The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-02-04

| ly. my hopes for the future have tlker
| form. ] am DESTROYS of contracting for a
| comic opera made cut Of Sardous Madame
| Sans Gene ] think the idea a great one
| The principal character is essentially hU-
morous, and | believe that | could play it
fairly we'll. The opportunity for costuming
and scenery would be unlimited. or course.
| you will draw parallel between this de-
| sign and the case OF 'Cyralo de Bergerac.
| but in doing so you will be wrong. Ros-
tsnds work was a serious drama; Sar-
dou's never pretended TO be more than a
comedy If my plan materializes. | shall
try to have the libretto begun Immediate
ly. l can't tell yet who will write it
whether Stanislaus STANCE or Harry b.
Smith or-or who. or eourse, Victor Her
bert will be asked to supply the score
"ShOuld you present the piece next sea-
SOM"
Next season | expect TO be in LOntou
Frank Perley-my manager-haS been very
anxious to take me over. and negotiations
were quite completed when this Boer war
broke out Now. snail renew arrange
ments as soon as England has commenced
recovering from the effect of that trouble
| don't know what theatre was selected for
me. but | have an idea it was the Lyric.
where De Wolf Hopper made his debut.
| trust that-but | am getting dreadfully
earnest Let's talk of something else
First act" yelled the stage manager.
eff we don't talk somewhere else" quoth
Miss Nielsen, you won't have to print this
interview.
TO me, nothing is more indicative Of
the progress being made in our line of
work than is the added comfort constantly
given performers. When first / forsook
my desk in a Chicago bank for q position
with the Bostonians, nearly all OF TIE
dressing rooms in theatres Sere below the
stage. Overhead, as rule. were the hot
air pipes, and the temperature was always
high. AS soon as one applied makeup II
melted from his face. and fell like the gem
tie dew from heaven upon his shirt front.
Now, every house constructed has excel
lent accommodations for players. O.
course. we provide more in return-teu
years ago such production as is that of
The Singing Girl would have been im-
possible-but matters are well evened. ard
desire TO place myself on record as hav-
ing no wish to return to the palmy day
order of things
This from Eugene Cowles.
"At the beginning of the current season.
said Anita Bridger the "touchingly clever
maid of why Smith Left Home" on
Wednesday at the Wiliard-"at the begin
ming OF the current season / was consumed
with a powerful desire to try serious roles
that came dangerously near preventing you
Washingtonians from seeing me in the
Broadhurst farce. Mind. am not suggest
ing that the deprivation would have In
creased the mortality record of the city,
or anything else of the sort | merely
am detailing a bit of personal history.
September saw my ambitions soaring sky
ward and my career was all planned when
Francis Wilson endeavored to make his au-
diences cry and paid for the privilege. Still
chung to my hope Ken William H.
Crane found that wooden legged pathos
was not profitable. Stuart Robson 1iscov-
cred that atheistic drama would not draw, |
and learned that a laugh in the mouth |
is worth two tears in the eyes Thus were |
four celebrities converted"
And Miss Bridger smiled.
Little John Slavin. VINO had the role of |
Greta's brother in THE Singing Girl" has |
been. before the public for so long that ii |
is almost impossible to believe that he is
hardly over thirty years of age. Yet. up
on being asked for information on the sub
ject John Slayin confirmed this report. |
The questioner expressed surprise. |
Why" said he, II thought that you had
been acting since about So
"NOrse! replied the diminutiye come |
dian, smiling. 81 made my debut about
twenty seasons ago in Birch WOmbold &
Bachus' San Francisco Minstrels. | was
then youngster of ten, and had been
shining shoes at the corner of Twenty
ninth and Broadway in New York. | used
10 sing great deal as l worked and one
lay Mr.. Bachus. who was a customer of
nine. asked il would care to go into the
Would r. The opportunity was
seized in a minute. and for three or four
Years | was madrigal boy with the organi-
,ation. Following that went on the road
With lot OF bad 'shows'-'Si Perkins and
truck of similar type. With Charley
Walton. of f. f. Rice fame. took to vau
leville. leaving that field to impersonate
conspirator in 1892. | lasted through
he brief engagement of A. N. Palmer's
The Stag Party which Paul Potter
with poor Bill Nye. and
'witched to George Lederer. at the Ca
ino. In In Gay New York I was comic
in The Whirl of the Town
music hall proprietor with thick dia-
ect. and In The Belle of New York the
'olite lunatic. The best thing ever did
TO my ides-was my Johnny Du
AN In Brian Boru.' Then came appear
noes In The. Circus Girl and with Della |
Fox. and-here I am. I've left lot of