Evening star., 1898-02-12

G.Q0.0S
The week theatrically considered has
been rich in contrasts In addition to the
satisfaction which Mr.. Keene's admirers
may have gained from the entertainment
at the Lafayette Square. was the especial
pleasure of seeing Mr.. Charles B. Hanford
in some new roles. One of the advantages
which Shakespearean performer has is
that no matter what the part for which
he may be cast, it will provide oppor-
tunities for good work.
Next to THE Cat and the Cherub,' the
most important novelty was Sol Smith
Russell'S appearance as "Petruchio." One
need Eot be an octogenarian to remember
when Mr.. Russell was disporting himself
In simple ballads such as I'm Getting a
Big Boy Now or reciting the praises
of Goose With Sage and Inguns," in
mellif1uous rhyme. From Goose With
sage and Inguns'' to Shakespearean drama
Is long step, but Mr.. Russell has made
It, He has broken away from personal
tradition and stands more or less securely
on the ground where an actor may, when
he is so disposed, clank a sword and ex
hibit his calves in all the glory of mediae-
val finery.
While Mr. Russell will scarcely find it to
his advantage to abandon the gentle, gen.
uine people whom he depicts so closely,
there is no reason why he should not please
himself with the assumption of any role
that strikes his fancy-Romeo or King Lear
If he chooses-and he will always be sure of
a devoted following to whom whatever he
does will be interesting.
"The eat and the Cherub' won universal
commendation at the Columbia Theater.
The production is remarkable not only for
the excellence of the performance, but for
the manner in which the public approved
1t. Despite its somber quality. 1t has been
iSl1 yrif
three-act farce "a Gay Deceiver." has
been improved since its original production
In this city, but the improvements are
chiefly those which might be expected from
long ard careful rehearsal. The piece, with
its conspicuous merits and its equally con-
spicuous fmperfections. is practically the
same as it was when produced in Washing
ton as an incident in a delightful season OF
summer comedy Miss Anna Held ought,
in justice to herself, to learn some new
songs Her audiences are so large that she
cannot depend on a constant renewal OF
patronage on the strength Of her personal
charms alone.
That excellent play Sowing the Wind"
was the only representative of the society
drama. The Academy of Music patrons
welcomed it, and, all the circumstances con-
sidered, were not in a position to complain
because substitutions have occurred in the
cast several times since the original pro-
duction. Vaudeville, usual, held its own
In the business Of the week. herman
Fheater made no perceptible departure from
an almost uninterrupted record OF prosper
fly for the season.
The appearance Of Hines and Remington
ut the Bijou last Wednesday was attended
BY an Interesting incident. Their act was
well liked, end IN response to the applause
Miss Earle Remington made little speecn,
laying that 1t was the twenty-nftn ahnl-
Sersary of the day when an event occurred
to whicn she chiefly attributed her career
pm the stage. Her father and mother were
IN this city. playing at that theater: then
known as Ford's Opera House. And 1t was
when they were here. exactly twenty-five
years before, that Miss Remington was
born.
There are two cooks In Charles Froh-
mans Under the Red Robe" company.
Unlike most amateur cooks. they have such
supreme confidence in their ability in this
line that they frequently eat the things
they cook themselves. whereas amateur
cooks seldom do this. The names Of these
actor-cooks are Giles Shine and William
Morris; each of them Is sure that he could
Command an enormous salary chef. II
he were not so devoted to the stage. They
both possess wonderful lot of cooking ap-
paratus. which they carry around the coun-
try. the manager Of the company being OBJ
1iged to pay excess to the railroad COM
panies on this extraordinary baggage, and
Us cooks they have been rivals since the
beginning of the present season. After a
performance in Pittsburg the other day,
Shine, who is a Washington boy. and Nor
ris happened upon Treasurer Yack. who
suggested that they go with him to a res
taurant and get one Of Its special dishes
welsh rarebit-and some beer.
go to restaurant for rarebi.":' ex-
claimed Mr.. Morris. Not much! Come
over to my apartments In the hotel and I
will make you the finest rarebit you ever
tasted and give you all the beer you want"
"You make a raIebit?" sneered Mr.. Shine.
why. you don't know the first principles
Of boiling eggs three minutes. Now, II
falIn vryf1I wit
make you a rarebit that you'll declare
merits first premium
Morris retorted in kind, there was n side
walk argument of about ten minutes, with
the result that Shine and Morris wagered
each three silk hats on the excellence OF
their respective rarebits. Ysck was chosen
fudge, and was, therefore. good for a hat
anyway. and the selected battle ground
was Shines rooms. They made the rare
bits Mr.. Yack affirms in telling about the
Incident. But as to who won the bet?
Neither I'D to the present time; both rare
bits were so copfoundly bad that the Judge
has been wreck ever since and not able
to decide which was the worse, or whether
they were equally bad. Now. If i decide
this contest a draw, 1 don't get a new plug
hat Perhaps / will be we'll enough some
time during our stay in Washington to give
n decision, but want to make one declara-
hon-no more Shine-Morris rarebits for
me,'
Sol Smith RUSSELL the comedian, says:
"A great many 1unny tnlngS happen at
the door of a theater, although most of
them come to me secondhand. as 1 am
not at that end of the house very often.
Recently a gentleman stepped up to my
manager, MIR. Berger, who Is quite a
young-lookfng man. as you know, although
we confess to about the same number of
years, ard exclaimed:
Your father likes his new play very
much, doesn't ne?'
Beg pardon said Fred, who had not
the slightest idea in the world what he was
talking about.
II say your father. Mr.. Russell, seams
to like his new play
oh, yes. replied Berger, who began TO
see through the blunder. Indeed, / think
he was SO fiattered by this suggestion Of
extreme youth that he gave the man q
fres seat.
This reminds me of another case of mis-
taken identity" added the comedian. my
wife's father was the late William r.
Adams, the oliver Optic of Juvenile litera.
ture. who Published his first book more than
fcrty years ago, and who would now be
seventy-two years of age. Not long ago a
gentleman halted at the door and asked
for the manager Mr. Rer9er uaS tod