The evening times., 1897-02-22
PRESERVATION" HAS STRUCK
Mrs. Gertrude Bangs Burnes Will
Not Sing in Priscilla"
Trouble Among the Cast Because
One of the Principals Is
to Be Paid.

A rivalry has sprung up among the mem-
bcrs Of the cast of Priscilla, - the pretty,
new comic opera, that is to be given at
the Columbia Theater at two matinees
next week Some of the talent originally
selected will not appear. What effect
this will have on tie final presentations
remains to be seen. The advance agents
have advertised the opera To be given with
combined cast and chorus OF seventy-fivc
members. The cast is rightly limited TO
ten of these. That would, of course. leave
sixty-five for the chorus II would be
easy to find 165, so the knowing ones
say, for the chorus, but TO secure half a
score of good performers is rather
difficult task, under certain conditions
These conditions are said To have arisen
in Priscilla" aud only few days ago
there was furry and flutter among the
members who were to take part The
opera, according to the handbills is 10 he
gwen under the auspices Of the Lady
Washington Chapter of the Daughters OF
the American Revolution. As everyone
knows, the Daughters want 10 erect
continental hall in this city, and they are
bending every effort o. raise the money
as soon as possible The members Of the
Lady Washington chapter hit upon thr
happy idea of presenting Priscilla "a
furnish their share OF the contribution 10
the general fund.
When the members OF Martha Washing
ton Chapter conceived the idea OF giving
the opera they concluded to ask the per
formers TO sing without pay. The chorus
readily aSsented il is said. and appli
cations for places in that end OF the per
formance came in fast With the cast it
was different. Some Of the solicited ones
consented after it had been pointed out to
them that the chapter was not OpUleut
nd that the object Of the performances
was grand national institution. The
advertisement and the practice were also
incidentally referred TO as arguments in
favor Of voluntary services.
1t was decided best to have the original
producers of the opera come on and super
wise the rehearsals and the productions.
Mr. Seager. of Boston, is in the city now
for tEat purpose Mr.. Carol Z. Macomb-
er is also coming from the Hub, and he
will direct the public presentations Re
hearsals have been in progress foI more
than a week
Everything went merrily until it was
hinted that not all of the members of the
cast were giving their services volun-
tariIy One of the first to find this out
was Mrs. Gertrude L. Bangs Burnes. She
is a pretty little woman, who Won Tau
Iels in the presentation of ''Coronet and
Coin" under the auspices OF number
Of society patronesses She was to take
the part of Resignation in Priscilla.
Resignation is a comedienne in the opera.
and acts rather than sings
Mrs. Bangs Burnes recognized her own
talent, and protested that if other mem
bers of the cast were paid she should be
paid also She was told that the primd
donna, Mrs Shir-Cliff, was to he re-
munerated She saw no reason why her
services should not be as valuable. She
therefore withdrew from the cast and
will not appear, she stated. 1t is under
stood that other members, inspired by the
same reasons, will also withdraw.
II do not feel that | can afford To CON
tribute my time, talent and energies to
aid an organization that is able to pay
for services" said Mrs Bangs Burnes last
evening To- a Times reporter. Especially
is this true when other so-called amateurs
are paid for their work and when that
work is no harder than the role assigned
to myself. / believe that there should be
no one-sided dealings in these things
Among those who, it is said. have con-
sented to appear are Miss Edna Scott
Smith, as Barbara: Miss Edna B. Doe; as
Faith: Miss Corine MacFarland, as Pru-
dence, and Mr.. w. H. Conley. as Higgins.