Evening star., 1901-02-02

tional and the Columbia, May Irwin who,
save for the fact that she does not use
burnt cork, is a kind of feminine edition OF
Billy Rice, entertained her devoted admir-
ers with coon songs and more or less pun
gent repartee. Peter Daley had very much
the same kind of an entertainment at the
Columbia. He is a comparative stranger in
Washington. He appeared here at a recent
date for one night with Weber and Fields
company. Except for that performance he
has not been in Washington for good
many years. He had a piece called THE
Country Sport" and it is something OF
coincidence that Miss Irwin, who is now
appearing as his rival for Washington dol
lars was then in his supporting company.
Mr.. Daley expects to have a rather more
ambitious play next season. Paul Potter,
who wrote the City Directory, in which
Willier Collier and other comedians now
well known loomed so prominently is to
write a play for Mr.. Daley. The City Dl-
rectory may be regarded as more of an in
dication of Mr.. Potter's ability to fit Mr..
Daley with a play than his adaptation of
'Trilby' to the stage or his malodorous
'Conquerors." Mr. Daley will be a hard
man to suit with a role. His methods of
study are peculiarly his own and very SIM
pie. He gets the manuscript OF a part
reads it over. throws it away and then goes
on the stage and makes it up as he goes
along. One of the remarkable things about
Mr. Daileys spontanety is that a great
deal of It is really spontaneous.
There is story to the effect that the en-
terprise of Grayce with " Scott, the new
ingenue of the Lafayette Square company
caused pictorial commOtion in the theater
She requested and received permission to
exhibit a very attractive portrait of herself
in the lobby. Miss Haswell the leading
lady Immediately made application for sim
liar recognition and Mr.. Sullivan and Mr..
Ormonde followed suit, with others To hear
from. Miss Scott has developed very mater
tally since her original appearance In this
city a legitimate cOmedienne with the
Columbia Theater Stock Company. Another
new member makes her appearance next
Monday night. Eleanor Moretu.
The variety stage has been attracting
an unwonted amount Of attention outside
their own particular ciientelles. The Girl
In Blue has made herself especially motor
ious and has achieved an amount of adver-
tising which will prove profitable to her If
she is permitted to appear in the future. A
discussion OF her sinuous antics would be-
long rather to the domain of criminology
than to that of theatrical criticism.
The management of the New National
Theater has added a second box Office win
dow. where tickets ordered in advance may
at the main window. These tickets will
be held until o'clock for the evening per-
torrance and until O'Clock for the maui
neeS. This auxiliary window will also be
used for advance sales during the busy
hours of the day or evening.
Il want to register kick" said a we'll
known sporting man to an Evening Star
reporter recently. upon the way encores
are given in all the theaters at the present
time. In the old days it was the proper
thing for a prominent actor or a whole
company to march before the curtain in re-
sponse to the applause of the audience
Now 1t is made easer for all concerned by
IA sing the u.tain, but it destroys the ar
tistic harmony of the play.
Take, for Instance, the following points:
In Janice Meredith the hero escapes from
the smoke house through the cleverness of
the heroine, confusion and CONSERVATION
reign among the Brit tSh and unbounded ap-
plause follows from the audience. Up goes
the curtain and there, hand in hand. are
seen the hero heroine and all the company
smiling serenely in answer to the plaudlts
This encore struck me Like co bath. IS
l had applauded enthus. .astically like the
rest. and the performers seemed to lock
down on US as parcel of 'lobsters.' VINO
didn't know it wasn't the real thing.
Again. In the Palace of the King a
startling fight is on, and one of the con-
testants drops to the floor severely wound
ed if not dead. The scene was wei acted,
and. of course great applause follows. Up
goes the curtain, and with 1t the stricken
one, not wounded unto death, but smiling
in recognition of the applause. In this way.
in answer to encores, Henry Miller, in
Richard Savage was brought back to life
smiling, as were John 7. Sullivan too many
tines to recall and numerous other per-
formers during the past season. Answer
ing encores is all right, but let the favored
ones come out In front Of the curtain.
Tick "a
that but he has the true artistic. II net
common, sense of knowing how to ac-
knowledge the applause of an audience.
Here's another kick. and this time the
woman with the remarkable personality,
May Irwin, figures in my protest. If any
one was to charge May Irwin with being a
cheap p ker or running In the old skate
C ass she would naturally feel Indignant,
but after sitting through her performance
last Monday night l came to the conclusion
that she needed calling down. During
the presenta ton OF 'Madge Smith. Attor-
ney,' she goes ont Of her way to cheaply
advertise a brand Of liquor, which may be
good but in the language of the classics,
there are Others Miss Irwin has evidently
been imposed upon by so-called friends,
who doubtless know the dimensions OF her
big heart but she owes It to herself to get
out of the advertising class. She doesn't
need the money.
This Is no kick. but 1 want to tell you
of a regularity I have noticed which has
evidently escaped you lyrx-eyed newspaper
men. 1t can be noticed at all the theaters.
both on the stage and among the audience.
and that Is that men are wearing less Jew
elry than ever before. Diamonds are a
hobby with both sexes of the stage. out
outside a few cases the display Is not as
large as in seasons gone by. Among the
best-dressed men on the stage the scarfpln,
unless 1t is very small and very plain. Is
ous of date. Watch chains and fobs are
no longer worn If they are at all consp!cu-
Gus: only the tiniest of gold or platina
chains stretched across the front OF
waistcoat can be noticed. Shirt studs are
as inconspIcuous as possible. Rings with
diamonds, rubies and sapphires. so re-
Gently noticed on all prominent actors
hands. are tabooed. and the only finger
decoration now seen Ia the signet ring. One
of the profesh tod me that the display OF
precious stones on ones person Is now con-
sidered an evidence of vulgarity or boun-
derism whatever that means. l suppose
the display CT diamonds by men OF my
class. and also the faster set OF women.
has brought about this chnnge."
Jessie Bartlett Davis. the contralto. who
ia TO be Chase's head!iner next week. In
speaking of her life says that she is an
Illinoisan by birth. a Chicagoan in training
and a singer by profession. Years ago a
young lady with a fine voice was singing