Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-24

change all things than any other city in
the world; for 1t was not only here that
he first set foot Cor was carried) on the
stage, but here as well-at the old Carusf
Theater-he appeared for the first time in
his most famous role, RIP Van Wrinkle, =
November Is, 1850.
Though he was born in Philadelphia. JEFF
ferson was what might be truthfulIy termed
"a Washington boy for he was scarcely
two years old when his father, also an
actor, as his grandfather and great grand-
father had been, removed to Washington
and became manager of the Washington
Theater on Louisiana avenue between Az
and 9th streets. Little Joe grew up in the at
mosphere of the stage. and more than once
assumed the important role OF a child IN
arms when a baby was needed at his tath-
er's theater. Joe was always on hand, and
it was in this way that he came 70 take
part in 'Pizarro."
At the age of eight jefferson was playing
no less a part than that of pirate at the
Franklin Theater New York city. The fol-
lowing years of his youth were spent on the
road in his fathers company But though
he wandered far, Washington seemed al
ways a center for him, and IN few years
he was back gain in the capital becoming
in 1850 stage manager at the National The
alter. This engagement at-the National en-
braced the playing of many and varied
roles, and it is interesting for the present
genera ton. which has grown to know MN
almost exclusively in two or three charac-
ters to note the wide scope of his achieVe-
In the spring of 1859 jefferson appeared
at CarusIs Theater, and later in the same
year he first produced Rip Van Wrinkle The
play was not, however, a success in its orig
inal form and five years after, when JET
fersOn was in London, he put the play IN
the hands of Dion Boucicault for revision.
Boucicault reWTOte it, introducing Rip as
"a Young Scamp-thoughtless gay, just
such a urly-headed good humored fellow
as the village girls would love and the
children and dogs would run after" to use
B0ucicault's own words, instead of an unro-
mantle undramatiC old sot, as he charac-
terized the role in its original conception.
Less than three months after the first
production of RIP Van Wrinkle" in Jan
uary, 1861, jefferson again returned to
Washington, playing here a week. Then
in March of that year he opened engage
ment of four weeks, appearing in an eX-
tensive repertoire. Shortly after this wife
who was a Miss Lockyer to whom he had
been married eleven years befOre-died and,
seeking relief from his deep sorrow and
loneliness at the loss of one who had been
devoted wife and mother, Jefferson took to
the road. He crossed the continent, and
played in San Francisco for four months.
Thence he journeyed to Australia Four
years were spent thus. 1t was at the ter
mination of this wandering, when he had
reached London, where he remained for the
next two years that BoucicauIt rewrote
RIP Van Wickle." Jefferson appeared in
1t at the Adelphi Theater September 4. 1863,
and Won the approval of London. In the
fall of 1861 he returned to America In this
same year he married his second wife, Miss
Warren.
The following spring witnessed his return
to Washington. He appeared here at the
National Theater April l3. 1868. opening
enga cement of two weeks, the feature of
which was rip Van Wrinkle" For the next
three years he regularly filed spring en-
gagement at the National Theater. In 1873
he opened Wallis Opera House, Louisiana
avenue and 9th street. From then on up to
his last appearance in this city-November
q. 19G3-he played almost annually to
Washington audiences