as the Irish corporal in The Girl Left
Behind and then as the very bad Irish
man in the Fatal Card In fact, folks be-
gan to suspect me of being a member Of
the Clan-na-Gael.
Now, the queer part of It Ia that I
never had the slightest inclination toward
this line Of parts, and fell into them only
by accident. OF course, had played Irish
parts out on the Pacific coast. where 1 was
for years q member Of McGuire's Stock
Company at the Baldwin Theater, San
Francisco. But then I played everything
out there, including juvenile lovers roles
although I'm afraid Washington people will
find that difficult to believe In that COM
pany were Jefreys Lewis, then in his
prime; Rose Coghlan, James ONeill, Lewis
Morrison and James A. Hearne, and we
supported such stars as Adelaide Nelson,
Barry Sullivan and Clara Morris. But nv
record was unknown in the east. and when
! made success as the Irish sergeant.
that settled IT. True, / played Mai. Put
nam In the first road company which Dam
lei Frohman sent out in The Wife but
Irish roles seemed to be my fate.
Finally I went to Mr.. Frohman and re-
quested TO be naturalized, SO he gave me
the part Of the Counsellor, in The Counsel
lor's Wife which was produced at the EN-
pire Theater. 1t was a great opportunity
for me. and I did my best to improve 1t.
but unfortunately for me, the piece did not
run long. Accordingly, one of the princi-
pal reasons which led me to seek a sum.
mer stock engagement was to get away
from Irish parts. have nothing against
the nationality but I lonsed for a change
ran nrue' IN In, running M away from funny Irish
old gentlemen, but I beg to assure nv nv
friends In front that am no more OF
gay old boy than T am Of an Irishman
But am crank on cycling, and every
minute I get away from work spend on
this splendid asphalt. Washington ii A
regular paradise for wheelmen."
William Winter Jefferson. youngest son
OF the famous comedian and dean Of the
Players Guild in America, Is one of the
most promising young members of the Co.
iumbia Stock Company. Although only a
Doy IN appearance, and eminently fitted for
Juvenile roles, he has kept people guessing
by his many different DISCUSSES up to date.
His pei sormance Of several old mems roles
was surprise even to those who know
him best. while last week he got the ut
most possible out Of the small part Of
Jones. in "One Touch Of Nature" In addi-
uon to his talent as an actor young Jeffer--
son possesses considerable ability as a mu-
Jefferson family. Joseph Jefferson, as ia
well known. being an accomplished land
scape painter. Young Jefferson's fayorite
instrument is the cello. upon which he is
him a splendid old instrument. costing
Sll,OOO but this is too rare to carry with
him on his travels, so young Jefrersoy,
Keeps 1t In a safe deposit vault and
amuses am himself on a $500 cello. which he
has brought to Washington with him.
Joseph Jefferson Is an indulgent father
and this recalls good story on the iunior
seHerson. sei Last summer some Of his school
paea lr,ehos were IRE coming on visit to Buzzard's
Bay, and w. w. was anxious to give them
special spread Accordingly he secured
carte blanche from his father to buy inst
such breakfast as he wanted. He went
t 10 .ne CITY, and soon all sorts of bundles,
9cxes and packages began to arrive at the
JeHerson cottage. w. w. insisted on super.
intending the whole affair himself. prondiv
conscious %,ns OF his abilities as caterer.
candied fruits and delicacies Of ali kinds
Dut no soltds-meats, potatoes or the nlaln
stan OF life-he had forgotten Completely
to order any.
MISS Pearl Evelynne. the bright little
California girl who plays ingenue roles
with the Columbia Stock Company, was
natner @ 81 surprised when; on distribution of
parts Ior "A Man With q Past" she was
assigned the character of Hindoo damsei,
VINO Is required to speak in the native iia
!ect, as well as broken English. OF course.
In. tne alndoo words were written in the text.
put tney conveyed no meaning to Miss
Evelynne, and moreover she did not know
now TO pronounce them. But thanks tn
her experience in the San Francisco stock
companies. she knew that when a plaver
Is handed part, like a reporter with an
assignment, he is expected to get it some
way. So, nothing daunted, she started out
In search OF a professor Of oriental Ian
guages She found one. a Persian gen
tleman, who speaks all the principal east
ern tongues. and for nearly two weeks
she studied under him assiduously. The
result is that, within the limits OF the
lines set down in her part, she can gabble
Hindostanee as volubly as any native Of
the banks of the Ganges. Moreover. she
finds 1t very useful addition to her vo-
cabulary, for when in an argument with
any OF the members of the company she
let's of a volley of words that sound like
cross between Chinese and Choctaw the
opposition are silenced, being unable to tell
II she !s swearing at them or not. And
Miss Evelynne herself does not know.
A bright addition to the Columbia Stock
Company is Miss Jeanette Farrell, who
VIII play the part of Mrs. Buff in "a Man
With a Past" She was formerly with Maj
G. Goodwin, and has been especially en-
gagged for this role. which Is something
Ike that Of the East Indian widow In 1.-The
Cherry Pickers''
Joseph Sheehan. the tenor of the Castle
Square Company, had few rather un-
comfortable moments in his dressing room
at the Lafayette last Thursday night and
all IL