Evening star., 1901-07-27

season of 19CO-1901 in Washington is to be
fired next Saturday night. when Chases $
Theater closes it's doors. During the last
week of the season Mr. Chase's mdsum-
mer Musical Comedy Stock Company will
be seen in "A Day and a Night" and then
the house will be dark until the 10Th OF
September when the regular fall and vim
ter program will be inaugurated. The
closing of Chase's marks the end of un-
precedented Washington season. covering.
it will have done, period of forty-seven
weeks. The season at this playhouse mas
been a remarkable one in many respects,
not the least of which has been the su.'-
cessful debut of Mr.gChase as stock COM
pany magnate. He has been roundly con-
graduated.
Theaters are closely related to great
many people, and, like human beings. Feed
an annual reSt-a period of recuptration
and preparation for events to come. This
fact is realized by all managers. and play
gOers themselves know what a sense of
delightful freshness there is to be felt upon
entering a renovated and rested playhouse
at the beginning of the new dramatic year.
The theater patrons will rest with the the
aters after next week and live in anticipa-
tion of what is III store.
That stage hero worship is not dead. that
the matinee idol still lives in the heart of
the sweet girl theatergoer. and that the
Washington people take the utmost local
pride in anything they look upon as be-
longing especially to this city, was amply
demonstrated last Saturday evening at the
Lafayette Square Opera House, when the
season of the stock company was brought
to close. AS predicted in The Star the
final performance was made the occasion
of a remarkable series of ovations. From
time to time during the season the popu-
larity of certain players in the company
has been so great that their first appear
ance on the stage was always the signal
for prolonged applause, and a consequent
interruption of the play. Saturday even
ing last there seemed to be little thought
of the play in the big audience, which filed
the theater to the doors. The parrisans of
the various principals of the organization
were out in full force and were determined
to make their presence felt. They WED
with each other in the amount Of applause
bestowed. During these ovations, which
marked the appearance of each separate
player, stop-watches were busy back OF
the scenes, and the duration of the ap-
plause accorded the various members OF
the company when they first faced the
multitudinous audience was carefully re-
corded. The race was a close one, and a
decision as to who was the most popular in
the cast could not be reached. When the
curtain finally went down the audience re-
mained seated. and a storm of applause
burst forth. to be appeased only when the
players began to make speeches. Nearly
all responded to calls. and each one ex-
ferent ways. After the performance i'm
promptu receptions were held in many of
the dressing rooms. and in the alley out
side the stage door crowd of several hun
dred gathered to see the players wend their
way from the theater.
When the girls of ths chorus at Chases
and the other members of the company
the other night gathered around the big
stage doors facing the north to enjoy the
cooling breezes waited from the avenue
and to play the well-known theatrical game
of Let's tell real names. just for fun"
every one responded with the exception of
Little Chip" 1t is always the custom in
newly organized company especially
where there are many chorus girls attach
ed, to gather around at some given time
and impart to each other in the greatest
confidence their true cognomens. It is al
ways most surprising and notwithstanding as
well to learn that the dainty damsel who
appears on the program as 'Terese Tessel-
tom or Marjorie Mont. Clair" is in real
life Maggie McGinty. The public would
not have the least bit of interest in a
chorus girl who appeared on the bill with
such an unromantic title. So. the public
is rarely let into the real secret, for theat-
rical people realize the value of the old
adage of the bliss of ignorance and the
folly of wisdom in some cases.
But Chip" very exasperatingly will not
divulge, even to his fellow players what
real name turks beneath the nom de theater
which he has adopted and which is SO sug-
gestive of a fraction of the 'Old Block"
Chip often speaks of his father. but
when one asks the parental cognomen why
Chip" replies:
Hes my father, that's ALL
While the folks behind the stage have
been trying to inveigle the popular little
fellow into telling truthfully his name, the
playgoers in front have been induIging in
all sorts of rife speculation as to the iden-
tity of the minute comedian and dancer
Some have declared him a well-known
comedian in disguise, who is having fun
with an incognito experience. Leaving
the theater the other evening one man
wanted to wager another several times
the price of an orchestra seat that
Chip was none other than little
Arthur Dunn, who was seen in town in the
spring with "A Runaway Girl" A New
York theatrical paper announced several
days ago that Little Itch" the famous
English comedian who recently appeared
at some of the metropolitan theaters at
500 week. was playing comedy parts in
Chase's Stock Company. Needless to say,
both guesses We're wrong.
Little Chip Is only himself. He has
WOE immense popularity during his short
stay in Washington. and adds immeasur-
ably to the enjoyable qualities of the
Hoytian production. He is destined to have
reason for suspecting he is any one but
himself. His excellent work along the
lines he follows and the fact that he as
sumes such an odd name, naturally cause
much talk and speculation.
Chip is but seventeen years old. His
stage career dates back, however, to his
fourth birthday. when he placed with
one of Gus Hills companies an infant
phenomenon. He remained with Hill two
seasons. and was then with Sam Devere for
a like period. When nine years of age he
Joined the American Liliputian show. play
ing on the road. Reaching New York he
was not allowed to take part in the per-
formances by the Gerry Society, being ac-
counted too young for the stage. Chip
says his father was angered at this and
took him abroad, where he remained for
five years in the music halls. He did
great deal of coster work. and was call ed
the child Chevalier Returning to the
United States he became a member of the
Weber and Field forces and afterward went
out with Dunno and Riley in Hoyt's "A
Milk White Flag" playing the part of the
private. in which he has been seen this
week.
Charles Frohman. who is practically the
head OF the theater in America, IL any one
man be entitled 10 that distinction, has
Just returned from his annual trip to Eu-
rope. whittier he goes each summer to