The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-01-06

year is common knowledge. and the at
| tendance so far this season is even larger
/ than the preceding yS--, Mr..
Chase can well look with much pleasure
upon his efforts to give Washington a
theatre devoted exclusively to polite vau-
devlile and find considerable comfort in
| the knowledge that the people OF this city
have substantially recognized the merit
| of his endeavors
| Since his entry into local theatrical
management. Mr. Chase has risen from an
unknown quantity in the vaudeville world
| to one of the important factors in this
line Of stage entertainment, and in addi-
| ton TO conducting the Lyceum Theatre
baltimore, and directing the Burke &
Chase vaudeville company, ne occupies
the responsible position of Secretary of
the Association of Vaudeville Managers.
or the vaudeville syndicate. as the crgani-
| cation is commonly termed. Mr.. Chase s
| success is epitomized in a thorough be-
lief in vaudeville, and untirlng energy and
well-directed efforts.
! New York is not large enough for two
Nell Gwynnes. and consequently the bet
ter OF the two, Mistress Nell" as played
| by Henrietta Crossman will soon be COM
PEELED 10 yacate the theatre in which she
has been appearing in the metropolis
with almost unprecedented success and
the field will be left to Ada Rehan, with
her production of the Paul Kester play
all OF which emphasizes the proposition
| that it is Hard Thing to Go up Against
the syndicate in New York or Any other
City
The greatest theatrical success Of the
present year in New York was scored by
Henrietta Crossman with George Halle
tons piece, Mistress Nell,' when she
came into the Bijou Theatre after the
disastrous failure of Cupid Outwits
Adam and without ostentation and with
practically an unknown company of play
ers she was Immediately accorded by the
entire New York press the honor of hav-
Ing the sensation of the year During
Miss CHEESEMAN'S tenancy of the Bijou the
theatre was not spacious enough to hold
the crowds that wanted TO witness the
HaZleton piece. When the time came for
May Irwin to commence her annual en-
gagement at the Sire playhouse Mistress
Nell was offered the Savoy Theatre
which. under the management of Alfred
Aarons, had been a dire failure. The
prosperous business of the Bijou followed
Miss Crossman TO the house, and all went
on right merrily until Ada Rehan pre-
scented Sweet Nell of Old Drury'' last
Monday night and the critics compared
her work with that of Miss Crossman to
the detriment of the former Daily favorite.
NOW. MISS fendn rs managed DIV several
members of the theatrical syndicate
while Miss Crossman has never been
taken up by the managers who control
the majority of the frst-class theatres
throughout the country. II was an easy
matter for the sponsors of Miss Rehan
TO get Mr.. Aarons to notify Miss Cross
man that she would have to terminate
her engagement in his theatre, and the
best play of the present season will be
cd IN ho In
der of the season in theatres throughout
the country that are not under syndicate
control. Moral-It Pays to Stand In.
Apropos of the Rehan Nell Gwynn' pro-
duction, Acton Davies, the critic of the
Evening Sum-" voices the opinion that:
- Sweet Nell serves the purpose of dem
onstrating that Miss Rehan is herself
again, as capable of brilliant achievements
as she has been at any time in her career
This play will run along nicely and enjoy
a profitable run, but Miss Henrietta
Crossman, farther down the street, has no
cause to worry. Sweet Nell and its
performance makes the Crossman Mis-
tress Nell and its production seem even
greater than before. Mistress Nell is
a literary gem; Sweet Nell as a piece
of stagecraft is sometimes harrowingly
made. In certain roles no actress will
ever -surpass= Miss Rehan, but
one of these roles is not Nell Gwynn. She
acts Nell splendidly; Miss Crossman is
Nell. And there's the whole situation in
a nutshell. Viewed as a production.
Sweet Nell of Old Drury' would have
given the late Augustin DAILY goosefesh.
For once, in way, Klaw & Erlanger were
away over their heads. The scenery was
handsome, but OF such little details as dis
tfnction and atmosphere there was not a
trace. And then the comparatively,
Julia Arthur once brought in a bunch of
rural Thespians TO Broadway of whom
pldygoers who saw them speak with bated
breath unto this day. Klaw & Erlanger
in this company almost make Miss Ar
thur collection seem like real actors
With the exception of Mr.. Daniel Harkins
and Mr.. William Elton, the entire sup
port is composed of nonentities of the
worst water And they are not even well
stage managed. They walked. talked. and
thought their lines as though they were
stroiling through an extravaganza AS |
-or the leading man, Mr.. Wright Whit |
-lesea-we may be wrongful it is our
opinion that the King Charles spaniel he |
'arried about with him could have acted |
he King with far more intelligence than |
lie displayed
James K. Hackett will take a much
needed rest for the next two or three
weeks. but his absence from 1.-THE Pride
IF Jennico" will not result in the closing
# the company for the period. as Stephen
Wright Will appear as Basil Jennico Miss
Bertha Galland. who Will next year be
starred by Manager Daniel Frohman, will
nus be given an early opportunity to ex-
'erience the feelings of playing at the
read OF company, for she will be prac-
ically the star of the Hackett organiza-
ion during the absence of the original
ennico.
William Collier, who delights to pe
allied the quaint comedian" will next
ear be under the anagement of Jacob
lit, who made enough money with In
I'D Kentucky to become manager of the
Broadway Theatre and several other
laces of amusement
Mr.. Collier was for several years urder
he direction of Smith & Rice, and later
is tours have been managed by W G.
mythe. This years production of ION
he Quiet" is billed as being directed by
ir. Smythe and Frank Perley, the latter
well-known Washington manager Mr..
ollier has been cleverly handled and has
cquired following that is worth much
money, and If Mr.. Lift can continue to
lace him before the public as advan-
ageously as have his other managers
here is little doubt but that the come
ian's success will continue
I'VE have plenty of fun with one of the
lembers OF our troupe wherever We 60"
avs George Chenet. agent for Hopkins
rams oceanics. playing at Chase's this
eek. You know, i'll every city" he con
nued. there are managers of theatrical |