The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1902-01-21
THE PLAYER FOLK.

/ Manager Rapley is already being del
uscd with enquiries concerning the ap-
. preaching engagement Of ben Hur. "
/ which viii be at the National for two
I weeks. commencing February TO-
1t has been the policy Of the National
management to receive orders for seats
by mail for their attractions. but in the
case Of Ben Hu~." IT has been deemed
best 10 not book any reservations Of any
kind. When the box Office opens Thurs
day morning February @, the first person
IN FOnJ or the window will have the
choice OF the entire seating eapacitv of
the theatre. which viii DO away with the
many disappoiutments which are fncvi-
table when orders are taken by mail for
important engagements. Only the first
weeks seats viii be sold 40 a time. and
the tickets for the second week Of Ben
Hur viii not be placed on sale until
Thursday. February r.
large force of WOrkmeu is putting
the National stage i'm readiness for the
draUctization o. Gen. Law WaIIace's
story
The Ben Hur" company is at present
hlling months engagement in PhiIadeI-
phia- When it comes 70 washington il
/ viii require two special trains 20 bring
Z the equipment OF scenery and properties
. and the ike. One train viii De composed
OF Pullman cars and regular coaches. An
other viii be made up Of siEty-foot bag
gage cars, eight ia number and two spe-
clal live stock cars for the horses and
camels employed in the performance 1t
Is estimated that the staEe CaTUCutprs
now at work fitting the STAGE of the
National VIII just have time 10 complete
their work before the first iustaIIment Of
scenery is ready 20 be placed iu position
The cyclorama scenery and the iutri-
cate mechanical features impose a weight
or forty tons upon the National stage IN
this scene. so wildly depicted iu Cen
eTal NaliarC.s story. eight horses are att
tachrd 90 Chariots and are made go run
a. Iull speed iu fun Wow Of the audience
An ingenious mechanical device makes
this possible. The horses are kept run
ming IN a trsaGmiU which. with the
chariot, IS placed on platform running
on railways underneath the stage The
platforms are SO moved that Gret one
chlriOtegr is ahead. and then the other.
Ur-I Aessala's wheel is smashed and
Ben Hur wins
An immense cyclorama picur.u9 the
interior o. the arena. reyolvcs .wifJIy
across the stage in the direction rrp0site
% that from which the horses are going
making the illusion Of The races cover
ing a great distance AT terrific speed. The
chariot race IFS pronounced the most ef-
te-tire bit Of stage realism ever seen on
the stage.
Until this season Otis Skinner had been
identified for several years with the
sword-pIaying heroes Of romantic drama.
but if he carries out his present wishes.
he viii lay aside such roles for q long
while 10 come.
81 have had my share Of them" he
says. 'ard though 7 like TO see GOOD
romantic play ] confess that 1 have
ring sword cOubat5 and ubiquitous he
roes. they remind me somewhat II
chicken liverz served On hroah.ttc as the
final curtain oesccuGs leaving the hero
surveying tho field of spirited acting with
from six TO q dozen enemies -uittad on
his sword I don't object 20 others do
ing it. but I have had my fun share OF the
romantic, for time. ut least. ana I find
relief IN stIlvi1g the many phases OF
LauciOttO's character"
5lT skinner VIII retain "Fraae.-ea aa
kIUlli as his sole offering IIrru- DO
present season, ut least with the greatest
profit 90 his artistic reurafir.. ia. I'D IL
Dee is doing the finest work OF his ca
-esr finding iu Beers braut.m -Irv
stage something that is at once iatolI-
yeut and interesting.
Fred FHstis musical director al On.
Frank Dsui,Is' Company tells of a re-
hcarsal Of the orchestra in a small town.
be tried hard 90 brig no rural ug.i-
clans into line and succeeded fairly VOL
except with the man who pIaraF the
flute Finally Mr. Eustis became Ics-
peTate ana exclaimed.
Look here. my friend. you STAY out of
this You're 10 good. and YOU can't uIav.-'
I'd" hJte man calmly looked no and
made reply
"It ] don, play. yoI don't. I'm the
mayor OF the town. and won't give YOU
license
Nine MOdjeska says she cannot see auv
difference between what people cau the
new school and the old school of acting
She says:
II seems 10 me that good acting must
Dc always the same. ] know NOTHING Of
MhaI 's called old-schooI acting. AS FOR
lhai ~ The present day. / seldom have
3 chance 90 90 10 the theatre. Tie act-
Ing c. Forrest and the elder Booth had
gone before ] came TO America Mr.
BootA-Edwin Booth. you know-whom /
played with, would have been great
actor az any time. now as well as dur
ing MS life 50 far as schools of acting
are concerned his is the best I Enow or
Llll IS. Just UlaIu aFflunr T4efa -.