The Washington times., 1901-10-06

Siderable prominence in his own land.
1t is said that in his native country he
has the reputation Ht possesslIs Iii1Ti tf,n
United States, having only seen him IN a
single role, know nothing. " IlliIh l
Greet, manager of the Lyric 1hearre
London who is also the manager Of The
Sign of the Cross company, determined
last season to present Mr.. Dalton as
star, and with that end in view both he
and his American representative began
looking for a play that would give him
chance to show his powers in u new line
Realizing that with even the most tai
ented actors there is much truth in the
saying: The play the thing, the
choice Of pieces was not made without
careful consideration Of the many plays
submitted. Yielding to certain extent
TO the fad for presenting dranlatizatons
of popular novels. The Helmet Of Ma
Varrc was at last chosen and Bertha
Runlllc was assigned the task OF drama
tiziug her remarkably popular book. 1t
is one thing TO write novel and it is
quite different matter to write n play
as has been proved very COncluSivoly by
many prominent writer's IT is said. how
ever, that Miss RunEte has shown . re
malkable 3ptncSS for hitherto untried
work and, selecting with rare discrimina-
tiou the most dramatic situations of her
story, has produced play that aboundS
in powerful situations and dramatic eli
MAKES, combined with a fascinating love
story, ana infused with the atmosphere
OF romance and chivalry that are aSSO-
steel alternated with the passionate WOO
ing of fair maidens.
The great turning point in the career
Of Lew Dockstader. the minstrel, was
about lSS9 when he went into his first
venture as a theatre manager. Dock
stader had gathered about him many ad-
mirors. OF these. one Of the stanch-
est was Frank Siddell, who had no Lack of
money. He met Dockstader one day and
asked him why he didn't open theater
OF his own. Money" was the sugges-
tive answer of the minstrel. He needed
about SS0.O0O
Il am going TO Europe; the money is in
the bank" said Siddell. And he sailed
away.
And soon the money was out of the
bank and the Dockstader Theatre on
broadway. New York City, was the out
come. Within the next two years, Dock
fame, too. had grown. He was the most
widely discussed minstrel in the coun-
try. He went on the road with n COM
pany and crossed the continent twice,
lecturer at the theatre drawing
crowded houses to hear his ''roastings."
Dockstader gave up the theatre. after a
Few years, behind in his accounts to the
extent of about Si5.O1p, it is said; and went
on the road again. when this little dis
crepancy was Strengthened out
strel talent with the noted comedian, |
George Primrose, as coDaTtner, and the |
forming Of the Primrose and Dockstader |
Minstrel Company, has been a great sue |
cess.
Everybody likes to see Eva Davenport |
come on the stage. She has a breezy air /
that lifts one out OF ones self, and it |
seemed like old times last week to see |
her throwing Charles Bigeiow around in
her haEitually careless way. In "The !
Little Duchess Miss Davenport has a |
role that could easily be made coarse, |
and, again, Of little moment to the COM |
edy, but she is not the one to allow either 1
contingency. She is above coarseness, |
and is SO good a comedienne as to make /
any part entrusted TO her conspicuous, /
which is Just what she did with her |
role in the De KOven-Smith piece, which |
as 1t was, offered her too few oppOrtuni- /
ties to please her many local admirers.
a Times representative chatted with |
Miss Davenport during a performance I
last week and found her to be an uncom- |
monty attractive woman. as well as a |
clever artist 1t is not to be wondered at /
that she has proved so great a success in |
COMEDY for she has the genuine spirit of /
fun and the happy faculty Of seeing the |
brightest side of everything, both OF /
which make her delightfully."- entertain |
ing talker. Her size is the greatest joke /
in life to her-and she says it's a huge /
one She is not in the smallest degree /
sensitive about it, for she declares that |
she feels as if she is sixteen year old and |
that il is very comfortable feeling, too. |
Miss Davenport is an English woman, and |
daF1f1g one Of her waits in THE Little /
llaehess,s she talked entertainly with The
TIMES interviewer.
Il always say that I am a citizeness
OF the world, for l have lived everywhere
] am great traveller. and If ! had for
tune i should use 1t in seeing the world
again. ! say again because | believe | /
have seen most Of il, TO my infinite
pleasure. and / do love America No: l
was not born here. London claims the
honor You mustn't think that America
has all The good things. l wonder what it
Is about this country that is 50 different
from every otheri America seems 10
2here all its own, and it's very delightful
I assure YOU. You know. I'd a great deal
rather stand in crowded street car than
wall Tor anOther-and you know what it i
must mean for me to get into a crowded {
car-not much room left for promenading
purposes.
But I suppose you want TO know about
my career? That's what I call fame.
went on the stage when / was seventeen
years old, and made my debut in opera
in far-on Australia. You didn't know
& H. L
or cOuld-and the first role ! had was
Josephine in 'Pinafore.' After that | ap-
peared in Italian concerts, but all the
time / wanted to do comedy. ] felt that
until l got into that line Of work. l took
out my own company and toured
through China and Japan.
Japan is, undoubtedly. the gs rden spot |
OF earth. The country beggars descrip-
ton, and / am only waiting and longing !
for an opportunity to go back there. 1
spent some time in Manila, and was forci-
bly, reminded of if today by seeing Ad-
in Manila with Dewey l have now
been in America twelve years. and really
look upon it as my home. Ny part in
THE Little Duchess Yes; | Ike It |
est thing you ever saw. l feel very gor-
geous In my clothes-too grand to be
funny. But 1 love 10 work under any
conditions. Sometimes ! come down to
ped, but 1 m just like an old circus horse, |
for as soon as ! smell the grease paint |
and sec the lights ] begin TO prance and
It's all off, mean the bad feeling. l sim |
ply glory in the theatre and everything !
concerned in IL. l believe people are born !
Ior certain things, and think / was born
for the theatre. ! wouldn't leave il for
anything.
I'VE shall 20 to the Casino, New York.
week from Monday night, and it Yill seem
very mach Ike home to me, for that was
he first theatre in which / appeared in
this country. / was there with Rudolph
Aronson, who had a stock company to !
which Lillian Russell and Pauline Hall
and you can just believe that
hose We're great old days. Now, IL you
VIII excuse me. must go on and see
how much disturbance ] can create.
That's my forte, you know, and. by the
way, you might say that am not con-
any Shakespearean reyivals
ust yet ! may put on Romeo and Jul
ct II J can find a big enough Romeo.