The Washington times., 1901-11-17

country last winter, when IL was arr,p~
ed that klaw & Erianser should producs
The Sleeping Beauty and the Beast
mere, and the Drury Lane Thestre was
to present to the English metropolitan
theatregoers klaw & Erlanger's proSiuc-
| tion of "Ben-Hur."
George Lederer has been called into con-
sultation with Frank Perley for the pur-
pose of rounding The Chaperons' into
shape FOR its forthcoming metropolitan
production.
The Chaperons" is one Of the largest
organizations en- tour. and has during the
season been given throughout the East
and Middle West with considerable sue.
cess
The company contains such well known
players as Walter Jones, remembered
principally for his tramp act in ''Iis2:"
Joseph Miron, the basso for years Of the
Francis Wilson Company. and seen To-
| cally last season with The Princess
! Chic" Marie Cahill. one Of the best com
! ediennes OF the native stage, and Eva
/ languay soubrette of unquestioned
/ ability.
| The music of "The Chaperonsr is, by
! Isadore Witmark. and Is said to be un-
| commonly ttiIzeful. while the book of Fred
Rankin is claimed to be original, both in
\ theme and treatment.
! iuS tHdptFpnS Is headed toward
| Washington. and will be seen al the Co.
] ldmbia Two weeks hence.
Maude Du Val Crist, a singer of consid-
erable local repute. is in receipt of an Of
fer from Klaw & ErIanger for PROM
nient role in Maid Marian" the Boston,
| ians' new opera.
| Miss Crist is the possessor of a soprano
of unusual excellence, and her work with
Washington choirs has attracted the at
tention of several managers OF important
musical companies.
During his engagement at the National
Theatre last week. Joseph Jefferson dwelt
at particular length when making his
brief before-the-curtain speeches upon the
fact that Chicago newspaper interview
er had averred that the actors mind was
falling and that the thearegoing public
| should take advantage of the opportunity
to see the distinguished comedian dur
ing his stay in the Windy City.
This ridiculous report evidently bothered
the dean of the professionals Mr. JEFF
ferson's admirers term nim-not a little
and he never lost a chance to deny the
newspaper article most strenuously.
Joseph Jefferson is distinctly the grand
old man of the American stage-in the
endearing sense of the term, rather than
the literal meaning of extreme old age
although the actor confesses to more than
three score and ten.
Many Thespians have lived and played
their parts well until far beyond the age
Mr.. Jefferson has attained, and the cruel
stupidity in pronouncing MIN unfit so
long as he IS capable of the beautiful
representations given here last week must
be apparent to all who are not either ig-
norant or followers of the yellow news
papers.
Such a catastrophe is far from the case
at the present time. Persons who have
witnessed the work of Mr.. jefferson for
more than score of years express the
opinion that he has never displayed more
iinesse. buoyancy, and artistic spirit.
Charles Frohman is responsible, to a
great extent, for Leo Ditrichstein, the ac-
tor-dramatist. who was seen in Are You
a Mason at the Columbia last week.
If Mr.. Frohmau had not gone to the-Irv-
ing Place Theatre by mistake. one after
noon some ten years ago Mr.
Ditrichstein might still be un-
known to the theatre patrons of the Cap
ital City, and be buried in the ranks of
the German players of Herr Conreids
company.
Mr., Frohman was intent on seeing ''The
Lost Paradise in its original form, as he
owned American rights to the piece. He
went to the Irving Place Theatre one af-
ternoor, SuppOSing he was to witness a
presentation of the play he soon intended
to produce with his stock company.
instead he saw roaring farce, and one
of the ableSt players was Mr.. Ditrichstein.
Mr. FTohman returned that same night
to see The Lost Paradise" and again he
especially observed Mr.. Ditrichstein. al
though in a totally different line of work
Surely. argued the manager. a man who
IS capable of playing two such widely diff
ferent parts in a single day and playing
them so brilliantly. must be worth looking
after; so he sent for young Ditrichstein
and promised him place in one of the
numerous Frohman organizations if he
mastered the English tongue.
During the next six months Ditrichstein
had at his side an American scholar Of
some note and he studied the language
most assiduously. He quickly became
master of every male role in "Mr. Wilkin-
sons Widows, which at the time was be-
ing played by the Frohman Comedians,
and although he did not have a chance to
distinguish himself even once that year, he
held himself in readiness every night and
spent most of his time ferventIy hoping
some male member of the company wOr,ld
be taken suddenly i'll. thus giving him the
coveted opportunity of appearing before
a Broadway audience.
That was years agO-an age. as the
actor expressed it TO Times interviewer
the other night, while Mrs. Ditrichstein
dressed him in the feminine garb he uses
during the latter part of Are You a
Mason.
Said Mr.. Ditrichstein: Washington oc-
cupies a warm spot in my heart. for the
people of this city were certainly good to
my pet play, The Last Appeal.
Il had written plenty of plays to fit
the peculiarities of stars, and had
adapted farces and the like that were
destined to create laughter and nothing
more but The Last Appeal / wrote to
satisfy my own ambitions, and even if
it had been withdrawn 1 consider it an
excellent play.
Given a different cast, a new leading
lady, perhapS-what a success Julia Mar
lowe or Eleanor Robson might have made
in the chief female role-and the story Of
its fortunes would have been different.
am sure.
Starring? Yes: next season. in all
probability l am writing comedy with
that end in mind. II will be something
entirely out of the ordinary and while 1
am its father and will be it's principal
guardian / cannot help from expressing
the belief that it will prove great sue
cess"
William A Brady will produce Around
the World in Eighty Days at the New
York Academy of Music soon
Wilton Lackaye will not be in the cast.
as he has been engaged for an important
part in Augustus Thomas new play,
Colorado" NIaude Raymond Frank
Hatch. Theodore Roberts, and David
Lewis have been secured for the Brady
production.
II has been definitely announced that
the Shakespearean play in which James
X. Hackett and Iary Mannering viii be
presented next spring will be Macbeth
and it is possible that William Faver-
sham may be secured for the role of Mac
dun. Frank Mckee, Miss Mannerings