The times., 1899-07-02

| business at best When the Frawleys
| opened there they found an inferior but
well established stock company fully sat
isfying the not too critical or overly intel
| lectual patrons Of the theatre, while a
dozen open air resorts we're furnishing II
very fair sample of vaudeville at prices
not greatly in excess of the cost of an i'm
mense tankard of Milweukee's chief prod
uct. Then, too, the wiIbur-Kerwin opera
| Company is scheduled for a series of per-
! formances at the popular quotation of
| IT. T. T., and the lake excursions and
other amusements reduce the theatrical
patronage to the heart and purse breaking
| point. With as excellent an attraction as
The Dancing Girl but little money was
made, and while Sweet Lavender en-
/ abled the box office to clear, THE Wife"
showed little signs of permanent increase
/ in business. The several members of the
4 company won great commendation by the
manner in which they put on "The Dolls
House" Alfred Hickman making a genuine
triumph by his reading of the difficult part
of DR.. Rank. This performance was given
| for benefit. "The Last Word is the an
nounced bill for the coming week.
Viewing the matter candidly from the
distance of 900 miles, 1t seems that Mr..
Frawley will wish that he had remained
here in Washington for the remainder of
the month of June. These comparatively
cool nights would have found the Columbia
crowded. as he had only begun to secure
the public confidence when his Milwaukee
| engagement called him away. True, he
may come out of the present situation with
colors flying, for failure stared the man.
| ager- in the face and figurative star
| vation howled dismally around the front
door OF the playhouse during the first few
weeks in the National Capital, yet the re-
suit was quite satisfactory to all con-
| cerned. What was most needful for the
company was a really good leading man,
something Mr.. Frawley never had during
the ten weeks in Washington. He is not
better fitted now, although Miss Bates will
| supply the attractive powers in Pabstville.
! The present eng agement continues only
| few weeks more at the BEST even although
the weather is deliciously cool. Then Mr..
FrawIey will go back to the Pacific Slope,
the scene Of his early triumphs. When he
Is ready TO return to the National Capital
he will find here a field well enriched by
the soil Of persistent and honest endeavor,
and friends innumerable will welcome him
! and his with wide open arms-fguratively
speaking, of course.
In this connection it is interesting to
note the engagement of Miss Georgia
Welles for the Murray Hill stock company
|
| nified her intention of remaining as near
her home as possible, and so elects to as
sumo this difficult position. 1t is hardly
too much to say that Miss Welles is the
most popular ingenue ever working in
Washington, and would grace the cast of
any Of the metropolitan productions. Her
versatility is remarkable. and the range
| of parts covered during her engagement
in Washington demonstrated a breadth and
| lpnth in nf he
| department OF stage work. 1t is with sin
cere pleasure that her Washington admir-
| ers will note her continued advance in the
profession, which will as surely follow as
the night the day.
Even the best of dramatists rarely fail
| to profit by the opinions and ideas of 9TH
ers. and dramatic history is replete with
examples proving this fact. The last
startling evidence is concerned with Au-
gustus Thomas new play, Arizona" re-
Gently produced in Chicago The piece
was a winner from the start and will be
seen elsewhere during the season. OF
course, the prestige of the Thomas name
aids considerably in the popularity, but
that is neither here nor there regarding the
point in question. A. C. Carson, who re-
Gently pleaded not guilty to the charge of
seriously contemplating the construction
of penitentiary drama for Tom Davis
is really a dramatist and newspaper man
of ability and reputation, being at pres
ent dramatic editor of '.The Columbus
| Dispatch" Some years ago, while So
journing in the Rocky Mountains he
wrote a play which he named 'tArizona," "
and fulfilled all necessary formalities re-
garding copyright privileges and protec-
tion. 1t seems a little strange that Mr.
Thomas had heard nothing of his effort
and that until the eve of the Chicago pro-
duction Mr. Carson had never learned of
the title or tenor of the Thomas play In
any event, the Columbus writer visited
the Windy City and saw the first produc-
tion Of Arizona" The story was identi-
cal with his own. the play being semi
military and several of the characters be-
ing drawn along the same lines. Some
time before this, the manuscript of the
first Arizona had been sent to a Chicago
party for reading. and while there some OF
| the ideas must have escaped and been
captured by one of Mr.. Thomas outlooks.
AS a result of this complication, a con-
test will be begun before the United States
court by both parties in the case, each
claiming the right to the title. Mr.. Car
son has arranged for production of his
play, given contracts for costumes, seem
cry, and printing, and the loss to him
would be heavy were he compelled to give
up his attractive title. On the other hand,
Mr.. Thomas claims he has violated no
agreement and that he never heard of
either Mr.. Carson or his play before his
own was produced. At this distance 1t
looks as if two Arizona companies
would be seen In some of the cities this
fall. The sequel will be of interest.
Fatty" Walsh, father of Blanche
| Walsh the actress, one OF the most wide
ly known sports and politicians in the
metropolis. died last week after a brief ILL
ness. With all his faults Walsh loved his
daughter, and did all in his power and
ability TO push her to her present front
rank in her profession. And be it said 10
her credit that she never was in the least t
ashamed of her humble origin and rather
gloried in it than otherwise. 1t was from
this. father that Blanche inherited her de-
termination and strong will which have
enabled her to accomplish her great career
and will keep her in the galaxy of stars
which truly have right to claim that
much ill-used appellation.
At last George Buckler has been heard
from. 1t is now two years and more since
he began his stock company engagement
at the Grand and at the end of two weeks
left twentyfour alleged Thespians in the
city without a dollar to their names or
a stitch Of extra clothes to their backs.
But he bobs up as serenely as of old this
time through half-column defence of
Alfred Ayres and an attack upon w. J.
Thorald. In the course of this screed he
claims to have acted in the same produc-
tion of THE Merchant of Venice as did
Ayres, and considers himself suitable to
judge of his abilities. There can be but
one George Buckler with this infinite
nerve and Washington has seen him in a
Farfat - rNIn Hot