The times., 1899-06-25
A CLASSIC REVIVAL
COMING NEXT season
Many Companies to Present
Standard Dramatic Works.
Charles B. HanfOrd and the Great
Triple Star Alliance.
General Gossip Gathered From the
Slumbering Dramatic World.
Patti Coming Over Again.

There is every indication of widespread
revival of interest in the romantic and the
classic during the coming season, and from
present appearances there will be more
companies presenting Shakesperean and
standard works than at any time during
the present decade. No less than score
of excellent organizations, with good back
ing and prominent stars, will soon be re-
hearsing for the tour of the provinces
and runs in the big cities. Washington
will get practically all OF them, including
those seen here before and the others
which have been just formed. While the
revival will be witnessed with interest by
the true lover of art and with dismay by the
devotees of the new school, all local ad-
mirers will be pleased to hear of the pros
poets of one of the Washington men who
has won pre-eminent success in the stand
ard works and will become a member of
the great triple alliance next season. This
is Charles B. Hanford, whose union with
Louis James and Katherine Kidder forms
the James Kidder- Hanford company.
Mr.. Hanford is very busily engaged at
his home with the preparations for his
work. The tour will begin in the early
part of September next, and the season
promises to be long one. Although the
repertoire will consist of some ten plays
or more, including. Winters Tale" The
Rivals The School for Scandal" Mac
BETH Merchant of Venice" Julius Cae-
sar,'' "Othello," Mime. Sans Gene" The
Lady of Lyons" Henry w." and Hen
ru tbn ryina fant tIn
will be a revival of Winters Tale" for
which Wagenhals Kemper, the managers,
are making great preparations in the way
OF scenic accessories and in the matter of
costume. Miss kidder Will be seen in the
dual roles OF Hermione and Perdita, which
was the feature of Mary Anderson's last
tour in this country. Mr.. James will be
the Analogous, that prince of peddlers
and pickpockets, which should be q very
happy role for him, and Mr.. Hanford will
be seen as the impulsive. headstrong, and
jealous Leontes.
THE Rivals" and the School for Scan
dal" will also be prominently featured,
while the other plays Will be done less
often, according to the demand for them,
and when the combination has a long en-
gagement in the same city, as will be the
case in San Francisco, the company being
booked there for three weeks in January
Kemper relying for success, but they are
surrounding them with one of the strong
est legitimate companies that this country
has had for many day. For instance
Harry Langdon and John A. Ellsler, two OF
the best actors of old men parts in the
world, have both been engaged. and will
take care of that artistic department in a
manner that should be delightful. Mr..
Langdon is large and Mr.. Ellsler small
\
OF great experience, and a happier COM
bination would be difficult to imagine.
Mrs. Henry Vandenhoff will play the old
woman parts, and every department of the
company is to be carefully provided for
Wagenhals and Kemper are both actors OF
experience and reputation and play parts
as well as manage the company, Mr.
Wagenhals attending to the business de-
partment and Mr.. Kemper to the manage
ment of the stage and the production OF
the plays. Barry Johnstone. the leading
man, is also a most excellent actor. and
recent engagement which will interest
his many Washington friends is that of
Richard Buhler, who has been a leading
member of Mr.. Hanford's companies for
several years past. Mr.. Buhler will play
Florizee, the leading juvenile part in
Winters Tale" and the opposite Fart
to Miss Kidder as Perdita. His fine ap-
pearance and genuine ability will make
him a great acquisition for the company.
which will have about forty members;
there are already engaged Norman Hack
EFT and Thomas Coffin Cooke. Scenery is
| being built, and each play Will be superb
ly mounted.
The parts Mr.. Hanford will play are
Leontes, Captain Absolute. Joseph Surface
Macduif, Bassanno, Marc Antony. Othello,
Napoleon, Claude Melnotte. Hotspur, and
Henry V. The company is booked in this
city in the latter part OF September
| While known as O WashingtOnian, Mr..
Hanford was born in California. and this
season will be his first trip to his native
| State as a star He visited California with
| Edwin Booth his first season under Law
renee Barretts management, and was also
with Booth and Barrett on their first trip to
| California, though at that time he had not
begun to play their leading business. Ed
ward J. Buckley was the leading man up
to and including the engagement OF the
Booth Barrett company in Sacramento
Mr.. Hanford succeeded Mr.. Buckley as
| leading man. beginning in Salt Lake City
AT Denver his Marc Antony created very
| strong impression and at Omaha the papers
printed editorials on his performance and
heralded him as the rising star" His
success in the part was the talk of each
place the company visited. which was all
|
the same bill with the two greatest
American actors, and at the same time
| with at least one of the greatest in
the world. The Booth Barrett Company
| visited California the season following
and Mr.. Hanford anticipated a great deal
of pleasure from playing Marc Antony
| in his native State but a severe illness
compelled his retirement from the com
| pany, and the California trip was made
without him. The tour OF the late Thomas
| w. Keene under Mr.. Hanford's manage
| ment was to have taken him to California,
| but the death OF Mr.. Keene of course,
Cancelled that engagement. 1t is to be
hoped that nothing will occur to prevent
Mr.. Hanford's visit during the coming
season, for
Breathes there man with soul SO dead
| Who 10 himself hath said:
| This Is my own, my native land7
| The season approaching will witness
many more first presentations in Wash
| ington than that just passed. Announce
ments are little premature, but one pre-
mier which has just been promised for
the National Capital is William Gillette's
| dramatization of DIR. A. Conan Doyle's &
Sherlock Holmes" This has bsen finish
ed, and the other day Mr. Gillette read the
several acts to DIR. Doyle and the latter
expressed himself as much pleased with
the play. Copyright performances have
been given and the play protected in ali
| American and European countries. Gable
reports announce that Charles Frohman Is
delighted with the effort, and inasmuch as
the Napoleon of managers is behind the
piece there is little wonder at his pleasure
| The premier will likely occur at the Ma
tional. Mr.. Gillette will be seen as the
modern Gaboriau and in addition to smok-
| ing his customary supply of cigars viii
L o., LIZ. he f,,II Lii. IL