Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-09-24


agree with Mr.. s. F. Nixon, who said the
other night that he didn't believe any first
class theater in Washington should open
before the LIST of October. THE people
don't get back into the city he said land
then there is always a hot weather spell in
September. and you can't expect people to
go to the theater with the mercury up
around the nineties''
Certainly the people have not attended
the theater this week. At the Lafayette
there is a new French farce, interpreted
by an excellent company At the National
there is new American farce. exploiting
the Rogers brothers. while at the Columbia
there is given the best aH-around perform
ance of Sardou's Diplomacy" that has ever
been seen in this city, and yet neither
house has done the business that its attrac-
ton justified.
Next week the offering at the Lafayette
will be tombstone Bennett in "A Female
Drummer" while the Columbia will present
Creston Clarke in Il repertoire of romantic
plays At the National interest will center
in the initial appearance of Miss Viola AL
len a star in Hall Gaines dramatization
of his own book. The Christian" The
Academy will have An Enemy to the
King and the Lyceum and Bijou offer
good vaudeville programs.
At the performances of the Hula Girl
last week there was one good bit of acting
that has not been commented upon 1t was
given but twice. when Mr. Conley acted the
part of the policeman, and was introduced
by him as q feeder to his own part But
Mr.. Frank Byram, who came in as the
Italian banana man, made a distinct in
diyidUal hit, so much so that the applause
was largely due to his excellent impeFSon-
alton.
The International Grand Opera Company,
of which continual mention is made IN the
New York papers, will open its season here
az the Lafayette Square Opera House on
Monday, October II. Clementine De were
the brilliant soprano, will be heard mere
for the first time in two years. She MADE
a tremendous success in London at the Co.
vent Garden Theater, also at the Metropol-
tan Opera House in New York. and it goes
without saying that her surroundings will
be as complete as possible. Mr.. Jefferson
s I4eerburger, who for a number of years
was with Abbey. SChoeffel * Grau, and who
engineered almost all the prominent must
cal attractions throughout this country for
the last twelve years for that firm, inClud-
ing Patti, Nordica. Sarasota, etc, is the
manager. Mr.. Leerburger declares that in
all the years he has been in the musical
business he has never been able to get to-
gether so fine a lot of musicians and so
splendid an aggregation of artists. Among
the dozen American singers in the company
no less than four are natives of Washing
ton-Miss Mary Helen Howe. a young and
brilliant soprano: Mr.. Henry GunsOn, a
young tenor, and Mr.. Forest d. Carr, a
magnificent basso, as well as Mr.. Harry
Wheaton Howard. the accomplished plan
list: all have been engaged for the Inter
national Grand Opera Company. The COM
pany promised that 1t would develop a
number of American artists, and Washing
ton is well represented The operas to be
given here will be newly mounted with
elaborate scenery. beautiful costumes and
accOuterments. There will be an orchestra
OF twenty-five musicians, and the chorus
numbers forty-flve voices. SignOr R Sapio
Is the conductor, and for tee last five
months has been TehearSing steadily the
forces under his baton. In spite of all the
expense and the undoubted qualities of all
the artists. the prices will remain the
same as with every first-cIass attraction,
the highest being $50, for the best seats
The performances Will be thus enrolled:
Monday evening, October IL Carmen
Tuesday evening. October Is, La Bo-
htHe Wednesday. October -, III Trova-
tore, Thursday evening October ~
Faust Friday evening. October u 20
neo and Juliet" Saturday matinee. Octo-
Der -. La Roheme;" Saturday evening
october - "CavalIeria' and ''Pagliacci'
JChnstone Bennett is developing a neUIy-
found talent. Along with her versatility in
coiHsHy work, II which field she created a
lvcuLar style of freak slavey which has
been extensively coDieu, Miss Bennett IS
bi"SSpInlnS out into CartOOnist. This gift
while not exactly in Il dormant condition
as Miss Bennett frequently gave her friends
IL
US. mas lately been given publicity The
way II came about was through a HttIa
sketch that Miss Bennett drew while en-
route from New York to Massachusetts q
lew weeks ago. To while away the hours
the clever little woman recalled from NOM
DRY the parting with friends at the New
1oEk station, the appearance of many mem
beFS OF her company as they struggled into
the cars. and thar: pictured to herself tha
arrival AT the destined city and her own
.yil"rH sen N her new apartments. All
thlS she cleverLy transferred to paper with
Slch tNactleSs that the features of Author
Baney. George Richards Eugene Garfield
WINS 7. Sweatnanl, PUysOn GrahaTne and
Lizzie MeIT0Sc. all prominent members of
the company, were easily recognized Her
own cleau-cUt features were also faithfully
portray cd The bit was 50 amusing that
MS Bvnnttt lncluscd it in :. letter to q
Ir-e1i In New York When she picked IN
q metropolitan paper on the follow! I sun
Iay Ler astoniShment was great to find her
shttcA occupying & prominent place in the
sheet, accompanied by 81 few Characteristic
remarks In day or two Miss Ecunefr re-
'S.FNi a letter from the management VI tn.
paper compllHenting her upon the clever
ness OF the work and stating also that The
products OF her pencil would always be
given space in their paper And so tho
stage may be called upon some day IN Give
up ONE Of its shining lights in favor of the
Cartoonist's field.
Hall Game. the NIanx novelist. Is attract
lAs more attention today. in both England
and America. than any other man of let
teFS Born Of humble parentace his
youth marred by an almost utter lack of
"lFantdEes. his equipment for the .trug-
q ~ me only d great brain, a real human
AeaFt and a will Of iron he has attained
TO one of the highest places in modern lit
tfat4re and stands the most forctfII I,r-
StSa writer Of the times in the field of
realistic dramatic fiction. His books nave
Lt'n especially widely read in America mar
ucularIy his latest novel, THE Christian :"
V hlch has provoked more discussion and
brought down Oh his head more spirited
criticism than any book he has ever writ
ten or that has been published durine, me
PAST ten years. He is forty-five wears of
age and was born in Liverpool. England
lis father was 4 shipsmith a Manxman
OF one of the best known families on the
Isle OF Man. where, at the home Of his
G-aHtmothcr. humble matched cottage
which can now be seen from the windows
q MS palatial residence. Grecba Castle
Nh Game spent the earlier years OF his
b"yhUod- He left school when fifteen
years OF age and entered the office of an
architect In Liverpool. where he began
Els career as Il writer by contributions 10
o trade paper called The Builder" An
nrtic!e by him. printed in The Athcr-
GeuTn. when he was twCnty-one wears Of
csc, attracted the attention of Dante Ca