Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-04-25

ing night in this delightful old play will
take place exactly one hundred and twenty
six years and three days after one of the
greatest hits in the career of any dram
atiSt.
Richard Brinsley Sheridan had already
distinction for himself, but London
lost its head over the artistic charm, the
humorous epigrams, the clecer situations
and the fine insight into the weaknesses
of society. Four days after its first pre-
sentation. David Garrick wrote that he
was mad about it, Two years after the
treasurer of the theater stated that it still
damped the new pieces. and Moore records
that four years later the receipts excelled
in magnitude those ION which the king
went to the theater.' At the present time
the School for Scandal has never been
surpassed as 4 society play and it's popu-
larity is undiminished.
1t is thought by contemporaries of Sher-
idan's time that many of the principle
scenes had probably been sketched before
the Rivals was thought of. and that the
comedy was collected from his experiences
at Bath. He jotted down snatches of con-
versation which he CHANGED to overhear:
Sometimes odd remark caught his
fancy and from that he developed the most
clever epigrams. Bath was the fashionable
resort, where every one who was any one
went to drink the water. In Monsieur
Beaucaire" we have Lady Mary. the cell
ebrated beauty of Bath and a scene in the
famous pump room. And if ever a place
offered remarkable opportunities for study
of the highest order of London society.
Bath did. Sheridan conceived the idea to
satirze the gossips of Bath. How well he
succeeded may be judged from the fact
that all society was wrathy. at the thnly
disguised characterizations of some of its
most prominent members, but the bril-
liancy of the dialogue was simply not to
be withstood. and those who at first were
indignant ended by becoming the greatest
admirers of the comedy. which upon COM
pletion Sheridan signed at the end of his
a
To which the prompter of the theater ad-
ded, Amen"
The School for Scandal has served as
a model for many an ambitious young
playwright. Some of the writers of the
present time have succeeded in attracting
attention by their clever sentences, but
no one has been able to rival the sharp
wit of the most perfect social satire ever
written.
CARLOADS OF TALENT.-Two car
loads of talent will have pulled out of
the Grand Central depot New York, at 6
o'clock this evening, route for Albany,
where the "all-star" Romeo and Juliet pro-
duction arranged by Liebler & Co. will
give its first performance on Monday even
ing Arrangements were first made for the
Empire but the sale indicated that the
smaller house would not supply the dema nd
for seats. and so the cancellation of a
prior booking at Harmanus Blocker Hall
was secured, and it is there the perform
ance will be given.
BASE BALL AND THE DRAMATIC
base ball fever. which has begun it's fell
work throughout the land, making men late
for dinner. has seized the male members of
the Chase Opera Company. Not satisfied
with nine performances a week and two
rehearsals a day on the days when there
are no matinees. they have determined to
find time for base ball. Some of them are
really fine players and the others hope to
become SO in due time. W. G. Shelley cap
tains the team and already he is casting a
threatening eye toward the companies at
other theaters. The play grounds at the
White Lot are only short distance from
Chase's and now the off afternoons,
after the rehearsals the show boys" as
the team has resolved to call itself. may
be seen making quick time toward the ball
grounds in the shadow of the Monument.
They are anxious to arrange a series of
games and they are willing that the pro-
ceeds shall be devoted to charitable pur-
poses. They promise too, that their cos
tunes will be somewhat out of the Or
binary. In fact, each member will wear a
costume belonging to one of the several
operas to be produced here.
ACTORS WHO PLAYED IN TRILBY.-
Like many another notable play "Trilby,"
WHICH 10 the DIii VI llie Del Sci otoCh Sou-
pany next week, proved stepping stone.to
renown for numerous actors. In all of its
early productions it was presented with
what proved to be exceptional casts, the
majority of the players having since gained
place as stars or players of the first rank.
First in point of local Importance is
Wilton Lackaye. who previous to his en-
gagement by Mr. Palmer to create the
character of Svengali was recognized as a
good, though not a great, actor. After he
had made his notable hit the managerial
estimate of Mr.. LackayeS artistic attain
ments placed his salary at $3.50 for the
same period of labor. and that standard he
has consistently maintained. Virginia
Harmed was the original Trilby. and the
success of the play served to give her at
tainments wide publicity. Leo Ditrichstein,
playwright and actor, made volatile Zou
Zou. and Burr Mcintosh and John Glen
DINING, as Taffy and the Laird respective
as to go far toward italicizing their names
on the tablets of dramatic art. Blanch
Walsh, now the central figure in the great
New York success, realized Trilby finely.
Offers of the well-known players were Ig-
nacio Martinetti. who succeeded Mr.. Dit
richstein as Zou Zou, and Hattie Williams,
the bright feminine star of the Rogers
Brothers company. played a small part
when ''Trilby" was first produced in this
city, December 16, 1895, at the Lafayette
Square Opera House. then under the man
apemeDt of Mr. Albaugh.