Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-02-03

about to appear in a new romantic DRAINS
mer, entitled Aria"
Louis James, in speaking of where stage
traditions come from, says the traditional
business of a role is either the idea Of the
author or the man who originally staged
the pay, or else 1t came from the brain
first instance. Some actors" he adds SEN
tentiously, really have brains, and at
times use them"
Mrs. Annie Yeamans, who was with
why Smith Left Home at the Columbia
this week. began her stage career In an
operate ballet, then was a bareback rider
in an Australian circus and thence. by
character work. She confesses to sixty
two years. and is good artistically and
physically for a decade more on the boards.
Richard Mansfield gets a considerable
quantity of editorial sympathy from vari-
Gus sources because busybodies persist In
making satirical comments on his manners
and methods as an individual, disregarding
his achievements as an artist. Other man.
ayers conduct their stages as they please,
employ whom they please and discharge
whom they choose 1t is not SO much what
Mr.. Mansfield does that attracts attention,
but the funny way he does 1t.
Charles NJ. Sheldon, author of 'In His
Steps" seems to regret the dramatization
of his story in London, although as he
did not copyright it there he cannot pre-
vent ats use on the English stage. If" he
says, the story could only be played by
Christian actors it would be a blessing to
the world, but by immoral players and I'M
der the direction of a present-day manager
the opposite effect will be had" He says
the story will not be put on the stage in
America.
The Kawakami japanese troupe has q
guide. philosopher and friend in the per-
son of Mr.. Bunkir Matsuki, prominent
Japanese merchant of Boston. Mr.. Matsu-
XII married an American girl and has a
summer residence near Salem, Mass; q
ty pical japanese country seat, with bam-
boo cottages and plum blossoms; bit Of
the mkado's empire in New England. The
heavy two-handed swords used in the
Kawakami performances are the regular
article, and any person who has examined
the Japanese weapon knows that while 1t
is not quite so sharp as razor, 1t should
be handled with great care.
The impression seems to hold that the
role of Eugen Courvoisier which Richard
Mansfield plays in ''The First Violin" to
be given during his coming visit, is the
first musical role that he has ever played.
1t Is not so many years ago, six or seven,
that Mr.. Mansfield played a little comedy
called Monsieur for quite an extended
spring run at Hoyt's, then (and now the
Madison Square Theater, in which play he
took the part of a starving music teacher
in love with his rich pupil tombstone Ben
nett remembers this play well, for 1t was
as the slavey in Monsieur that she made
her first hit as a character actress in New
York and paved the way for her later sue
cess in Jane
Stuart Robson tells of a young man who
was introduced to the firm of Robson and
Crane by John Mccullough, with the plea:
For heavens sake, will you do something
Of n
you know who he Is, but 1 warn you not to
engage him on the ground that, being his
fathers son, he ought to be a good actor.
Without an exception. this youngster is the
worst actor l have ever seen in my life.
Still, for his fathers sake as we'll as his
own, | would like you to employ him."
After seeing the young man perform, Crane
and Robson agreed that Mccullough had
spoken literally. He left them very sick at
heart. The aspirant spoken of at that time
with such disparagement was no less a per-
sonage than Mr.. E. H. Sothern.
Manager Chase claims credit for the dis
covery of Miss Mabel Maitland, the young
woman who recites in dialect. He expects
her to excite as much comment and critical
attention as New York's mysterious singer
not otherwise known in vaudeville than
the girl with the auburn hair She comes
from a distinguished southern family and
the name of Maitland is simply a nom de
theatre. More than this, she is appearing
in vaudeville without the knowledge of her
kith and kin, and is as much surprised at
the success she has won in stage career
as yet bounded by fourteen performances
as her relatives would perhaps at first de-
plore her departure from the social sphere
for which she was educated
People who go often to the theater and
who know enough of the etiquette of the
place to abstain from conversation during
the performance are not infreQuently an
noyed by others near them who are not so
well posted, or, perhaps. so considerable.
Not long ago Julia Arthur, in New York.
stopped acting to reprove a noisy box party,
and Lillian Burkhart, the well-known vau-
devillan, performed the same service to her
audience in Philadelphia a month or so
back. both being rewarded by enthusiastic
applause from their auditors while the
persons left the theater to
hide their discontinue. Manager Chase of
the New Grand, in his effort to insure the
comfort and pleasure of his patrons, has
hit upon a clever idea that will serve to re-
press such quasi-offenders. He has printed
a neat card bearing these words: 1.-The
management requests that there be no
conversation in a tone that will disturb
those near you
usher has proved a most effective remedy
He might extend his good work to the
'theater hat" nuisance. One bright man
eger in New York uses stereopticon to-
ward this end and just before the curtain
rises he causes a neatly worded invitation
to the ladies to remove their hats to be