The times., 1901-05-19

The matinee girls heart is capable of
expanding to an almost unlimited degree,
J and no matter how many idols may knock
for admission therein, there is sure to be
room for another. This is not meant as
a disparagement to the young woman
for she is an institution which the stage
of today could not well do without. The
Junior public must have it's favorites as
well as older and wiser theatregoers. and
When a player may rfghtfully claim the
endorsement of good will and sincere ad-
miration of both young and old he un-
/ doubtedly has occasion to think that there
| Is something in him worth looking after.
IN the company which is reviVing musical
| comedy al the Columbia Theatre there
! are favorites galore, but, for instance,
/ there is John Park, with whom Washing
ton became acquainted some weeks ago
! when he was here witt The Runaway
| Girl and who returned to open the Co
lumbia summer season in the same piece.
! Mr.. Park has been here for three weeks
| and has done such excellent work that it
! is the earnest wish of everyone that he
VIII continue as member of the Column
pla company: When man can sing. act,
! and make himself generally pleasing to
/ an audience, he may be pretty sure that
/ salary night will always come around for
him.. That's about the way Mr.. Park
stands locally. Dramatically, he is one
| of the best juveniles that Washington has
had the good fortune to see. He is thor
| ouShiy at home on the stage, plays with
| spirit, and though he fills in" his parts
! with touches of Individual comedy, he
! knows just where to stop and never makes
| the mistake of overacting Added to this
! ne dances well, has fine stage presence.
ana understands how to dress the parts
! Tor which he is cast so that everybody is
giad to see him come on the stage His
| voice is above the average to be found
IN muslcal comedy and is a bari
tone OF pure quality and unusual range
Mr.; Park uses his voice with discretion.
ana ana sings intelligently and with feeling
his rendition of .'Star of NV SOuP' last
he NJ
Geisha.'
When a public becomes Interested in a
payer across the footlights it soon fol-
lows that his life and interests away
from the theatre begin to be of moment
helhg coSnizant of this a Times inter-
viewer became courageous enough to in
Ntlde the sacred precincts of Wun-Hfs
tea mouse, situated last week at the CO.
!qmpla to learn, if possible Just what
Mr. Park has in view for the future, and
what he has done in the past Mr. Park
declared his aversion to talking of him
sell, but as he eyinced no inclination to
talk about his neighbors, the interviewer
s. became lnquisitive, and an interesting
The truth is, said the actor. Il am a
Lttle IN the dark concerning next season.
GU see, it's bit far off, and when a
man has been working hard for some
time the most important thing on his
hoflzon is the prospect of good long
rest, uninterrupted by visions of n 10
O CLOCK rehearsal lying in wait for him
comes 70 getting up in an opera every
week there's not much time left for
dreams And that reminds me of how |
came 10 play Guy Stanley, in A Run
away Girl Ny brother was the manager
OF tne company and played the role of
Stanley. He became i'll and the part was
gwen TO me at midnight on a Saturday /
studied all night and all the next day and
nlgnt, and on the second morning was
Ietter perfect in the part. Yes, it was
quick work, and a kind that IN never do
& tan u,
you know that at times nv brain would
get so muddled that l couldn't think. and
SIMPLY throw the book down in de-
SPAR: But i conquered il IN the end and
remained with the show from that time
on mere is some talk of taking A
Runaway Girl on the road again next
season, put nothing definite has been de-
termined. 1t has played ali the Eastern
territory, and were it taken 10 the Coast
i would entail expenses of such a high
hgure that only a narveloujJv s1,cf.ess
ful season would pay The piece itself Is
wonderfully good, ana our past season
was unusually gratifying when you come
Girl has been on the road
we played an engagement in Toronto.
Ca1doa' winch happens to be my home
ana ana OF course 1t was great time for me
MY coueSe friends were good enough to
take things into their own hands and
When the curtain rose the old varsity
eolors greeted me from every corner Of
the house. 1t was 4 great night and the
only thing I'll never forgive those fellows
Ior is that they compelled me to make a
speech You see, haven't reached that
pinnacle of fame which will allow me TO
feiCse TO step out of my character and
go before the curtain, so | responded as
best | could and they gave me an ovation
that made me feel like a great actor But
II was good while it lasted
No, I've never PLAYED abroad but I've
spent some time in England and should
hke to go back again. am a British
subject and so am naturally fond of Eng
| 7
IN washington. That depends on the
season, the comedies selected for pro-
ductlon and great many other things
Before coming here / had an offer TO ioin |
Francis Wilson but we couldn't come 70 |
terms 1t was funny about our cores
ponGence, too, / received a wire from
Mr wilson which / answered immedf- |
ateIy; In reply received another signed |
Frank Daniels. | was pretty badly mixed |
until another telegram came from Wilson. |
1t all proved to be a mistake of rho On
orator, who had confused the two come |
dians. Evidently they all look alike to |
MN, nut he~had me guessing for little |
while
Some years ago the chief attraction of |
the great Barnum shows was Tom Thumb |
and his wife, whose small carriage was |
the cynosure of all eyes as it took its
place in the grand entrance march before |
the regular ring performance. There has
scarcely ever been a celebrity before the
public who could claim greater amount
OF notorlety than these two little people,
and at least there has been none whose |
fame has been as lasting. Even though |
Tom Thumb is no more, his memory still |
lives, and though smaller artists than he
and his wife have made their appearance |
they can never hope to rival Gen. and |
Mrs. Tom Thumb in popularity.
The latter was one of the headliners at
Chase's last week, and with her present
Count Primo Magri, and his
brother, Baron E. Magri appeared in a |
short sketch entitled "A Peep at Mars"
from the pen of Robert Griffin Morris.
The playlet gives glimpse of mytholog-
cal life on the planet Mars. A fair lady
has lost her identity, which can only be |
to her by the discovery of a lost
melody which proves to be THE Last
Rose of Summer" On him who finds the
forgotten strain she will bestow her hand
and likewise eternal happiness. There is
nothing like this sketch in vaudeville, and
is enactment by these diminutfve actors
makes it all the more unusual. When a
Times interviewer knocked at Mrs. Tom
Thumbs dressing room one night last |