The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-08-30
THEATRE TOPICS.

thus be initiated, and the unknown writ CTS of plays are often so anxious to see their work produced that they make grievous mistakes in approaching those who they hope will accept them.
 The other day an ambitious young play wright sought an audience with Corinne in the hope that she would listen to libretto that he had written with her in mind. The audience was secured, and the young man. in his enthusiasm, said that if she would only agree to use the hbretto he would give 1t to her for nothing. The offer was declined with thanks, for, as Miss Corinne remarked to friend: q am afraid he has estimated his libreuo at its true value when he offered 1t for noth- ing.'
 Timothy Murphy,~the well known come dian, who is to star in '"The Man from Missouri" says that last season, near the close of his tour, his company was com ing down from Poughkeepsie on an ae- commodation train to play a weeks en- gagement in New York The members of the company were scattered about the car and as the conductor passed through
  an airy gesture and simply remark ''com- pany," whereupon the conductor, know ing that 1t was theatrical organization, and that he would get the necessary tickets from the manager, would pass on.
 An Irishman got on the train at Yonkers," says Mir. Murphy, and on ev- cry side of him he heard persons saying company which appeared to be coun- tersign for the evasion of the payment of fare.''
 " This is too easy said the Irishman to himself, so when the conductor reached him and asked for his ticket the Irishman waved him aside, and murmured com pany.'
 "The conductor was suspicious, and asked:
 Company? What company?
 'Knickerbocker Ice company" re- sponded the Irishman promptly.
 But" concluded MT. Murphy, "unfor- tunately this explanation didn't go."
 Lew Dockstader, the famous minstrel man, was telling a story on the occasion of his last run into New York from the road. which he characterizes as the prize hard luck tale of the year.
 '"The other day on the train l made the acquaintance of young man who seemed down on his luck, and after our acquaint- anceship had developed into something approaching intimacy, I ventured to in- quire the cause of his deep-seated gloom.
 Well, he said I've been up against 1t for fair. Put every cent I had in the world into an Uncle Toms Cabin show. Had a man named Silverstein as treas urer of the show. Smart, thrifty Hebrew, that Silverstein. Been out about two weeks and was over four hundred bones to the good Woke up one morning and found that Silverstein had sneaked with the cash. Said to myself 'Pll catch the cuss," so I set the blood hounds we had in the show on his trail
 " Did they catch him.? I asked.
 "'Catch him? Sure they did. They caught up with him, and he put chains around their necks and started another Uncle Toms Cabin show. Oh, yes, they caught him all right"
 Frank L. Perley is looking about for suitable new play in which to star Miss Roselle Knott after she has finished her season as Mary Tudor
 Sidney R. Ellis has completed negotia- tions whereby he will control the electric ballet of P c. Armstrong's for term of five years, and he is now making exten- sive preparations to place this ballet which is the largest ever produced, in the principle vaudeville houses of the coun- try during the coming season.
 One of the most startling effects in this ballet will be "1he Dance of the Pro- gressing Ages of Light" In this the five ages of light will be symbolically Illus trated, beginning with the flame from flint then the candle, then oil, then gas, and eliminating in the electrical achieve ments of the twentieth century.
 Wherever this ballet has been seen 1t has been pronounced by the press to be xF tl.a ever presented. In conjunction with the ballet MT. Ellis has arranged for the Tuxedo Ladies band to give the introduce tory portion of the offering, which will run for thirty minutes.
 When Rosamond Johnson of Cole and Johnson Brothers finished his course at the Boston Conservatory of Music and re- turned to his home in Jacksonville Fla, he was invited to take charge of the choir of the Baptist church there and to play the organ.
 One Sunday a visiting preacher was in the pulpit. Rosamond had carefully re- hearsed the choir in rather difficult an- them, and the choir opened the services by singing this with much gusto. The minister then rose and read as his text from Acts xxx, And after the uproar was ceased"
 Rosamond and the choir took this very much to heart, but they determined to get even, so when the sermon was finished the choir rose and sang, "It Is time to awake from sleep"
 Miss Roselle Knott, who is to star next season in "When Knighthood Was in Flower" under the direction of Frank L. Perley. tells an amusing incident that happened last winter to a member of "A Modern Magdalen" company while she was playing the principal role of Katin- ka.
 "We were playing in Duluth" said Miss Knott "and several members of the com pany were stopping at one of the principal hotels. As our small party passed through the hall leading to the dining room we met a man with several hats in his hand. MT. -. who rather posed as an anna teur Sherlock Holmes, asked him what he was doing with all those hats.
 " Oh replied the man, I am taking them around the corner to have them cleaned
 " Won't you take mine, too?' politely
 Certainly he replied, and away he went MT. had to borrow a hat to go to the theatre for the accommodating man turned out to be a sneak thief"
 Clayton Mackenzie Legge, who is to be starred in his own play of Robert Burns under the management of Charles l.. Young, Is a lineal descendant of Henry Mac Kenzie, author and publisher of the 'Lounger' and Mirror" to whom Rob-