The Savannah morning news., 1901-04-15
FAMOUS THEATER DOOMED,
HOUSE THAT ROOTu AND OTHERS
MADE FAMOUS TO BE RAZED.
W. II. Pope Talks of the WaIIacks
and Tells Many Interesting Anec-
From the New York Times.

dOtes of the Days of the Stock
Company.
From the New York Times
The theater built by the Wallacks in
1861, in association with Theodore Moss,
on Broadway, at Thirteenth street. and
which was for twenty years the abiding
place of the Wallack Stock Company, and
later, after the stock company had moved
sun further up town. continued to pre-
sent great stars up to 1895, is to be torn
down. The old Star Theater is TO make
way for clothing house. The lease of
the present tenants expires on May !,
when the tearing down begins.
William H. Pope. who is perhaps the
only surviving member of the elder Wal
lacks company, was found the other day
by Times man. Mr. Pope was with the
stock company under both j. W. Wallaek
and Lester Wallack. Except for a short
time when he was vita Ethel and Laura
Keene, he was continuously with them
until a few years after the house now
called Wailacks was taken. For the past
ten years Mr.. Pope has been blind and
has been off the stage.
so the old Star is to CO." said he.
Wei, that old building housed one of
the greatest stock companies the world
has ever seen. They were not stars such
as those Of to-day. 1t was not until COM
mercialism came into the theaters that
they began to hire people for one piece.
l was young fellow in the sixties. am
bilious to become a good actor. / had
been on the road a little before that, and,
although ! didn't think Ihere was much
ClAnCp of iOiniDo he n
in America, I determined to try. l went
over to the green ROOM saw the elder
Wallack, and was engaged. My first part
was that of the notary in Pauline. In
those years the company included. besides
Lester Wallack, who was stage manager.
Mrs. John Hoey, Madeline Henriques,
Mary Cannon, Fanny Moran, lone Burk
Mrs. Vernon, Effie Germon, May Miller,
Floyd, Winters, Parsloe, Fisher, Rey-
nolds and Blake. There was also John
Gilbert.
How Pope Got His First Advance.
Il got my first advancement when the
company produced 'Rosedale' The man
in charge of the supernumeraries was
afraid of his work and quit. and l finally
got his place. But first let me tell you
how got my part in 'Rosedale.' Lester
Wallack casS me for 'Corpl. Daw.
I do not want it,, told him. There's
nothing in it,
but, Pope he said. 7 wrote it for
you
I took it. Shortly after this learned
that the Superintendent of the Auxilia-
ries was to go. 1 was advised by an old
dresser to apply for the place, and / de-
termined to do so. Through his dresser
got word to Lester that wanted to speak
to him. I offered to take the place, but
he at first Wouldn't consent
Why, my boy he said, that's too
much responsibility for you. You are
practically assistant stage manager
You've got to fill in the pictures. And be-
sides, l don't want a lot of dirty supers
l want gentlemen. You would have to get
them.
Il told him that 1 would get them, and
that l could do what any other man
could do or had done before me.
That's the spirit, my boy he ex-
claimed, the position is yours
rf1e had told me to get gentlemen. and
/ got them. Across the street was club
called the Chess Club, l think It was
composed of young lawyers, brokers from
Wall street, and other business and pro-
tessional men, l had the privileges of the
club, and knew most of them we'll In
Rosedale' the groups or masses are gyp-
sizes and soldiers. / got the club men to-
gether in their rooms and carefully drilled
them for the scene in which gypsies and
soldiers We're to appear / selected a num-
Der who could sing, and taught them the
song that was a part of the scene. On
the night OF the production Lester was
playing the part of British officer He
stole into the gypsy encampment. After
he had sung song that recalled to the
abducted girl in the camp her early home
and she had come to him, the gypsies
saw them together. Headed By John Gil
bert, the chieftain, they rushed upon him.
Gilbert was about to brain Lester with
club when L appeared on a rock and
handed down to him his sword At the
word up I.ancers, my soldiers sprane
from behind me. and we saved Lester
from death at the hands of my lawyers.
brokers, and business men who were the
gypsies.
Lester was delighted at my success in
getting gentlemen to go on as auxiliaries,
and ever after that he showed me every
Kindness. In the same place | had a little
scene with Lester in which / express to
him my gratitude for what he has done
for me, 'Corpl. Daw.' My lines read.
you've been the making of me- Every
night l would put my whole soul into
those words, for l meant them for nv
self personally. and Testers smile showed
that he understood.
j. h. Emmet's First Appearance.
I'm those days we had about twenty
pieces in stock which were produced In
succession. We generally opened with
School for Scandal, London Assurance
and then went on through the list. Usual
~ about Easter we put on a new piece
That ran about the summer season Tie
closing date was about June Is. After that
there was summer season. Lolita. Dan
Bryant, and j. X. Emmett appeared for
the first time, Emmet as Fritz and Bry-
ant as Handy Andy, during our summer
season. John Brougham and the Lydia
Thompson Burlesque Company were
among others then. Later, in the regular
STOCK company. we had Harry G. Monta.
que, Charles Matthews, Charles Wind
ham, Jane Burke, Rose Coghlan and Os-
mond Teale. 'Rosedale,' the play | have
been telling you about, ran for over a
hundred nights. 1t has since been revived
five times.
There is one little experience that
must tell you about. There was a hIe
Irishman, six feet high, with feet as big
as Lincolns, who came TO me and wanted
to 90 on the stage We needed a fun-
key for the coach that is robbed BY ban
dts in The Compact He was nut on
behind. He broke the spokes of the wheel
Of the coach. After the rehearsal he
came to me.
" See here. mister he roared. I'm an
lrishman. You can't make a fiunkey out
Of me. I'll be a lord or nothing
During the later period OF our exist
cuce AZ ThirfNeptb Etraef h.a