Evening star., 1898-10-08
AMUSEME ENTS.

The sultry. muggy weather the early par'
Of this week seriously affected the attend
ence at the theaters, Notwithstanding the
attractions have been meritorious- Nor die
the change which came Thursday effect
a large increase. Three new plays
have seen the light this week-"On and
Off" "A Msit Marriage" and Why Smith
Left Home" They are mentioned in the
order of their merit. and that of the COM
pany that produced them. The first is a
Frohmau production. with a Frohman COM
pany and MIR. Charles Frohman himself
came on to witness the initial performance
and remained for three days, making such
changes and suggestions as to his expert
enCed eye were necessary to put the piece
into perfect shape.
Monday night while the audience was
laughing heartily at his excellent COM
pany's work, MIR. Frohman, who makes up
in rotundity what he lacks in perpendicular,
was seated in the private office at the La
fayette Square perspiTing as only one with
n surplus Of avOirdupOis can. when /
came down here last year with Miss Adams
in The Little Minister, said he, lit was
in September. and the weather was uncom-
fortably warm. l made up my mind that 1
would wait until October the next time 1
wanted to bring out production in Wash
ington. ! did wait until October. and see
the result. It's hotter now than when l
was here year ago last month What s
the matter with your weather.?
1t was suggested that owing to the war
the weather bureau had got out of gear
and was giving us some leftover summer,
but he was told that he mustn't mind a
little thing Ike that, but come right along
whenever ne had anything real good to
offer and a Washington audience would set
its seal OF approval on it.
Next week there will be also three new
performances to this city-one will be an
initial representation. John SOuSa'S S Char
latan' whICF, has been running for some
weeks in New York. will come to the Ma
tiondl with all its principals. its chorus.
Costumes and scenic effects. Sousa is Won
derfIlly popular mere. and SO is De Wolf
Hopper. and that combination ought to win.
At the Lafayette there will be given Henry
Guy Carleton = farce of The Cuckoo ana
at the Columbia Theater Burr Mcintosh
Will mak mis- first appearance as 4 star in
"A War CurresD sDUndent." a part that he
played in reality down in Cuba until strick-
en- down by fever The play is by Lottie
Blair Parker, who wrote Way Down
East, which has been so remarkably sue
CesSful, and Mr.. Mcintosh is known as a
painstaking actor of considerable ability.
who ought to win the favor of the public.
At the Academy there will be "A Senegam-
bian Carnival and the Lyceum and Bijou
both offer good vaudeville programs.
De Wolf Hopper is not one of those ac-
tors who because they are successful and
a star do not care to see their friends
during business hours. His dressing room
is open to all ut all times. all are welcome
and II Is always full Of people. 1t is a Won
der at times how he is able to make up or
make changes of costume, the throng of
visitors is usually so dense. 1t is at these
little meetings al which many famous peo-
PIE do CONgregate that witty things are
hgq r6 Tlh nd 41i,,
dOtes are related The other night a former
member of one of HOyt's companies related
the trouble the playwright had in getting
Paul Arthur to follow his instructions re-
garCtng business In a certain scene in one
of his comedies HOyt was very desirOus
that Arthur should DO certain things. So
he wrote on the manuscript: AT this spot
l take of my coat Here | hang up nv
hat. Then | sit down. throw my head back
and now kick the fender. Then | Jump up -
etc Arthur spoke the lines and acted the
business in rehearsals exactly to Hoyt's
taste Just before going on in this scene on
the first night HOyt ca He'd Arthur aside
and said in his piping voice: Il like the
way You do this scene very well; but here
after l want you TO cut out the words and
Go the business only This bit of strategy
succeeded perfectly.
When the Hopper Company presented
The EeSgar Student" at Manhattan Beach
this summer little Alfred Klein appeared in
q role that required considerable singing.
But he didn't appear in The last act The
company was chatting Alfred on his re-
ma-kable vocal powers. whereupon Hopper
remarked. Don mind EN-, Allie my boy;
in the last act You redeemed yourself no.
bly,"
May Vokes. who appears at the Lafayette
Square Theater in the new farce The
Cuckoo" next week should gain many
friends 10y her loyal support OF the theatri-
cal profession, altogether aside from the
fact that she Is q charming and talented
his s1E.-a. 4 V-r.r
chosen profession OF the women of the
stage she says:
'Not"i,hs,and ng that the interviewer has
been al large for several years there are
people who still believe that the surround
InSs Of {. stage life are so Bohemian as 10
unit an actress to mingle in good society
i wish these people would make a round OF
some big city's frst-clasS theaters some
niGht-New York, for instance-and point
out the dreadful temptations that beset the
actress From my own experience | would
say that the visitor would find a number of
business women conducting themselves in
the most husinesslike fashion.
The social position OF an actress is in
her own hands. II is exactly what she
makes Il. II she pCrsues her calling as
workers in other branches of art pursue
theirs-modest, Yet apprcciating her owr
merits. avoiding uOtOrIety and leIdI-Ig IN
honorable hfe-her social position is ready
Tor ner. When society says Of an actress
1 met Miss Blank at dinner the other even
ing | was asionished, She was so unlike
an actress. depend upon 1t there is ne
question about the social status of that
" man, for. translated. that renarke means
Mis- Elank was dressed quietly and in gooG
taste. her voice was subdued, her manners
urooirusive, her appearance, conversation
and deneaDor Just the same as those OF
any other sentlewoman.
This is my answer 10 the formidable
Question that has been put to me. What
Is the social position of an actress?' The
only excuse / can find for answering is
sfa.FN is 4EFs.1
VINO know all about the theatrical profes.
SION ana those who are ignorant of it The
thei.ter has long been out OF its leading
strings. aAd actresses now emphaticaIly OBJ.
JeCt 10 be patrunized by the same DeopIc
VINO fOuIiy asperse their calling The days
are past when society asked such a pro
i"qhGiy SHY question as is an actress d
Lady? The social position Of an actress to.
day to DroaG-ninded people is assured. and
therefore need not be demonstrated
There are people ignorant of The life Of
F0a g.v4sa as-.s..