The Washington times., 1902-01-05

J audience appreciate the spirit of the mod
ern wartime play.
Mr.. Kirkland is the son Of Gen. w. W
Kirkland. c. S. A., who commanded
North Carolina brigade when he was bu
twenty five years Old the actor is also
nephew of Gen. William J. Hardee, thu
author of "Hardee's Tactics" who
later became general in the Confederate
army. He is also a cousin OF Admiral
Kirkland. who. before he died. was ths
senior rear admiral OF the navy. Mr..
Kirkland also claims the honor OF being
related to the Bullochs. of Savannah. Ga.
from which family the mother of Presi-
dent Roosevelt was descended.
In addition to this distinguished army
and naval ancestry. Mr.. kirkland is .
brother OF Odette Tyler. the charming ac-
tress. who is we'll known to Washington
theatre patrons-and to the good people
of Shepherdstown. W. Va. as Mrs. r. d.
| Shepherd.
Manager Chase will celebrate his third
anniversary as an amusement director In
Washington this week. When Messrs.
termined to risk a small sized fortune in
giving the theatregoers Of this city .
! coed vaudeville bill each week, they
| leased the Grand, considered in theatrical
, circles as a dead house.
| The theatre had been in the hands OF
several managers-irresponsib persons.
who contented themselves with Offering
4 in ri lodi fo CHI "a
| ere farce comedies. Naturally they failed.
| And the same fate was prophesied for
Burke and Chase when they threw opsn
their doors. Their bills of vaudeville were
the best to be had, but Washingtonians
| were not quite educated up to vaudeville
| that first season. and the patronage was
| wonderfully discouraging. But Mr.. Chase
| This partner, Mr.. Burke, had in the mean
| time retired from the firm was confident
| that vaudeville would prove profitable.
| and, Notwithstanding a balance on the
wrong side of the ledger that would have
made almost any other manager give mp
| the plan in despair, he set about spending
| thousands of dollars, making the Grand
| more attractive than ever, providing more
| comforts for the patrons Of the house.
Mr.. Chase was open to any proposition
| that would make his theatre more popu-
| lar. One person suggested free bicycle
| checking; another the gratuitcus care Of
| wraps; the idea of providing free umhrel-
| las was advanced and Mr.. Chase immedi-
ately purchased several hundred rain pro-
| tectors He did everything that human In
genuity could devise or experience sug-
gest.
The result was that almost s-cl the
| first week of the second season the Grand
was one of the most popular amusement
resorts Of Washington, and has since re-
| tained Its prestige.
For the anniversary week Mr.. Chase an.
nounces a bill composed of the Seven
Picchiani Sisters, Keiths White Hussars,
Frank Lincoln, Mansfield and Wilbur,
Willard Simms and Catherine Linyard,
THE Talkatiye Miss Norton" Mr.. and
Mrs. Swickard. and the Pageant of Na-
tions, which will held over. 1t is certainly
a very promising outlook for most suo-
cessful celebration of the introduction
of refined vaudeville to Washington.
Mildred Holland, who has been starring
Behind the Throne" will produce in Buff
falo this week new play called THE Lily
and the Prince" 1t is an Italian story,
the scene being laid in and near Rome
during the time OF the Colonnas. The
novelties that should win certain degree
OF success for the piece.
Reginald De Koven, the composer, who
considers himself a Washingtonian now
that ne resides in the Capital each winter.
viii direct the orchestra OF the National
when the Bostonians present the new
Smith-De Koven opera comique. Maid
Marian" sequel to the same authors
earlier success, Robin Hood
Selma Herman is having written a nsw
play for her use, in which she will star
next season. Those who are familiar with
Miss Herman's rapid rise as an emotional
actress will no doubt be somewhat sur
prised to learn that her first appearance
fourteen years of age. 1t was in a comedy
called "a Day With the Devil" the work
Of a Toledo, Ohio, newspaper mantle
same 1t is understood, who Is writing her
new play.
Miss Herman who Is sister of Man.
ager Herman, of the Academy of Music,
this city, made her first pronounced sue
,ess in Darkest Russia" Early this year
she was engaged to play the role Of Ciga-
-ette in Under Two Flags" as produced
~ Cooke G Davis. When Manager Chas.
'rohman succeeded in preventing the pro-
luction in which Miss Herman figured SO
from playing in the principal
titles, she Cancelled her contract in favor
f a special engagement as leading lady
With the Hopkins stock company. in Chi
ago, succeeding Maude OdeN.
The Lyceum Theatre. New York, which
uring It's existence has housed about a.
lany actors and actresses known to the
tregoers Of today as any other metro
clitan playhouse, Is to be demolished In