The Washington times., 1901-11-17

| sition, ard that his release was imminent
| immediately started to cry the syndi-
| Gates after me- when in reality he only
saw his own shadow pursuing him.
The inevitable results of the present
tendency" says Mrs. Fiske. ARE always
foreseen. An appetite for the trivial and
the mediocre is being created. 1t is as II
the reading of Young people was confined
to books Of a cheap. silly. and sensational
character. and the existence of better
books was absolutely kept from their
knowledge. Another of these inevitable
results is seen amorg the older genera
tion-persons of settled taste-a great
number of whom have given up habitual
theatregoing. obtaining recreations in
other directions. and attending the play
only when occa sional visits of noted ar
lists warrant the belief that disappoint-
ment will not result. This class that has
become disgusted with the mediocrity of
much that is offered on the contemporary
stage under the Trusts regime is undoubt-
edly more numerous than the class Of
narrow-minded persons that formerly re-
Trained from theatregoing because of the
attitude of some of the churches with
respect TO the stage And this class,
which should be the best support of the
theatre, has virtually ceased to support
Ii at ALL.
Certainly the actress whose greatest re-
cent achievements were in such models
of refinement as Tess of the D'Uber-
villes' and Becky Sharp" paints most
gloomy future for the American drama
the dramatists. the critics and even the
theatregoers. 1t is, indeed, sad to con-
template being forced to go to the play
house to view the offerings of such ''tri-
vial and dmediocre'-ask Mrs Fiske-actors
and actresses as Mr.. jefferson. Mr.. Soth-
ern, Mr. Mansfield, Mr. Robson, Mr.. Bel
lew, Mr.. Hackett. Mr.. Drew, Mr. Gillette,
Mr.. Goodwin. Mr.. Skinner. Mr. O'Neill.
Mr.. Collier. Mr. Warfield, Mr.. DeAngelis,
Mr. Wilson, Mr.. Daniels. Mr.. Faversham,
Miss MarlOwe. Miss Adams, Miss Russell.
Mrs. LeMoyne. Miss Allen. Miss Barry
more, Miss CHASER Miss Walsh, Miss Ir-
win, Miss Bingham. Miss George, Miss
Mannering, Miss Sylvia, Mrs. Carter. and
the many others who play in the syndi-
cate theatres
Perhaps Mrs. Fiske would prefer to have
the theatregoers of the country only
patronize her own performances. and
those of Miss Crosman and Corse Payton,
Neither Of these undeniably brilliant play
ers ever appears in syndicate houses.
Leon Mayer. who was in Washington
during the past week. looking after the
business interests of Joseph jefferson left
for Portland Oregon, Wednesday evening,
to join the Thomas jefferson comedy
company, presenting the same repertoire
as shown here by jefferson, pere, last
week
Joseph Jefferson will close his fall tour
next Saturday night at Baltimore. and
will at once leave for Florida. where he
VIII spend the winter. In the spring Mr..
In number of the larger cities of the
middle West and East.
Joseph Jefferson played to one of the
largest matinees in the history of the Ma
tional Theatre yesterday afternoon, and
even Standing room" was at premium.
About o'clock the telephone in the the
atre box office ting-a-Iing-ed Clarence
Jacobson, Manager Rapley's assistant, an
swered the call
Said the man at the other end of the
phone: What's the best you can let me
rave for seventy-five cents this after
uoon?"
Answered Clarence: "Seventy-five cents
is the general misunderstanding room"
Then this from the man: ''All right, lay
aside two for me, and be sure and get
them well in front and on the aisle if you
can"
The appearance of Alexandra Dagmar
at the Bijou this week calls attention to
the fact that many of the big women on
the stage are going Into vaudeville When
one pauses to reflect for a moment one is
surprised at the number of women OF
Amazonian proportions who have of late
gone In for this line of stage work
Of Junoesque singers alone who have
deserted the realm of opera for the lux
ury of vaudeville. there are Alexandra
Dagmar, Grace Won Studdeford, Camille
d Arville, Jessie Bartlett Davis, and Kath-
crime Germaine. From the dramatic field
Marie Wainwright and Emily Lytton
found it an easy step into vaudeville
while Marie Dressler, Rose Coghlan, and
AmeIla SunmerVllle, all three exception
ally large women, followed the same
course with equal success.
From the fairy bowers of comic opera
anu musical comedy which is distinc-
uon with difference, Lillian Russell and
Truly Shattuck both found their way into
more profitable popularity, while RATHER
Inc Bloodgood, Bessie Blitz Paxton, and
Dorothy Studebaker all stepped out of
the magic circle of the most exclusive
society into the broad glare of the foot
lights Of the vaudeville stage.
Another remarkable circumstance is
that all of these women, almost without /
exception. are handsome to a striking de-
gree, though Miss Dagmar has been
known during her whole vaudeville ca
reer as the most stunning woman in
She is described as a talent |
ed singer with rich. clear voice of wide
range. but it is her remarkable stature
that have made her the most notable
woman in vaudeville. She is almost six
feet in height. and of splendid heroic pro-
portions And best OF all, from the femi-
nine point of view, she wears beautiful |
gowns.
One of the best characterizations in |
The Sporting Duchess as performed by |
the Lafayette Stock Company last week |
was Charles Wyngates portrayal of Capt |
Cyprian Streattield, a stammering. bashful |
and many times engaged man. Before |
Captain Streatfeld finally found the right |
girl. he had proposed to thirteen wrong |
ones The role was one of the bright |
features of the play, and Mr.. Wyngate's |
work was especially commendable in view /
Of the fact that he was just recovering |
from what threatened to he serious i'll |
nesss, and which, according to the actor, |
him considerably.
If Mr. Wyngate ever entertained any |
doubt regarding his popularity with !
theatregocrs it must have |
been dispelled within the past two weeks |
during which time he has been made to |
understand in a most gratifying way that |
The patrons Of tie Lafayette Theatre !
think too highly of him to give him up |
gate 5 second season in Washington. He |
came here last year practically unknown. |
As in the case with every stock actor. Mr.. |
WynEatc has been seen to better advan-
taSc in some parts than in Others An |
important point in his favor is his atten-
ton to dress. lie always looks well, |
knows what to wear, and how to wear it, |
Probably the greatest shock Mr.. Wyngate |
ever gave the Lafayette patrons generally |
and the matinee girls IN particular. was
when he appeared last season as Dave in