Evening star., 1898-03-11

stage. This was in Portland Me- and the
part was that Of the first officer in The
Lady of Lyons" The following year he
went to Troy and there first took up the
line OF work in which he now excels-that
of first old man. At the breaking out OF
the civil war Mr.. LIE Moyne aided in re-
cruiting company of the 18th Massachu-
sets Regiment, was promptly promoted TO
be captain and commanded his company in
many OF the important battles of the war.
In the engagement at South Mountain he
was seriously wounded, and later was hon.
orably discharged.
During the past twenty years Mr. lie
Moyne has been prominently identifi. d
with one Of the other of New York's stock
companies. For three seasons he was at
the Union Square, and for five at the Mad
ison Square. going from the latter theater
to the Lyceum. Besides the stage. MIR.
LIE Moyne has one hobby-that of books
and rare ones. He haunts auction sales,
and his delightful home on 3ith street,
New York. contains a large library of the
rarest works. When his work on a play is
finished, Mr.. LeMoyne concerns himself
very little with the matters and people of
the stage. and when in New York he Is to
be found in his sunny den among his
books.
"a Virginia Courtship," William H.
Cranes new romantic comedy. has made
the biggest kind of a hit in New York
This will surprise no one who saw the
lier in the season, for it was voted then
one of the most charming comedies given
the stage in some time. Crane was san
guine the play would make a hit in New
York. but he was worried when he remem-
bcred that every actor who witnessed its
presentation was enthusiastic over it and
quick to declare it would take New York
by storm. Actors are, as a rule, very poor
judges of what the public wants and a
sood way to strike the truth is to take their
opinions of plays and then bank on them
from an entirely opposite point of view.
Crane knowing this, was worried. But for
once, however. the actors were right and
Crane is happy. There are many reasons
too. why he should be. Among the hall
dozen male stars IN the profession there
is the keenest rivalry. While Goodwin
was at the Knickerbocker Theater early
in the season he did a very good business,
and he held his head high in consequence.
Since Crane has been in New York he has
beaten every record established by Good
win for large receipts. and has beaten all
records for big business at the theater
at the present scale of prices. The average
nightly receipts during the past four weeks
were S1,130. The largest receipts in one
night were s., 16.25, and the largest matt
nee receipts s1.14O. This is at the 81 scale
of prices, which are now in vogue at the
Knickerpocker. Mr.. Cranes engagement
in New York is for ten weeks, and there
is little doubt of his playing to over 500,
600 before he shifts his sceres to another
city. There is one important factor In tho
success of the actors play in New York
and that is its purity. Three of the prin-
ciral houses in the city are presenting plays
at which the purists are turning up thei!
noses ard which young women are admon-
ished not to see. This does not mean, how.
ever. they are not doing business, for there
Is always a class of people who will pa
tronize this order of work in New York
Crane, however believes they degrade pub.
lie taste and a great many people are ap
parently of the same opinion.