The times., 1901-06-09

1
| Maurice Grau. and l remained there unit
| April. when | came to Washington
| stage director for Mr.. Berger's compan!
| at the Lafayette Theatre. where may b
| found every day from 10 to T.
| what do you think of the future o
| stock companies
Il am not sure that they have a future
1 thlnk the present stock system ma!
| easily be called a nine days Wonder-o
| more literally, a nine years wonder. O
course. do not mean summer stock.
| am speaking of permanent organizations
| The time cannot be far off when play!
| will give out and the public certainly will
| not consent to have the same old one.
| over and over again. Another thing
Where are the actors to come from2 Coco
leading men and women will not consen
| 10 play for the salary generally Offered
by stock managers. A custom which /.
likely to be revived is the old stock stal
system. In the old days only the stars
| Travelled Permanent companies wer,
established in different cities and star.
engaged for certain length of time, say
Tor one, two or three weeks. This is being
uohe now in some of the cities, and viii
PROBABLY be adopted in time all over thC
country
George Wilson. who heads his minstrel
company at Chases this week, is as good
a story teller off the stage as he is when
ne stands behind burnt cork and the foot
lights, facing an audience which is set
I've been in the business a good while
now,' said he to some friends the other
day; Just how long I won't state. and
during that time I've heard great many
hard luck tales from out the West and
South, but none of them compares to the
story told in New York a few weeks ago
Dy the members of a Terrible Deal COM
pany. There were eleven of them in all.
and some were my friends, so | shall not
mention names. a Terrible Deal was
Ill named in the first place. and in the
second place-it played, by the way, q to-
tai of about three places-it started out on
Friday. The combination was too much
and things went woefully wrong. The deal
the members of that troupe got was far
worse than the one they expected to give
the rural playgoers of the Cape Cod couu-
try. The company was organized on the
spur of the moment by crowd of players
gathered on Broadway, all of whom had
come in for the season. They thought
they might pick up a few extras TO throw
INTO the waves at COney before the July
sun had begun to shine. All We're to share
and share alike, and all did, but hardly
in the way expected.
They played Hyannis, a thriving VII
lage on Cape Cod, and opened TO Sl4
house. The tragedian lifted the curtain,
but as he was on in the climax, the com
edian performed the task of lowering the
drop. The ianitor had several other
duties to perform. and also was so excited
that he wanted to stay in the front of
the house all the time. At Wareham,
which was reached after a jaunty cross
country walk, for health's sake, beau
uful, handsomely dressed 50 house was
the reward The audience unfortunately
was composed OF volunteer fire lighters,
and when an alarm sounded in the mid
die of the second act the house vanished
in thin air The fire outweighed a Ter
rible Deal At Falmouth. l believe it
was. the last act was enacted. Here they
found an audience of ten people, five of
whom were related to the man who had
furnished lanterns as footlights IN ex-
change for five tickets. They gave it up
and hit the New York. New Haven and
Hartford tracks from Boston To New
York. Here endeth the lesson Of a Ter
rible Deal.
Frank Mckee, Mary Mannering. and
James X Hackett have entered into an
q agreement by which 4 Shakesperean pro-
duction will be made in the spring of 1902
in New York City. Philadelphia, Boston,
and Chicago. and one or two other prin-
cipal cities. This agreement in no wise
interferes with Miss Mannering's contract
with Mr.. Mckee or with Mr.. Hacketts
position as an aCtOr-manager. In the fol-
lowing autumn Miss Mannering and Mr..
ductions at different theatres in New
y ork City, Miss Mannering under the di-
rection of Frank Mckee, and Mr.. Hackett
under his own management.
The ShakespeTean play in which Miss
Aiannering and Mr.. HaCkett viii be seen
next spring has not been definitely Sc
Iected. but ii is quite likely to be The
Tanning of the Shrcw.' in which Miss
will play Katharine and Mr..
Iacket PetrucCiO Neither mas the date
been positively fixed. but il is probable
that their special tour viii begin about
MAY ! and contiau" six weeks. The com
0any viii be carefully selected, and the
pest and most experienced artists on the
American stage Will be retained. Should
his project meet with public favor, 1t
Hill be repeated each successive SpiInS-
An arrangement Is also contemplated
yy which Miss Mannering and Mr.
tIackett may be seen in London for
'ew weeks in 1903 under the mana cement
If Mr. Mckee. In the event that this
giau is cOESummated. Miss Manueriug
and Mr. Hackett will be supported Dy
M American company.
This is the season Of novelties in vaude-
,ille and the brains of the foremost
amusement providers of the country are
laily evolving some novelty to catch the
ancv and appreciation of theatregoers.,
Mr.. Chase has secured two attractive
lovelties for his theatre the week Of June
attractions that promise TO make the
week one Of the most alluring Of the sum
ner offerings at this cool and roemy
The first of the novelties is an Ami |
mated Song Sheet provoking
lrDQEEtlOn WHlGD Is ltIDIttI lb tilPi1h I
he services of forty people. II Is descTiD-
d as a most elaborate affair. one Of those |
presentations which are making history |
or modern vaudeville The second I'm
,Ortant attraction is q sensational con-
option entitled The Bridegroom Re |
erie" 1t is said TO be most ambitious |
n plan and beautiful in execution. 1t Is |
tightly entertaining during its stay on |
tartling scenic and electrical effects II |
epicts the home of the bride on her |
Wedding evening. The groom, seated IN |
he drawing room, awaiting her coming. |
llOws his mind 10 wander back q few |
ears The smoke plays tricks and paints |
,ictures and above the fire in the old |
rate there appears n vision
The two runs made by san Toy at
)aly's Theatre the past season represent |
he most successful engagements ever
Iayed at this house by a musical com
iy. This statement does not except Mr..
)aIy's big production OF "A Runaway |
iirl" Samuel Collins made a personal
ii in the character Of Ii. which he VIII |
ontinue to play next season The com
IL tour Of san Toy VIII embrace all
ne principal cities.
Adelaide Thurston will be among the
st of next seasons stars. She will be
ndcr the management of ClaXtOn and |
rank ]. Wilstach, two prominent theat-
cal business managers. Miss Thurston
Iayed Maude Adams part in The Little
mister road company and scored such
decided success in the territory visited
ith the Barrie play that the Messrs.
'ilstach opined she was good enough to
ave her name printed IN large type
The title of the play in which Miss
'-urston viii appear has not yet been
Ivulged but 1t is understood to be the
ork of a well-known dramatist. and is
lid TO contain a part particularly well
lapted to the new star JiaXton VII |