The times., 1899-05-14

OIL WHICH lies IN It's aDSoiute Coutioi. IL
Miss Arthur were joined by the people who
at first held out against the pool-by James
O'Neill and Madame Modjeska and Rich
ard Mansfield, and Francis Wilson and
plucky Mrs. Fiske-the organization might
be brought to the serious pass in which
1t is said to have been when Nat c. Good
win forsook his friends and went over to
the opposition.
Whether the fall of the combine would
be benefit or not; whether the men in
volved were ever as dangerous to the vel
fare of the stage as they were represented
to be it is not for The Times to say. This
statement is merely to the effect that,
from the events of the past fortnight, it
would seem that Messrs. Frohman, Hay
man. Nixon, Zimmerman, Klaw, and En-
langer are not so certain Of their position
as they seemed to be last January, when
Francis Wilson, one of the only two stars
who continued to hold out against this
sextette. surrendered and left Mrs. Fiske
to fight alone.
When Wilton Lackaye reached Wash
ington on last Sunday morning and dis
mounted from train at the Pennsylvania
depot he looked just about as prosperous
and happy as man could be expected to
look He was dressed faultlessly and we'll,
spoke with the tone OF one who is quite
confident of his ability to succeed and
gave other evidences of good fortune to
which Mrs. Lackaye and fat bull dog
subscribed unanimously. When Times
man began talking to the actor he discoy-
cred that. although the present season has
not quite closed, Mr.. Lackaye was full of
plans for next year. after We have ter
minated our engagement at the National
on Saturday evening" he declared,
"'Charles O'Malley' will be laid aside for
a few months. The piece was put on for
period of four weeks that Kirke La Shelle
might have an opportunity OF seeing
whether he wanted to manage 1t or not.
believe that Mr. La Shelle was rather
pleased. both with Theodore Burt
Sayre's work and with my
own. l was not as COM
pletely satisfied with Mr.. La Shelle. who
Is so busy between finishing his opera for
Frank Daniels and looking after the inter-
ests Of Beside the Bonnie Brier Brush
that he could pay scant attention to u.s.
new luminary on the theatrical horizon
needs constant attention and l am a new
luminary. You in Washington. who know
me and my history, may not believe this
but when | reached Chicago and had
| tradesmen ask how to spell my name
awoke to the reality in a hurry.
THE fact that / am about to take a rest
does not argue that Charles O'Malley'
has been laid aside. On the contrary, my
| faith in the drama Is unlimited. With Mr..
Sayre ! have been tinkering at it since its
| first production last May at the Lafayette
and neither of us can see much about it
| that needs mending. Undoubtedly the ve-
hicle affords me admirable opportunities
for a display of versatility and undoubt-
| edly it is both strong and sympathetic.
| have been a bit worried regarding the
| scene in the first act where | disguise my
self in feminine habiliments for the sake
of winning my wager, for ii has occurred
TO me that perhaps audiences may be
somewhat ioath to take as hero the man
at whom they have laughed so heartily
This is a mere trifie. however. and may
easily be remedied If it does not prove ad-
! yantageouS. 20
Trash and nonsense of the lowest order
succeed nowadays. and / can see no rea-
son why Charles O'Malley' should not.
| The play should be something OF relief
to many people after the Irish farces and
the maudlin melodramas we have been
having for SO long. Considering its Pc
riod, l believe Mr.. Sayres work to be a
most natural one Certainly there is very
little chance for what managers vulgarly
/ but expressively call 'scene-chewing' dur
| ing its action.
MY future plans? Well. there are not
|
ished the scheme of reviving 'Trilby' on
great scale after the stock companies
have ceased hand-organing it. Paul Pot
! ter's product was not written to suit the
spirit of any time or condition and there
| is no reason why 1t should ever be out of
| date. 'Trilby' is one of the most power
| full dramas in existence. and there is still
fortune in 1t. Ny faith In DIR. Belgraf'
! has not gone. either although the vehicle
is no longer my property. Charles Klein s
| piece would have been a success. despite
its grewsomeness, had it not come SO soon
after 'Trilby' Audiences were tired of
| hypnotism as a theme. 1t had been built
upon. made fun of and generally bur-
| lesqued until the motion of a finger toward
the eyes of a supposed subject would bring
laughter instead of awful silence. In time
DIR. Belgraff' will be valuable. Meanwhile
shall stick to Charles o'Malley' and ex-
pect 1t to pull me through"
| And MIR. Lackaye, his wife, and his dog
proceeded up the street toward their hotel.
The local friends of Dick Ferris. a
! Washington boy who will be well remem-
bered here. cannot but be pleased at leara-
ing that the bright young actor manager
will pay an extended visit to his home
next month. Mr.. Ferris has prospered
exceedingly since having left this
| city and is at present the proprietor of one
of the best known musical repertoire COM
panes in the West The youthful vent
urer was for a short time connected with
| several of the best known combinations in
| this part of the country and made quite
an emphatic hit in the role of Tim in
| "The County Fair" The late C. w Coul-
dock, who saw him in this part. advised
Mr.. Ferris to take out his own organiza-
tion and the result of this precept has
been ten years term of success. Mr..
Ferris is very popular here and will be
heartily greeted upon his return.
In different parts of the world the quali-
fications that bring crown are different
their nature ranging from the require
ments of a South African tribe. the oldest
man of which is always king, to those OF
the ordinary civilization, which bestows
the royal purple only upon the lineal de-
scendants of national rulers. But perhaps
the most Unique of the reasons which en-
| ter into the giving of title is that which
holds good in the extravaganza COM
panies which are constantly touring this
country Men like Matt Flynn and Tom
Miaco are not mandatory as regards good
breeding, and they do not care whit
about birth. Consequently. the people they
feature on their three-sheets are not in
debted to ordinary circumstances for theil
honors. The real Queen of Burlesque'
is selected for her flesh, and for her flesl
alone.
The Office OF Queen of Burlesque" is
difficult one and not generally understood
It's holder Is usually the wife of the indi-
vidual who manages the ''show" to which
she belongs, and her age must be above
the number of cards there are in a pack
Her duties, as has been said. are arduous