The times., 1899-09-10

also been wrought The platform itself
has been lowered by about six inches, thus
doing away with an elevation which has
caused those in the front seats to wonder
whether performers were plain dancers or
legless wonders. Milton Siemmer's men
have supplied a new drop and border that.
if not perfect, is still much better than that
used last season. Seven settings have been
added TO the house equipment, thus giving
the hands prospect of more exercise than
they have enjoyed since the Grand came in
to the field as a vaudeville theatre. Alto
gether, though the protruding boxes have
not been torn down. or the promised wait
ing rooms finished. the auditorium is
most attractive, and viii undoubtedly be
admired
These same waiting rooms. by the way,
figure as the foundation in a plan Burke &
Chase are completing for making their
building the Mecca of those interested in
forms of art other than the dramatic. IL
is their intention TO fill the newly created
apartments with paintings and statues of
conspicuous merit, the spaces between 10
be occupied by a collection of curios AMI
souvenirs valuable alike through history
and association. This idea may not be
finally carried out until next season, but it
is held in view and will not be forgotten.
OF attractions for the coming months the
Grand has the greatest plenty. The book
ings suffered last year by late arrange
ment, but Burke & Chase spent all this
summer in preparing for the amusement
term and, as a result, already announce a
remarkable roster of headliners. Among
the most prominent of these are Lillian
Burkhart, George Wilson, Patrice, Madame
Tavary, Camilla Urso, Pauline Hall, Minnie
Palmer, Milton and Dollie Mobiles, Bobby
Gaylor, Katherine Lewis and Company.
Tot-s,, n
Mrs. Sidney Drew, Neil Burgess and Com
pany, Seymour and Minnie Dupree, Barney
Pagan and Henrietta Byron, Henry Trader
and Company, THE Gypsy Quintette,'
Charles t. Ellis. Madame Titenia, Maude
Courtney, VIII NJ. Cressy and Blanche
Dane, John w. Ransome Gus Williams,
Louise Beaudet Verona Jarheau, Hilda
Thomas, The Hawaiian Trio, Mile Flora,
Carrie Behr, Conway and Leland, Astarte
Olivette, the kleist Brothers. Mile. Irene
and Zaza, Hugh Stanton. Smith and Cook.
Hyde's Comedians, the Melbourne"
Vaudeville Company, the American" Vau-
deville Company. William and Walker. Jo-
seph HaTts Vaudeville Company and Ben
mans Comedians" I'VE may not be able
TO give you Cissie Lotus and Ching Ling
Foo immediately" said Mr.. Chase, on We'd
nesday, but we hold contracts with every
one named, and if that list will not serve
as an earnest of our good intentions Wash
ingtcnians are hard to please" Washing
tcnians are hard to please, but Burke s.
Chase have nevertheless merited their
sanction and patronage. which will proba-
bly, be forthcoming.
Excepting for one detail, it is no. proba-
bic that those who visited the Academy
last Monday were disappointed at finding
the structure unchanged. The house IS
adequately fitted out and there was little
Necessity for added expenditure. But Man
ager Rapley should really have taken ad-
vantage of the theatres being closed ID
hang new curtain in front of its stage.
The one which now adorns the prosceniim
arch would give nightmares to the co,or
blind. 1t is, as everyone knows a daub
painted above the title Shakes peaTe Be
fore Queen Elizabeth" The artist might
have gone further and have told which was
Shakespeare and which Queen Elizabeth
Every figure on the canvas is as stolid
as though it had been cut out OF wool and
not one but seems TO suffer from some
ugly deformity. Her Majesty appears to
be the victim of an attack of dropsy which
has confined itself to her arms, and her
companions are similarly afflicted. The
drop should be removed at once. While
it hangs there, witnessing performance
dJ lue EttdubIuy Is not unlike pTe2dClHR a
delicate meal with a quinine powder
The Finish of Mr.. Fresh" came TO pass
suddenly some ten days ago at Schenectady
and was all but fatal to the company ex-
plotting the play in question. Local the
atregoers may remember that the piece
mentioned is one which the Davis e
Keogh firm sent to Washington during the
last week OF its brief control at the Grand
The performance was very bad and The
Times so characterized it, with the result
that its proprietors stopped their adver-
tising and threatened to assault the nan
who had written the offending cri icism.
They also pointed to the praise gwen them
by other papers OF the city as evidence
confirming their allegation that the dra-
matte editor of this journal had been paid
TO drive them away. The combine did not
carry out its promise of violence how
ever, and the organization left town with
out being mobted. This is the tale of
THE Finish of Mr. Fresh" at the Grand.
schenectady is the town which is forty
miles from the gay Rialto in New York .
Its Inhabitants, as DooIey said OF the wal
rus, are peaceful and gentle by nature, but
savage and ferociouS when reused. They
are also long enduring, but il appears that
when the end of that endurance is reached
their collective temper is hot and their
aim cool. THE Finish of Mr.. Fresh
burst in on these bueolic people on the
night of August 80. According to the
New York Telegraph, the audience as
sembled at the Van Curler Opera House
showed its Christian spirit by remaining
quiet for nearly twenty minutes after the
curtain rose. 1t is possible that the per
formance was thought to be a joke. When
second after second passed, however. and
matters kept growing worse the storm
broke. With it were several dozen pre-
historic eggs, about five barrels of cab
bages, something less than a box of to-
matoes and-if report may be credited
seven defunet animals. The greater por-
tion OF these were sent on their way un-
erringly. The manager of the theatre was
called upon for aid but he was a man of
sympathetic nature and had seen the
show. In the face of cat-caIIs and
Kisses. ''Mr. Fresh" was finished and the
troupe escaped to the depot This is what
would have happened in Washington had
the company gotten its Just deserts here.
That retribution finally overlook the pIay
and players is gratifying. 1t is to be hoped
that no one will undertake to start the
race again.
From a postal card received last week
at this Office it would seem that Alan
Dale, Jessie Wood, Leander Richardson.
and other New York scribes are to have
a serious rival in Charles Frohman. the
primal figure in the theatrical syndicate
The communication mentioned is postal
card confding to the public some of the
things said about The Girl From Max
inns" the Criterion farce, by Gotham
journals. Heading the list is the line
Contains more ingenious and laughable
situations than any comedy I have ever
| produced-Charles Frohman." Similar
quotations from the manager have adorned
several similar advertisements within re-