Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-08-08
THE TT EAT Err.

Kernan's Lyceum swin add its burlesque
and vaudeville interest to the theatrical
situation In the capital city next week, and
will vie with the Academy of Music for
| the early season honors. The latter play
! house opened last Monday evening and has
! enjoyed a proRero9s week, with Penn
sylvania" as TIL ttkaction.- An anthracite
coal mine wasstheS especial thriller on
the program. Nea week the Academy
stage will be the scene Of an aerial conflict
| between a balloon and an airship The
melodramatist verify has neither limit of
Imagination nor scope of action. The bur-
lesque organization which will open Ker-
mans Monday afternoon Is said to be one
| of the best that will make the circuit.
The center of dramatic interest within
the zone of Washington during the past
few weeks has been at historic old Wood
lawn mansion, near Accotink, Fairfax
county, Va. This old mansion is situated
in the hills just back of Mount Vernon
and has associated with 1t many interest
| ing memories of olden days Woodlawn is
| now the home Of Paul Kester the drama
| fist, who has given to the stage many Of
its most pleasing and popular plays. Mr..
| Hester has but recently finished the work
| of dramatizing Charles Majors delightful
| novel, Dorothy Vernon of Haddon Hail.
| Miss Bertha Ga1land, who is to star in the
| play, under the direction of Mr.. J. Fred
| Zimmerman, jr., has been guest at Wood
| lawn and has listened to the reading of the
completed manuscript with all the keen
| pleasure of one who will enact fasctnat-
| ing character. Mr.. John j. Donnelly, who
| is to actively manage Miss Gallan6s tour,
| has also been visitor at the mansion. Mr..
Major, the novelist, who recently
t,J1C0a emit It, tn,
| Shelbyville, Ind, has so far recovered that
| he, too, is daily expected at Woodlawn to
go over with Mr.. Kester the final reading
of the story in its dramatic form. Miss Gal
land will be surrounded by an unusually
strong supporting company, among those
already engaged being Frank Losee, Will
liam Levers. last season leading man with
Julia Marlowe: George LIE Soir, who ere
ated the part of Hopper in THE Crisis
Kate Denim Wilson, recently with Mr.. E.
H. Sothern, and Miss May Robson, who has
been especially engaged for the part of
Queen Elizabeth.
Another interesting visitor at Wood
| lawn during the summer has been Mr. Paul
W1lstach. who was formerly a well-known
| dramatic writer Of this city. Mr.. Wflstach
has been with Mr. Mansfield for the last
few years and will again be in charge Of his
literary work the coming season. Mr.. Will
stach has also branched out into p1aywrit-
ing and has but recentely completed a pref
| ty story in dramatic form of life in quaint
old Georgetown during the days of the
civil war. He has given the play the Gu
phonious and appropriate title of Polly
Primrose and it will be- played this sea-
son by Adelaide Thurston, who Is one of
the best known players coming from the
western country. Mr. Wilstach has not at
tempted any of the pyrotechnics of the
average war drama. not a shot being
| heard uor sword drawn during the ac-
ton of his pretty little romance of one Of
the old Georgetown families. Mr.. Wilstach
is still at Woodlawn the guest of Mr.
kester. ..ss
Mr.. Wells Hawks, one Of the most pop
ular Of the young newspaper men who
have recently gone into theatrical work,
has just been promoted to be assistant to
ALI Hayman, general manager for Charles
Frohman. Mr.. Hawks halls from Balti-
more, but is well known in this city, where
he has done much of his best work, both
In newspaper way and since becoming
connected with the theater. Mr.. Hawks
was last year given practically entire
charge of Mr.. Frohman's press work in the
metropolis and in addition was made man
ager of the Criterion Theater. His present
promotion will be gratifying news to his
many friends in this section of the coun-
try.
Miss Jeannettes@fansford, the leading
lady of Pennsylvania" playing at the
Academy Of Music this week. narrowly es-
capped being seriously burned several even
ings ago, during the progress of the play.
By the GOODNESS of the young lady and the
quick action of a fellow member of the
company Hiss Lansford escaped injury,
and what might have been panic was
averted. In the third act of the play,
which Is laid in a coal mine, a number of
miners, some with torches on their caps
and others carrying lanterns in their hands,
can be seen at work. In making his exit
one of the miners absent mindedly sat his
lantern near an entrance. While standing
waiting her cue to enter Miss Lansford 8
dress came in contact with the fame and
became tgnfted. The fire began to find it's
way around the edge of the young lady's
skirt, when 1t was discovered and extin-
guished. but not without some excitement
among the players.
Chase's opening has been set for the 14th
Of September, a week later than usual, ow-
Ing to the elaborate character Of the i'm
provements which are in progress. Under
the guiding eye of Chase's house scenic ar
ttst. George Thompson, the entire interior
Is being transformed from the Moorish to
the Renaissance style of decoration. The
prevailing colors will be ruby red ivory
and gold. brilliant combination that will
greatly enhance the natural beauties of
the interior of the commodious theater.
The season will commence as customary
with polite vaudeville. which will continue
until late into the following summer, the
season terminating with new array of
production operas. Chases booking repre-
sentatives promise more and greater for
eign and American novelties this year than
ever, the importations including Salerno,
the talk of Europe for the past few sea-
sons, Mile Gerard who does a serpentine
dance on the back of a spirited Arabian
horse, the August family of jugglers, Ha-
genbacks polar bears, the Werner Amoros
troupe Of pantomimists Riccobonos trained
horses. The American contingent of en-
tertainers will be strengthened by the addi
ton of George H. Primrose, the veteran
minstrel comedian. That other favorite
black face amuser George Wilson, will re-
turn to polite vaudeville to remain. The
original Florodora double sextet will be
one of the strongest attractions Of the sea-
son. Besides these there will be Marie
Dressler. the Rays, Adolph link, the lilli-
putian comedian; Ellie Fay and Henry
Lee.
Cof1INC ATTRACTIONS