Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-09-04
MUSIC AND DRAMA
The Theaters Already Open Have
Done Good Business.
CASTLE SQUARE OPERA COMPANY
1t viii Reopen at the Columbia a
Week Hence.
Y I l.. r f 5 TIN Ct Cos SIP

Tie TWO theaters that opened Monday
the Academy ana Grand ODera House
have done fairly well for the first week in
the season. although the weather has been
such that the open air afforded more COM
fort than sitting in well-filled playhouse
Mr.. Downing has added to his reputation
by the excellent work he has done in "Vir-
GiEius.' ''Othello' and David Laroque. -
TIE last named play also gave him an op-
pCrtunity to display his versatility, and
there are some who think he appeared to
be liter advantage as the French factory
master than in the heavier tragic roles.
Tonight he will appear in the Gladiator,
a part that he has made peculiarly his own.
The version employed by Mr.. Downing is
Saumet's. the same used by Salvini: 5ut
ii is regretted that he is not able to use Dr.
Pird's play of the same title. 1t was in
that play that Mr.. Downing in his early
career as a star made marked impress
sion. and there is probably no actor now
before the public who could realize so well,
both in physique, voice and tempe rament
tie character of Spartacus.
Vaudeville at the Grand Opera House has
been successful. most of the people being
excellent. Lew Dockstader is, of course.
ire star feature of the program, and each
night he has been called back again and
again ny tne audience who have laughed at
lis br' Sht local hits.
en-Echo-on-t he-Potomac mas had big
ger audiences than the combined theaters
Tor IL is Il pleasant trip out there and the
aual5oTium is delightfully."- cool. Haley
pahd mas jumped at once into popular
favor and will continue to play there prob
ably until the season closes
Ihere VIII be no new openings next week
put on the Eth all the playhouses will he
In running order, the Lafayette Souare
opening with Maud Adams in The Little
Munster. the Columbia being occupied nv
T',i oashe square Opera Company and the
-N''tlofstl presenting the veriscope represen-
t&tlohs OF the Fftzsimmons- Corbett fight
1t Is reported in Chicago that Daniel
Frohnan has eng ged Hobart C,batf;a ala
Iayior 10 write a play on modern sociat,,
Tor the Lyceum Theater. For New YorL
manager to go to Chicago after a society
play Is a bold experiment. If it were mere
~ a pain play drama there nipbt he :.
chance of pulling it through with GOOD
company and plenty of advertising even If
Lne symptoms of genius shown by this
uitttahle hte~ateur should fail to mater
1alize But If there is anything upon which
New York does assume to be critical IT. ia
society. II 10
intre are few men in the theatrical
world who have anything like as wi5a = .
hhoWiedge OF current affairs as Lew Dock
stader: He has made it a study of localjz-
ing ms act until it has become almost
he
pears he selects themes that are nersop
any familiar to his audience. and in com
PehSation for the work and study involved
mas inc satisfaction of being welcomed as
one OF tne absolutely reliable entertainers
Inc trouble to which he goes in produc
ing new material naturally makes him
sehsluFe concerning the epithet 'anti-
dua.eu, winch 1t is custom to hurI In
Slscrlnllnately against the burnt-cork
numorists stock in trade. In one of the
towns where he appeared this season a
hewspf per reporter took occasion to an
ply tl,at term to his act. He had been at
particular pains to have wealth of in
11genous topics on hand and the audience
had given him an ovation. He was rather
surprised when young man called on him
ana demanded that he omit a verse from
one of his topical songs He exnIained
tnat nobody else had objected and that
some people had even gone SO far as to
enjoy it. - "
Perhaps You don't know who I am
said the young man. II am the critic for
the So-and-So. wrote that notice of your
show Monday night"
" hen Dockstader had recovered from
the frdnkness of the revelation he shook
MS index finger sOlemnly at his caller ard
said:
Young man, let me tell you something.
III you feel like roasting anybody. go ahead
ana roast him. 1t is your great and glori-
Gus privilege as an eminent Journalist But
don't go around to him afterward and ask
favors Of him And let me tell you some
nave discovered on competent and cor
roborated authority that / had more news
In my act last Monday night than you
have had In your whole blooming paper
tor a month";
Otis Skinner appears to be dissatisfied
with the praise which his acting has won
him, and to be clinging to his old ambi-
ton TO be a dramatist as we'll as play
wright. He outlines the story of his play
LOT next season, and gives the title as
Prince Rudolph The description he gives
seems to identify il with the charming
story by Robert Louis Stevenson entitled
Prince Otto- The task of preparing II
for the stage without sacrificing its deli
caey of workmanship will not be an easy
one. and it is to be hoped that Mr.. Skin
ner will in this connection prove himself
as accomplished adapter as he is a
player.
Coyne Fletcher's play a Bachelors
Baby appears to- have settled down to a
comfortable season at the Murray Hill
Theater, with Mckee Rankin as the star
Miss Martha Morton. who has written a
number Of successful plays, has married a
New York merchant. One of the advan-
taSes possessed by an authoress over an
actress is that the public does not expect
her 7" indulge in any twaddle about being
we iied 20 her art" 1t would indeed be
IN injustice of fate if those who contrib
ate "a mucn 20 making the world happier
should be themselves debarred from SEN
Time nts that are genuine and tender.
Richard Mansfel1's association with A.
NJ Palmer should be productive of inter
estirg results. IL is to be feared that
heretofore Mr.. Mansfield has taken advan-
tdSe OF a certain balance of notoriety in
his faEor TO oVerawe the gentlemen who
undertook to be his manager In Mr.. Pal
mers case il is different. He has not al
lowed himself To indulge in anything so
unnIslneSS-ike as sef-eMacement. In a
Case where some doubt existed as to
whether the delighted audience was cali
ing foT an actor or the manager. he has
been known to take the center OF the stage
and make curtain Speech as gracefully
as Mansfield himself could do it,
The Sunday Night Music Club met a; Mr.
Won WimpfYen's, LIST street northwest
Ihe program consisting of three of Beeth-
ovens 0vertures, E.ymont, Prometheus and
COriola aus, and the allegro from Mozart
twentieth piano concerto. Miss Rebecca
Behread playing the solo piano part, with
special arrangement of the orche stral
ccoTHpaniment for quintet of strings.
One of the many sufferers through the
Din.ley bill is Miss Eva Taylor, who plays
the part % the Tarrytown Widow in the
cOm-dy of that name, under the direction
Of MeSsrs. ID. W. Truss q Co. Miss Tay-