Evening star., 1898-07-23
The Columbia Stock Company Closes
Tonight.
GLEN ECHO and ROOF GARDEN LEFT
Interesting Gossip of Professional
People and Things.
DOWNING IN THE GLADIATOR

the Glen Echo and Roof Garden entertain
ments. 1t is with sincere regret that the
Columbia Stock Company is parted with
Messrs. Inser5oH and Barrows and Miss
Haslam have made many friends here, both
in personal and professional sense, and
have impressed the Washington public with
their agreeable personality as well as their
artistic ability The other members of the
company have done their work conscenti-
Cusly and acceptably, and all have contrib
uted to the successful presentation of a
series Of plays calling for great versatility
on the part of the performers and differ
ing widely from the average selections for
summer work.
While Mr.. Barrows has been constantly
In evidence and has been seen IN characters
calculated to display him at his best,
neither Mr.. IngersoI nor Miss Haslan has
Been able TO show mis- or her fuA capabilities.
In no play that has been presented has
either been featured, and both are capable
of doing a far higher grade Of work than
has been allotted them. 1t is greatly to
their credit, however, that no character has
been sighted and that they have lifted
comparatively minor parts into prominence
by their careful and painstaking work.
In bidding the company goodbye. the
best wishes of the Washington public are
extended for the success OF each individual
member in the regular season.
In all their newly acquired theatrical en-
terprises Messrs. Nixon and Zimmerman
will have no more beautiful theater than
the Lafayette Square Opera House, when
the elaborate and costly improvements and
decorations are completed for the opening
of the regular season Monday, September
~. Thc Lafayette Square Opera House
will then be under the sole management
of Messrs. Nixon and Zimmerman, who
were the directors of this house for the
past two seasons. The plan of improve
ments which are now we'll advanced in
clude electric elevators to carry the patrons
OF the upper portions of the house to the
balcony and gallery and on to the roof gar
den, which is to be a feature of the theater
in the next spring and summer season, and
there viii be many other attractive con-
veniences TO the accommodation of the pub
lie An entire change is being made back
of the curtain where new and large dress
ing rooms are being built for the comfort
OF the players and which will be hand
somely furnished and fitted with the most
modern appliances and IN fact no expense
is being spared to make the Lafayette
Square Opera House the model theater Cf
America The opening attraction on Sep
tember 18th VIII be the latest ParlSi1n
novelty, entitled The Hotel Topsy Turvy.
This is the play that Will open the season
at the Herald Square Theater, New York,
where il is expected to run for all the sea-
son. so that the Washington public will
America or probably the only performances
OF il that will re given outside of New DIX
Following this pay there will be the cele-
brated Royal Opera Company from Milan
IN Puccini masterpiece. La Boheme, the
chief oparatic novelty of last season. and
which created a verttable sensation Wher-
ever il was given, having been especially
well received by critics and public in Phil
adeIphia and New York. Messrs. Nixon
and Zimmerman have an extremely strong
list of bookings for the Lafayette Square
Opera House in d long succession of dra-
matte and musical novelties.
It IS accepted as an axiom in the thea
rcal world that Il play founded on a pop
ular novel will he A success by reason Of
the preinteIeSt created in the characters
by the story and the desire Of readers tc
see the personages Of the tale interpreted
In the more realistic atmosphere OF dra-
matte action. The fascination of the char
acters of a widely read novel Gmaticaliy
presented has been practically demon
strated by the five phenomenal successes
OF the last three seaSons-"Trilhy, -
Lady of Quality The Little Minister"
The Prisoner Of Zenda'' and Under the
Red Robe"
BY these experiences the Liebler COM
pany believe that Viola Allen will meet
with great success in Hall Caine's The
CHRISTIAN. irrespective, IN a sense, of the
talent Of the star or the exceIIencies OF the
play. the former of which is generally
known and acknowledged. and the latter
enthusiastically claimed by those who have
read the manuscript The Christian" as
novel has been one of the most exten-
sive1y read books ever printed in English
and has provoked more discussion prob
ably than most works of fiction II was
first printed in this country in a serial
publication having a monthly circulation
OF 10000 copies Since this issue many
editions Of the story have been produced
III book form. aggregating over 10000
copies. At a very conservative estimate.
3 haI he
tiaE" in America alone
Mr.. Robert Downing. the tragedian. who
opens al Glen Echo next week In TIE
Gladiator" is at home In any place you
put him At the ehd of his regular sea-
son, which lasted for thirty-eight weeks
ne was approached In reference 70 playing
a few weeks in vaudeville. appearing in his
famous impersOnauiOn Of The Gladiator"
He appeared for the first time In St. Louis
at the Columbia Theater. The result was
an immediate success. and. were re so IN
clined. he could continue for an Indefinite
IertpG: hut as he has many contracts for
next year he Will resume his tour about
the LIST OF October, playing his usual roper
tore oT plays, and producing new one
from the pen of Mr.. A D. Hall. entitled
"A True knight" Mr.. Hall by the way
Is one 1f the successful authors Of today
ne having no less than six or seven OF his
plays accepted for next year Mr. Down
hS repertoire Will consist of Julius Cae-
sar. "IngOmar,' Gladiator" ''Vireini,ls -
"Othello' Samson" 'Richard'' and "A
True Knight"
In placing themselves at the head of a
theatrical organization of their own Mr..
Herbert kelCey and Miss Efie Shannon
have distinguished themselves especially in
getting together q company which in point
OF ability, experience and harmony should
compare favorably with the best perma-
nent stock companies in this country. That
they have succeeded admirably is shown
by the splendid criticisms which they re-
ceived from all the leading newspapers
throughout the country last season and by
the emphatic praise which the company OBJ
talned during its recent successful appear
ance ae the Lyceum Theater, New York
IN Clyde FItchs brilliant society drama
The Moth and the Flame" where the or
ganizauOn was measured to its advantage
by the standard Of the leading stock com
panies OF the metropolis The company
tnat viii tour the country this season is
especially strong in its complement of wo-
men. both as to cOmeliness as well as abili-
~ 1t includes Miss Marion Abbott. who
mas made an excellent reputation for her
sell IN comedy parts requiring dash, grace
and humor. She was with William II
cranes company for a season and made
distinctive hit Mrs Hillary in THE
senator She has a role similar in type
In Mr. Fftcbs new play Miss Grace Ria
has been with Daniel Frohman's company
during the past three seasons, appearing
as the adventures IN The Prisoner oi
Zendd.h She T. n handsome hruuatte sTiss