The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-09-23
FRIENDS OF LAST WEEK.

viii A. Mcconnell, at present business
manager of the '.Mam'selle 'Awkins" COM
pany, has a great deal more admiration
and respect for Lew Doehstader, Ezra
| Kendall, John w. Ransorne, and the other
monologue artists of the headline variety
now that he has been a monoIogist him
| self. His experience was gained during
the summer at Chicago, where he played
a two-weeks' engagement.
"One of the first stories I fired at my
audience" said Mr.. Mcconnell, in relating
his career as a vaudeville performer the
other day, was supposed to happen in
prohibition State and sought to illustrate
the difficulties man had in,ogenching his
thirst. / located the tale up in Maine,
but the audience wouldn't stand for it.
Never smile-nothing but sea of stolid
faces glaring up at me. 1t was on roof
garden and my initial experience in vau-
deville was at a Sunday matinee. The
sun was beating down on that roof as it
never did before and by the time ! had
told two or three jokes that were very
funny-to me. anyway began to wish l
had been a better boy and had always
gone to Sabbath school 1t must have
been 100 in the shade. only there wasn't
any shade. A song and dance performer
one of those old timers who are doing the
same act today that they started with
twenty years ago-was standing in one of
the entrances. waiting for me to be pros
trated by the heat and give him chance
at the crowd out in front. Finally. he
took compassion on me and whispered
sympathetically:
Make il local, Gull: make 1t local
1T suddenly struck me that l had net
placed any of my stories in Chicago. l
thought | would try the old timers ad
ba 7 ba mt
labeled Evanston. the well known slb-.
urb of the Windy City.
did l hit them? Well, 1 guess little
Willie did had them going all right after
that but it was a fearful start. When
l came off the stage l enquired of the
stage manager how long l had been on.
Seventeen minutes, he replied.
WHAT l gasped; don't you mean
three years.
ITO this minute, l firmly believe that
stage mana gers watch had been taking
a nap while l was doing my turn. When
| used to pay the salaries at Roster &
Balls, and the men who could go on the
stage and entertain an audience for fif-
teen or twenty minutes demanded two
or three hundred dollars for a weeks
work, / regarded them as highwaymen.
Now. after my own experience as mon
ologist, Dockstader, Kendall, ar any of
their class can ask for a thousand a
week. and when the salaries are passed
around my hat will be in my hand"
Elfe Fay's name did not appear en- the
programme at The National last Monday
night but the former favorite of the
Bijou stock company had no sooner made
her appearance than many of her former
admirers up in the gallery, and few in
the lower portion of the theatre, espied
her. and from the galleryites came many
words of cheer and communication.
No one was more surprised to find Miss
Fay at the theatre than Manager Aarons,
of the Nam selle Awkins" company.
When a Times scribe asked the elfish
Miss Fay how it all happened, she an
swered:
"oh l was just in New York and had
nothing to do. and thought l would run
over to Washington and see how the
town looked. No one knew l was COM
ing and l don't know how long l will
stay with the company. Mr.. Aarons
wants me to remain with him until The
Magnetic Girl new piece which he Will
soon put on in New York City. is ready.
and then he says ! am to have one OF the
principal roles.
what do / want to do?'
"Ill never be satisfied until I see my
name in electric letters on a Broadway
playhouse. Until then. l will keep on
doing the best / can"
And them" vcutured the interviewer.
well, guess I'll retire about that
time-just fool the dear public a little.
I'm going TO work hard, and 1 think can