The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-12-02

| ping. In compliment to me, printed my
picture in a little filigree at the top Of
his menu card. above the general caption
people of Today" / was pleased with
the idea, and sent one Of the cards to my
old friend In day 1t came back. and
on the back OF 1t were written some very
clever lines I'll show them to You. Here
they are. The landlords name was Chit,
might remark
| Why pick on Friday Landlord Chit.
To wreath in green our dish,
He's neither flesh nor fowl. l think.
l Is't possible he's fish?
All. landlord smooth, all hail to thee!
| Thy plan is very plain,
The menu card the guest inspccts
And then is filed with pain.
| The tempting things in print appear,
/ And where else beside.
| For when looks upon this mug
His appetite will slide
| Then hail the landlord cunning nan.
Your gift I'm is art.
The menu bids the guest engulf.
| The picture bids depart
| Yes. of course, the idea is clever. but
| do you really want to print the versese
All right. That will be getting back at
my friend In great shape, Will 1t not,
Think OF my turning his bad and uncom-
plimentary verses TO press account To
parapErase my friend George AIDE. Banker.
stick to your last. The actors hide is like
unto a hippopotanIus. IL welcomes pins
and needles. and :urEs them TO good ac-
count
The transition Of Mr. Backus from the
role of the Professor in Way Down East"
which will be seen at the National this
week to that Of Lieutenant MowbTay, In
i Janice Meredith is a rather notable one
Mr.. Baekus possesses and displays more
finesse than do most actors. He is also
playwright. and will have something very
good produced some of these days il man
agerial plans go not amiss.
Robert Drouet, nov Charles Fownes
with Mary Mannering in Janice Mere
dith," is victim of the demands Of tho
time for melodramatic acting and rather
unwilling victim at that. When he first
assumed the role he had preconceived
ideas regarding 1t, having studied the
Ford novel quite carefully and played
Charles as a sullen sort Of pumpkin In
the first act and added the romantic touch
to the character later. But this was not
according to modern ideas. and So in Tho
Times criticism Of Tuesday Mr.. Drouet
suffered for another's sins. He cherishes
no resentment, however. for when hs
greeted a Times man the other evening
he said:
with little criticisms like that an
actor is permitted to benefit himself. even
though it is a little rough to be blamed
for another's fault, IL faul, indeed ex-
lists. When a few more critics cali me
down for melodramatics. then the stage
director will let me go back to my own
and more quiet manner of reading
Fownes.
II notice Blanche Bates Is playing Rosa
lind this week. That is a very talented
and ambitious young woman, and Is going
to the top. Whenever I see AS You Like
1t / am reminded of one of my earlier
stage experiences. / was playing Orlando
to Rose Osborne's RosaIind, 1t being ono
OF the first companies 20 do the bard's
comedy in the open air, with real trees
for scenery. you know 1t was twelve
years ago. in Minneapolis or st. Paul
was a coed deal Of STRIPPING then, but
pretty muscular lad, and had aIwaya
made feature of the wrestling scene
OF the first act. Well. to arouse local
interest, Prof. Donovan, the boxing and
wrestling instructor. was engaged to play
the part OF Charles. He was then and n
now big. brawny fellow, fairly a mass
CT muscular tissue. / was introduced to
him as Nr. Drouet. the man who is to
throw you. He looked me over with 4
seH-satisiied smile and said: SO you ars
going to throw me, are your 1 replied
that l was. and went on to explain the
cues to him and the various grips and
breaks TO make He followed my move
ment5 with open mouthed astonishment
and when was through. said: Say, young
fellow. what's your name? told hin
again. and he said:
Well. I'm not on to your game biz
IL Del a cold thou that can break yci
IN TWO and throw you into the tops II
these trees,'
1 gasped in amazement. OF course you
can, but you mustn't! And then 1 ex-
planned TO him the idea of the part and
invoked the aid Of the local manager. Well,
We had to get the big copy OF Shakes
peare from the theatre library and show
him that Orlando threw Charles increase
his nightly stipend, and argue with him
for week before he would agree TO bs
thrown. He finally agreed upon his honor
not to break me in pieces and throw me
into the trees. and we rehearsed the match
many times, and did IL well.
''On the evening of the performance We
played to nearly 4.0c0 people, all in the
park, you know. The place was full of
Donoyan's friends, and when he came on
and said the single line of the wrestler.
,hey gave him a reception which made
hose of Rosalind and Orlando sound
inS IN comparison
When l threw off my doublet, the Same
,rowd gave gasp OF disgust, and when
inally threw Charles, as agreed. tho
FOWL that went up was terrific Ii was
he funniest experience I have ever had,
md the wrestler's friends evidently
thought l was wonder. although none Of
hem Stayed out the entire comedy
Last season when. with Miss Allen,
-fsited that section, 1 met Donovan
ia ak
| Lot OF money to make me let you throw
ne again.. That gang never got over that
Town. and when I gets little gay they
sticks that play-acting Orlando gag into
ne. The straight mat is good enough for
our Uncle Donovan. -
Miss Katherine Field, whom local the
,tre patrons will recall as Brenda. in The
Great Ruby" given by the lafayette Stock
Company. is in private life the wife Of
Walter Clarke Bellows. 1.-The man behind
the gun or. Electrically Speaking the
scenes During a performance last week
while the heavy scenery was being shifted
md the jewelers. shop converted into tho
.xterior of an inn Times representative
succeeded in gaining Miss Fields atten-
ion by remarking that Mr. Bellows was
isry busy man.
Indeed ne il Cntiriag. He works al
he time and is so conscientious that some-
lines wish he would be little less So
about myself? oh. dear me. There
eaIly is 50 little to tell that am sure it
souldn't prove interesting. A great deal
Il my time has been spent in stock work,
principally in Denver. so. of course this
experience is by no means new one to
ne. Yes, it is hard. and especially so Just
low. when we are rehearsing AS You Like
t and Nine. Sans Gene with .Hedda