The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-08-18
THEATRICAL NEWS
Roland Reed Will Tour in q
New Play Next Season.
ga Modern CruSOeo From Sid
ney ROSenfeld's Pen.
A SLIGHT DEPARTURE.
New Comedy Is i'm a Different
A SLIGHT DEPARTURE.
New Comedy Is i'm a Different
Vein From Former Ones.
Chances Are Good For a Topeka
Booking of Mr.. Reed.

Roland Reed is one of the most prom
inent American comedians who will ap
pear in new vehicles next season. His
latest comedy is from the pen of Sgd
ney Rosenfield, and is entitled "a Mod
ern Crusoe," and while it is said to be
in an entirely different vein from his
former comedies. a season of unusual
success is predicted for him.
year ago last April Roland Reed
was seen in Topeka in His Fathers
Boy" Prior to that time he had not
visited this city for several years 1t is
understood that he is to make a south
ern tour with "A Modern Crusoe," and
in such event will again be seen here.
Mr.. Reed has but lately recovered
from a second attack of appendicitis,
and for weeks was in a critical condi-
ton. He is said to be rapidly regain
ing his former strength, however, and
intends opening early at the Boston
Museum. The season will be his four
teenth as q star.
stage career to a representative of the
Dramatic Mirror, Mr.. Reed recently
said:
Il was born in Philadelphia on June
IS, 1852. My father, John Roland Reed
who was widely known as Pop"
Raed-was connected with the Walnut
Street theater, Philadelphia, from 1912
until 1885. His record there of sixty
one years with one theatre has prob
ably never been equaled. He was the
father of thirteen children, of which
number I was the twelfth, and nearly
every one of us appeared on the stage
of the Walnut Street theatre while we
were in infancy. 1 made my debut as
the baby in the once popular farce, Mr..
and Mrs. Peter White, and I had the
honor. upon that occasion, to be car
ried on the stage in the arms of Tom
Placide, who played the role of Peter
White. L continued to be the stage baby
until I grew large enough to play chill
dren's parts, and when outgrew that
line l became the Stage-doOr- keeper of
the theater. I went regularly to gram
mar school during that period and at
night studied the lessons while guarding
the door. Among the people who pass
ed in and out every evening were many
then famous personageS of the stage.
But at that time 1 had aspirations in
the direction of the grocery business,
and was busy mastering the German
language, SO perhaps l did not heed
the celebrities as 1 should have later on.
Handsome, aristocratic John Wilkes
Booth stopped one night and talked
with me a bit. He gave me dollar
when he said good-by- 1 never saw him
again. Six months later he was dead.
"One day while was at school a mes
senger from Mrs. John Drew went to my
fathers house looking for me- My moth
er Immediately sent for me, and it then
appeared that Mrs. Drew wanted me to
act as usher at the Arch Street theater.
1 at once accepted, and from Mrs. Drew
1 received my first regular salary in a
theater. Before many weeks had passed
I was transferred from the front to the
back of the curtain, where properly be-
longed- I acted as callboy for some time
and then, though I was under 16 years
old, 1 assumed the responsible duties Of
pronpter. At that period, when a diff
ferent play was put on every night by
the stock company, the pronpter had
no easy task A part of my work-and
the hardest part to me-was the reading
before the assembled company, of every
new play chosen for production. I had
bad lisp in my speech, as a boy, which
added to the embarrassment and misery
of these performances. But have long
been glad that I had that experience,
since it taught me more about the plays
of the period than could have learned
in any other way.