The times., 1898-05-19

Once again viii the theatrical desue-
tude of Spring be made glorious Summer
by the Columbia Comedy Company,
which opens its second season Monday
night at the Columbia Last summer this
organization was the only one of five
starters to survive the hot weather and
during the warmest nights the cool and
coy little + Street playhouse was the
resort of lovers of light amusement This
year the entertainment win be even bet-
ter. bcause jimmy" Rarrows will have
control of the stage, and everyone knows
that the Company'S former success was
largely attributable to him, In the COM
ing engagement he viii have free hand in
the selection and mounting of plays.
while Manager Conn has secured for his
support one of the strongest stock organ
zations ever seen here.
A corps of scene-painters. carpenters
and property men have also been pro-
vided, so that each viii be mounted with
special new settings. correct and hand
some as those carried by the best travel
ing companies. This is a great innovation
in Washington. no Summer company hay
ing heretofore gone TO the double expense
of securing royalty plays and mounting
them in regular road style, but the CO.
lumbia management is playing for re-
cord this time and bids fair to make both
money and fame.
The opening bill will be William Gil
lette's famous war play. Held by the
Enemy in which Mr. Barrows will ap-
pear as the comic war correspondent
very timely offering just at this season.
In the cast viii also be seen William In
gersoll, Maud Haslam and Mrs. Agnes
Findlay. all old fa1oc!tcs, together with
such promising new people as Eleanor
Browning, Evangc.ine IryiRg, Alexander
Kearney, ]. R. Furlong, Edward Maclxey,
John Lancaster, George Bass, Frank NJ.
Cornell and Milscn Itutson.
The sale of seats opens this morning
Frank Campbells oviglnal melodrama,
Gettysburg" will he the Offering next
week at the Grand Opera House and its
timelness, its evident interest and the eX-
cellence with which il is said to be given
should keep the theater well filled at
each of the performances. The play is
spoken of as being full of all the humor
and pathos that war brings and its sue
cess here may be counted upon as being
instantaneous.
Monday. May 30,i is the date decided
upon for the annual testimonial benefit
to be rendered Manager Eugene Herman
of the Lyceum. The friends of the genial
manager have organized for the purpose
and everything will be done TO make this
event successful, both artistically and
financially. The entertainment to be pre-
sented has been selected and it will be d
purely professional one, a well known
organization in its entirety having volur-
teered for the occasion. Tickets have
been on sale for several days and from
present indications the capacity of the
Lyceum will be inadequate to acconmO-
date those of the managers many friends
who win accept this chance TO manifest
their appreciation of his efforts to please
them during the regular season.
Rose Sydell's London Bellies will be the
attraction at Kernans Lyceum next
! week The company is said to be large
one and TO contain in its membership
some of the best of variety and burlesque
people. The program offered is long
and varied one, in which novelties and
features abound Cake de L'Amerique''
opens the show. Following this part of
the program is to be seen a long olio in
which win appear Campbell and Shepp,
two of the funniest German comedians on
earth; Edgar .Bixley the musical tramp;
Hart, Walling and Weston, in a new
sketch replete with good singing and
dancing; Winifred Stewart. the pheneme-
nal baritone, and the Langdons in Illus
| trated songs. Closing the bill is q bur-