Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-12-05

the dressing room. She proved to be
addressed old lady of seventy
My dear child" she cried soon as she
was well in the room, you must forgive
my troubling you in this way, but my er-
rand Is very important. Tomorrow will be
the hft1eth anniversary OF my wedding.
I'M; Inc gown you wear in this play is exactly
IKE the one l wore the day | ran away
with my husband to be married. l saved
mine for years, but it was finally burned
up, with nearly all our old treasures, in a
hre that destroyed my old home l was
never able to get anything like it, and you
can Imagine my surprise and delight when
saw you wear the exact counterpart of
that precious old gown, Could you tell me
where l could get that material? I'd sit
up all night in order to have such gown
10 wear at our dinner tomorrow night.
May see the gown, please?"
MISS Irving at once brought out the
gown, and her visitor inspected it at closer
range. IF 1 didn't know the other had
neen DESTROYED" she said, finally, I'D be
willing to take my oath that this is the
gown I wore the day 1 was married Oh,
honey, can't you help me find some more
of this materal?"
Miss Irving was greatly touched, and
promised to see II she could find any more
IN her trunk at the hotel, and the old lady
departed, leaving her name and address.
The next night the young actress ap-
peared in an entirely new gown. What's
the natter" asked her sister, Miss Evan
geline Irving; why are you wearing new
gown?"
Oh said the star, with laugh, Some
thing happened to the other I'll never
wear 1t again.
Somewhere in this country is an old
couple whose half century of married life
was marked by most delightful reminder
of the day they ran away from irate par
entS and were married
'PROPS."-"Props! A-w-w-w-w, propsv
This Is the cry you will hear in Chase's,
back Of the stage, from early morning I'M
AT tobt oil
Torrance is on it will be given in soto
voce stentorian tones
1t is the ever-arisng cry for that ever
necessary individual about a theater-the
property man, or props" as he is called.
or all ubiquitous individuals the prop
erty man is more so than any one else, ex-
cept possibly newspaper police reporter.
Perhaps he is less so now than formerly,
IN the old days. when, in addition to all
that he does today, he manufactured the
various articles he used upon the stage in
furnishing" the scenes of play. But ask
any modern property man. however well
posted ne may be as to the past of his pro-
fession, and he will tell you that today he
has more than he can do.
Props Taylor, at Chase's, considers
that he is the hardest worked property
man on earth, for the simple reason that
in every bill at Chases there are usually
several sketches requiring all Sorts kinds
and conditions of perishs.ple and imperish-
able articles to be employed on the stage.
He has to gather from the four points of
the compass furniture, pictures, carpets,
rugs, flowers, fruit, legal documents; in
fact, everything under the sun and Taylor
says, the moon, too.
Half of the people who go to Chase's
have no conception of the modus operandi
affecting the presentation that pass in
the polite vaudeville panorama before
them. And this one single matter of
"props'-that is to say, the furnishings of
scene and the implements employed In
the action, whether banana or a shot
gun-illustrates very nicely the amount Of
bother that must be taken. To secure these
necessary articles each performer sends
his plot, or list, two weeks ahead. These
are generally very exacting, and as in the
case of the property list for "A Strange
Boy" at Chase's next week, they are some
times amusing. Here it Is below, as it was
detached from a sheet containing detailed
instructions concerning the method of adj
vertising the names of the performers and
FOR THE PROPERTY MAN
"Piano-This is the most important
thing in our act. Piano must be in good
tune, and in perfect order, as 1t is used for
a piano speciality and not for carrying hay.
1T is not banged or misused in any man.
ner, so get q good one.
Piano stool that squeaks. This is also
important.
arm chair. plenty of fur rugs, palms, chan
delier fireplace or mantel, r.; parlor table.
newspaper on table one small tray, me-
dium-sized plate two clean napkins, one
dozen doughnuts (the kind with the holes
In them are the only kind we can use),
glass of milk every performance (this
must be fresh, as II Is only used for drink
ing purposes on the stage).
please get a small boy to run on at the
finish Of the act He has no lines to speak,
but is very important We make arrange
ments with the boy personally. Have him
at rehearsal, please.
UNIQUE CONCENTRATION MES
SAGE.-Israel Zangwills marriage in Lon
don the other day brought him scores of
congratulatory messages from friends all
over the world, but none probably pleased
him more than did the one sent him by Miss
Eleanor Robson, the actress, whose charm
ing performance of the title role has made
his new comedy. Merely Mary Ann" the
most pronounced dramatic success of the
season.
May the little birds in your heart and
your Wife's always sing the loudest.
MERELY MARY ANN"
was the actress cablegram.
One of the most touching scenes In
Merely Mary Ann" which comes to the
National Theater Christmas week, occurs
in the last act when Lancelot confesses to
Mary Ann that the canary she gave him
for a keepsake Is dead. And So, she
says AL the other little birds In my heart.
love, innocence. sympathy, are dead. And
then after she has declared she will not
listen to his protestations of love for her
and has fed from the room. she returns.
1.-The little birds in my heart started sing
ing again." she murmurs. land l came
back"
1t was from this scene that Miss Robson
drew the inspira ton for her message and
Mr. Zangwill doubtless could not have had
her we'll wishes expressed to him In terms
he understood better or appreciated more.