Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-03-26

Bride-EIect.' has done the banner business
at the Lafayette this week, and yet there
are those who claim that the receipts of
the week will not equal those of Frank
Daniels engagement at the Columbia. The
management of the latter house claim that
their affidavit as to Daniels business can
not be equaled. At that house this week
young Leon Hermann has proved worthy
successor to his uncle, the great Herr
mann, while Nine. Hermann, in her beau
tiful creations, has reached the poetry of
motion and the most artistic combinations
of light effects ever seen. What Hap
pened to Jones' is not good a repeater
as some attractions, but Joe OFT in the
Star Gazer" has been very much in evil
dence. AT the Grand Blue Jeans has
done good business, and by the way Mr.
Arthur, the author of that thrilling DRAMA
is being congratulated on the success of it's
production in London.
Il wasn't so sanguine of Blue Jeans >
success abroad" said he the other day.
but Mr.. Nethersole has written me in
closing criticisms from all the leading Lon
don papers, all of which are favorable.
Even Clement Scott says, The author of
blue Jeans" is all right. 1t is long time
since We enjoyed play SO much Messrs.
Nethersole and Bateman, who made the
London production, state that the play
went with the greatest enthusiasm and
that there is every prospect for long
and successful run. 1 am gratified at the
favor with which American plays are be-
ing received in England. Already several
notable successes have been made and my
own play. The Still Alarm. if you re-
member, made big hit. Now that Blue
Jeans has caught on, to use our own ex-
pressive yernacular, / am again glad
American plays are educating the Eng
hsh people, those who have never had an
opportunity of visiting this country into
a better understanding of our habits and
inll ie,.
feeling among Englishmen for us who are
their cousins across the water" Mr.
Arthur did not say that he was at work
upon a play, but with his known
capacity for hard work and his ambition
to improve upon his former efforts 1t is
safe to predict that he has already
mapped out the scenario for play that
will surpass anything that has heretofore
Gene from his pen.
Next week will be an interesting one at
the theaters- Days company will be at
the Columbia in two plays new to this
city, there will be revival Of TOO Much
johnson at the National. a return of AT
Piney Ridge at the Academy. Uncle
Toms Cabin at the Grand and the first
production on any stage of Beside the
Bonnie Br1er Bush at the Lafayette
Square. Speaking of this dramatization of
Ian Maclaren's stories, Mr.. Frank Perley.
VIII, has come to look after the final
rehearsals and to see that the play Is prop
erly launched, said: "Of course, you can
never tel exactly what pubic Wants,
nor can you predict with accuracy what
will be the verdict upon new play, but
this seems to have the elements of success
The book has had greater sale even than
'Trilby;' the author was the most SUCCESS
full in his tour of this country since Stan
ley. and the characterization has had mis- ap-
prevail. and when a Scotch Presbyterian
clergyman will write approvingly of play
there must be something good in it. Again,
in this play there is the first attempt, to
my knowledge, to make a hero out of
physician. and this is novelty. The COM
pany is composed of the best people OBJ
tarable in the profession, and the produc
ton will be complete the most ar
tistic work make it. With all these
elements of success it seems to me that
the play should meet with great favor"
Miss Coyne Fletcher, the authoress.
whose latest play, 'Yvolna,'' has recently
been accepted by Olga Nethersole, has
oeived a contract signed by Miss Neither
sole. in which the actress accepts the play
and agrees to produce it early next season.
Miss Nethersole last week gave out in Lon
don some facts regarding the play in a
general sense The story is adapted from
the French by Miss Fletcher, who acknOwl-
edges its source. but she has worked out
the play and elaborated it until 1t is almost
3 new story. The scene is laid in Carthage
az the time that nation was at the height
OF it's power. 1t is d gic love story with
q most dramatic ending.
Miss Fletcher submitted the play to
Fanny Davenport, who returned it with
producing :. play in the style called for by
the FIVE acts was appalling, and that she
could not consider such an expenditure at
present Miss Nethersole will produce the
play in the elaborate manner planned by
the author. Miss Fletcher is nego-
tiating for the production of her latest
work, an irish drawing room play, entitled
The Heroes of Ninety-eight."
Mnt G. Barlow. the old-time minstrel,
tells good story of an Uncle Tom pro-
Boston, Z few years ago. Clay NJ. Green,
whose version was being played, put the
p-ece on ir Boston. where it had a success
full run. and then went into New York with
the prestige of the Boston production be-
hind ii. In Boston q little girl had charm
insly played the part of little Eva, but in
New York the agents of the Gerry Society
ordered that the child be taken out of the
cast as she was under the age at which
children are allowed to play in the metrop-
oils.
The notice was short and the manage
Tnent was in despair. AS there was no one
ready to take the role at 4 moments no
tice, il was decided to put in the cast a
member Of the company who was almost IS
tall as Barlow and weighed 100 pounds,
while she had brogue that Mr.. Barlow
describes being thick enough to cut
The lady knew the lines pretty well, how
ever. and She was made UP for the part
with short skirts and a blonde wig. To the
sui greater disHay of the manager, the
lady who played the part of Topsy was
taken i'll very suddenly. Her place was
filed by woman who never was intended
by nature to play a soubret part, for she
was about wide as she was long and
she needed the whole door when she passed
through building.
Mr.. Barlow said that what hair he had
stood on end whsn ne saw what he was up
against, for the Topsy was German. and
anybody who heard her talk knew 1t the
minute she opened her mouth. However,
the time was short, and desperate as the
ha ryo =
the curtain went up on time
The audience laughed when 1t saw the
substantial Eva. and 1t reared WHEN 1t
heard her brogue. The audience pretty
nearly had paroxysms when Topsy came
out and talked broken German, and Mr.
Barlow certified that never before had the
grave Uncle Tom had as hard a time pre-
serving his dignity as when he came in
contact with the two oddly assorted char
aoters on the stage.
In the play there is a scene where Uncle
Tom T. ,s to hold Eva on his knee and She
asks him to tell her story. This little
Eva pumped her 100 pounds OF weight
down on Uncle Toms knee, and in a voice
that sounded like Maggie Cline's said:
S-a-a-ay. Uncle Tom. tell little Eyar a
sthory." Barlow said he WAS Stranolfnp