Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-09-24

managers offices for weeks and for months
with scant encourage cement 1t was Peter
Richings, father of Caroline Rchings, who
was at last persuaded that his desires We're
backed by talent, and who gave him an en-
gagement at the National Theater of this
city. then under his direction, e. a. Mar
shall, being the local manager.
The salary was one customarily paid the
beginner. $500 per week. His first perform
ance was with the Ravels in pantomime,
his second with Susan and Kate Denim in
n play called THE Wife. or the Tale of
Mantua.' His duties We're defined as those
of general utility man. for the theater
then observed q system in classifying actors
which has almost entirely disappeared.
The companies consisted of leading man,
leading Juvenile first and second walking
gentleman. heavy man. first and second low
comedian, first and second old man. respec-
table utility and general utility. The fem
mime roles were of course correspondingiy
scaled. 1t was but a short time till Mr..
Bangs was transferred to the Holiday
Street Theater in Baltimore. with additional
opportunity, and he soon found himself
first walking gentleman with share of the
juveniles.
In speaking of the extensive productions
now being made, Mr.. Bangs has no hest
tatlon in declaring that they do not surpass
some of the stupendous productions of
earlier years. He recalls the spectacular
presentation of Julius Caesar" with Ed
win Booth as Brutus, Barrett Cassius
and himself as Marc Antony This was at
Booths Theater at 2id street and 9th ave-
nue., New York, in 1873. The building still
retains among it's mural embellishments
"reminiscences of its career as a theater. al
though it is now remote from the playhouse
district and devoted to commercial pur-
poses. The theater passed from the control
OF Mr.. Booth, who, by tour through other
cities. speedily retrieved his fortunes. Jar
rett and Palmer in 1915 resolved to repro
duce Julius Caesar. and did with the
original cast as far as it could be secured
/, nnrt ring Rrrfn In,
1876 Jarrett and Palmer made a colossal
production of Byrons 'Sardanapalus,
which, in Mr.. Bangs opinion. surpassed in
perfection of detail and lavish display any
thing that has since been seen. Charles
Calvert was brought from London to SUI
pervise the presentation. and this one Incl
dent of the enterprise involved expense
of $1,000. Trains were run from New Or
leans. st. Louis, Cincinnati and Chicago,
tickets for the performance being pur-
chased in connection with the railway
transportation. MIR. B ngs played the title
role.
''In spite of the sensation created by this
production. | regarded my engagement with
it as year thrown away said Mr.. Bangs.
THE character was not elevating. 1t was
sinister. severe and uncongenial.'
In reply to an inquiry as to which of the
parts he has played he liked best he said:
''The work in hand is, of course, the work
which interests or which ought to interest
the player most. OF the characters which
I played in the past l recall with most sat
isfaction the leading role in a play which
is now but slightly remembered. 1t was
written for that eminent actor Frederick
LeMaitre, The English version was enti-
lied The Soldiers Trust and it was unique
because, excepting in a few scenes, the
character had not a word to utter. The
play was said to have been written with
the view of saving LeMaitres voice at the
time when it threatened to desert him. The
hero. although stricken dumb, played
mighty part in the drama, and was obliged
nv gesture and facial EXPRESSION
all that is usually indicated with the as
sistance of spoken language 1t was "A
hard part to learn. I studied speeches by the
page long that they might prompt me in the
pantomime upon wI.-ch l depended. 1t is
needless to say that my experience with
Revels stood me in good stead in this con-
nection.
In conclusion Mr. Bangs id: 81 regard
it a great privilege to find myself at this
time in a part so generally and widely DIS
cussed, one which, l hope. will renew
friendships of the past and also commend
me to the esteem of the rising generation
of thea tergoerS.
A SENSIBLE PRIMA DONNA-Fritzi
Scheff, the former favorite of grand opera,
who will appear at the National Theater
the week of October in THE Two Roses
is very democratic. She said the other day:
II would as soon sing to woman in a
rainy-day skirt as 1 would to a lady in
show. When 1 was at the Metropolitan
Opera House and Covent Garden 1 never
noticed how the audience was dressed. l
didn't care. Was it appreciative? That
was all I ever asked. And now 1 will tell
you something. Many times the woman
in the rainy-day skirt knows more about
music than milady who looks SO beautiful.
Yes that is So Many times the people who
truly love music come high, as you say here.
And that is why, when l sing, l always
raise my eyes to the gallery | think those
people up there like to get a look. too; yes.
And why not? They pay their money, just
like others, and they are entitled to look,
too. Is it not SO? Maybe two looks, en-?
O HAMA SAN.-Tiny, little o Hama San
of Yeddo Japan, who combs her raven
black hair high in air and who believes
that Japan is ruled by an emperor descend
ed from eternity, sacred and inviolable in
person, has been made a widow by the war
between the ear sand the mikado. But
little o Hama San shows no outward evil
dences of the grief she feels. That is not
the way the Japanese mourn, for from
their earliest infancy they learn to re-
press themselves, to control their emo
lions, and to present no outward evidences
of conflict within.
That is why o Hama San of Yeddo will
appear next week in her Japanese living
tableauX. 1t was in New York last week
that o Hama San was shown cablegram
by the Japanese consul. advising him to
find her and convey the sad intelligence
that her husband. Lieut.. Shirada. of the
great fighting clan of Hizen, had been
killed in assault on the Skobelof re-
doubt at Port Arthur, in recent engage
ment He was attached to the famous
Shimonoseh regiment, the same which car
ried it's colors into Port Arthur in the war
with China.
o Hama San did not weep as the Ameri-
can women do. She looked at the consul,
smiled bravely, and told him her husband
had given his life as a tribute to his em-
peror and to Shaka, the god of war. To
the countrywomen who have accompanied
her to this country. she repeated the sad
news, still smiling braveiy. and then she
went home to pray before the tiny Shinto
shrine which she had brought from the
ancient temple of Kamakura- Upon this
shrine she placed six tiny copper coins
called rim These are for the spirit of the
dead soldier. who with them will bride the
six Jizo who guard the ways to the six
shadowy worlds. Later he will cross the
Medic by a lonely bridge that leads to the
fiowery lands where all the two-edged
sword men of Japan are gathered together,
rejoicing in the puissance of the sun flag.
r,f he fpfr, CHI.