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

Tor from my point or view tnefe s nothing
serious In the world. Yes. there is
Are you?.' this from the newspaper
man
yes" continued Miss Fay. Honestly,
now I'm going to confess. I'll be twen-
ty-one in four months, and then I'll get
some money from fathers estate and
when get it I'm going to buy nice lit
tie home. l may get some money before
that time, for I have instructed my law
yers to institute suit against the wife of
the prizehghter, Kid Mccoy, who named
for divorce proceedings. l want $4,000
in real money. not stage currency-and
who knows but may get IL %
"Y-e-s," assented The Times man;
who knows?"
The great men of the country that I
have represented on the vaudeville stage,
for some reason or other, seem eompli-
mented, and to enjoy my monologue fully
as much as any Of the spectators"
1t was John ". Ransome who was talk
ing and the subject had drifted to his i'm
presentations of statesmen on the stage.
He continued:
Take. for instance, my representation
of David B. Hill. The only exception the
Empire State politician and the coiner Of
the phrase, I am Democrat ever took
to my work was expressed in the remark
that he never wore a pair of lavender
pants in his life. You know when am
doing my Hill speciality wear pair of
striped trousers OF beautiful lavender
hue. Hill is a very good subject FOR me,
but my favorite is Richard Croker, per-
haps because he was my first offence.
How did l happen to hit upon imper
sonating statesmen and politicians? had
been with Pauline Hall, in comic opera,
and one summer, not desiring to spend all
OF the money | had managed, by strict
economy, to save during the preceding sea-
son, l accepted an offer from T. Henry
French to appear on tae roof garden at the
American Theatre, Nav York City / was
then impersonating old Hoss' Hoey with
a good deal of success, but I realized
was not doing just what 1 wanted to. One
night in making up I was struck with the
fact that IT wouldn't require very much of
change from my Hoey makeup to get a
fairly good likeness of Croker | tried it
that night. with a few jokes which 1 hap
pened to think of and with two verses set
to tune from Pinafore, which 1 hastily
constructed. The result was that / took
the house by storm, and that gave me the
start. Ever since I have been taking of
the big men of the country have already
been seen in Washington as Croker. Ham
ma, and Hill. / have an impersonation OF
Roosevelt, with set of huge false teeth.
winch the critics have been good enough to
say Is far ahead of anything | have vet
DONE
L have impersonated good many minor
personages in different parts of the coun-
Try. For instance, il l am booked in st.
Louis / get advices from the local mana
ger as to the peculiarities of some leading
local politician, and with the aid Of a
good wig and photograph with which to
make up the facial characteristics 1 man
age to give my audiences some good,
hearty laughs"
Now, you see that isn't Stephens at all
doing that black-face turn" said the
Wise One sitting in front of the Times
man at Chase's the other evening ut is
hrs partner, and while he is talking and
telling his witticisms, Stephens himself is
changing from Johnny Ray to Joseph
Jefferson. fou see it is physical i'm
possibility for fellow to get cut of that
burnt cork in less than half a minute
OF course, 1t must be his partner. They
must be good deal the same build and
their voices are alike. but they are two
entirely different Individuals
AS matter of fact. many persons sit
ideas similar to that expressed by the
Wise One regarding the exceedingly rapid
changes Of Hal Stephens in his most
unique sketch, AT l A. M which. by
the way. received its premier at Chase's
on Monday afternoon. The Times man
had been studying the question pretty
keenly, and when ne was ushered into the
supposedly romantic region known as
behind the scenes" was prepared to see
ttr-n
uniting in amusing and at the same time
deceiving the public Great was his sur
prise in finding himself deceived Stephens
is Stephens whether assuming the role of
the Celtic washer lady the gentleman
from ETHIOPIA, Johnny Ray, Sir Henry
Irving. or Joseph Jefferson. Aside from
the quickness of the changes from char
acter to character, the verify of the cos
tuning. the scenery carried, and the eff
fects produced, make the monologre
sketch most notable one, in fact, an
epoch maker in vaudeville.
The Times man arrived on the scene Of
operations just as Mr.. Stephens rushed of
the stage. tore from his face mask of
inky blackness. pulled a couple of strings,
undid a pair of safety pins, and reversing
the aedon was soon in the attire the like
OF which made Ray famous and prosperous
There was not second wasted and when
he had finished his wrestling match with
the garden hose representing the water
snake, similar rush, an unwigging and
rewigging. the undoing of bowknots and
the redoing of others, sent him upon a lit
tie platform as Rip Van Wrinkle after his
twenty-year sleep on the Catskills. Here's
to your health and to your family's and
may they all live long and prosper" came
from in front, and the quick-coming dark
ness assured one that another change was
in progress. while the hittering stereoptf-
con verified the belief by displaying scenes
from Irvins's THE Bells" The cIock-a
slim bit of steel in the hands of Mrs
Stephens-the "Company''-struck 1. and
soon. painting from his Irvingesque accent |
was at liberty and was introduced
to The Times representative. The imper- |
senator is a young fellow of twenty-five.
bright, alert, and keen to see point or
accept a suggestion. Discussing the prop
osftion of the Wise One in front, he took
up his mask and saids
Il am glad this thing succeeds in fool
ing people, as it cost me more trouble |
and worry than any other matter in the
sketch. Anyone can get a colored mask, |
but they are not black at all but rather
a dirty brown and not suitable for really
good work. Upon determining to insert
study in charcoal, | decided to make
my mask real good black. and spent
three weeks in experimenting before I
was successful Now. this shiny appear
ance is due to rather unique combina-
ton, that of bicycle tire passe with a
patent wooden dye. In comparison, the
rest of the act was easy to think out
This week was my first in the sketch and
| am glad that the public appreciates my
efforts to provide scenery and scenic |
effects. / am going to work up some
other limitations before I see you here
again"