Evening star., 1901-11-16

S$S%
The engagement of Joseph Jefferson at
the New National Theater was an eminent
ly prosperous one. Mr.. Jefferson's determ1-
nation to remain on the boards so long as
he is greeted as ne was this week is one
whose wisdom no business man will ques-
tion. Are You Mason?" at the Columbia
is frothy farce and with no claims of
any sort to serious purpose. 1t did a re-
markable business and Leo Detrichstein
may congratulate himself the fact that
a few such successes as this will serve to
compensate for number of Last APP
peals.'' At the Lafayette The Sporting
Duchess was put forward a lure for the
lovers of melodrama. and as an attraction
especially appropriate to the racing season
There was some excellent work done by
the established favorites of the company,
and Katherine Clinton stepped to a place
in the foreground by her work as the ad-
ventures. She played the part of the
desperate woman with notable success. The
season of Huyt farces at Chases will soon
be brought to close, and the regular pro-
gram of vaudeville resumed. The public
has stood by the venture very Loyalty. At
the Academy a large number of people
passed the portieres which the manage
ment has hung up to keep the draught
out. The Bijou had a special feature in
Tortojada that ably supplemented without
wholly eclipsing the remainder of the bill.
The Bijou has about succeeded in living
down the reputation for risky repartee and
slap-stick comedy that it acquired some
years ago. Kernan's had of the ia
vorite road companies and the patronage
was good.
Grace George is credited with a congenial
role in successful play as Louisiana
lassie in Under Southern Skies by Lottie
Blair Parker. William A. Brady has had
persistent search for a suitable play in
which 10 exploit Miss George, who in pri-
yate life is Mrs Brady On the occasion of
the first production in New York this week
an Interesting episode occurred which is
thus described in the New York Sun:
Nothing that Mr.. Brady had prear
ranged was more diverting than his acci-
dental exhibit of a husband pleased by his
wife. After the uncommonly quick and sud-
den curtain had gone up and down half a
dozen times after the third act climax it
shot up unexpectedly again amid calls for
the authoress. and there stood Mr.. Brady
kissing Mrs. Brady. He fled from the laugh
ter and applause. while she. in smiling agi-
you that Mrs. Parker was too nervous to
remain through her play.
The firm OF Delcher and Brennan also
claims success in Molly Pitcher the
revolutionary play in which Kathryn Kid
der is TO star. Miss Kidder opened her sea-
son in Molly Pitcher at Elizabethport,
y. J., on Tuesday night. and the newspaper
accounts of the occasion are very fattering.
With the Charles B. Hanford tour in
Tanning of the Shrew.' already success
fully under way. under this manager, the
Delcher and Brennan star is distinctly in
the ascendant. Mr.. Hanford is meeting
with especial approval in the one-act play,
Waterloo"
Walker Whiteside made a production of
Robert of Sicily at Dayton, Ohio, this
week. Its reception gave every Indication
of success
Very often the question is asked, What
did Richard Mansfield do before he became
famous as a starr" His career since then
is open page, known to everybody who
knows anything at all of the theaters To
be sure in a general way, 1t is known that
several of the muses. struggled for the
young disciple who flirted with all, but per-
nitted himself to be extensively wooed be-
fore finally consenting to be won. He
painted with great promise. acted some in
the drawing rooms of London and Boston,
and astonished his mothers guests by his
ability in music. both vocal and instru-
mental. Like Fachter, In his early career
Mansfield fairly juggled with the buskin
and the palette. Finally he gave his heart
10 Thaia, and the theater has since been
his love
The Clipper of December IL, 1855. states
that Richard Mansfield made his American
debut September 20. 1878. This date is re-
peated in the Clipper Annual, a favorite
and generally reliable encyclopedia of the
modern stage. This date, evidently taken
from the Clipper article referred to- has
found its way into many biographical no.
tees OF Mansfield in the various encyclo-
pedias.
Ii is however an error, a misprint no
doubt, for the day and month are correct.
Reference to the files of the New York
daily papers Of September %. 1878, finds no
mention of Mr.. Mansfield. or of the pro-
duction in which he Is unanimously agreed
to have made his debut In this country. The
vehicle for this introduction was Les Man
teaux Noires'' C'Three Black Cloaks'), in
which he played DromeZ, the leading COM
edy role. This opera was given first in
New York city at the Standard, now Man
haitian, Theater, September 26. 1852. In
the daily papers of September 81, the same
year. appear the criticisms on this opera,
anu all OF them note that the hitherto un-
known young man who made the hit of the
night was Richard Mansfield. But he was
not able to save the insipidty of this
opera or of the next one simply by his own
artistic pre-em.nence, as he did later on the
occasion of his first essay in drama. After
about five weeks Les Manteaux Noires'
Winkle'' was put on in its place on the
same stage. Mansfield played Nick Vedder.
The role was in character curiously oppo-
site to the youthful and then senile title
part for in the first two acts Nick was a
man well along in years, whereas the Nick
Vedder of the third act was a young fell
HI /,
by Mansfield the character of Vedder be-
came the central interest OF the piece Two
months later he made his sensational
triumph as Baron Chevrial in "a Partisan
Romance" at the Union Square Theater in
A. NJ. Palmer's celebrated stock company.
This did not lead directly to his subsequent
starring tour. as 10 generally supposed.