Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-25

mind, as his leading man had Just been
taken I'll and he had no one to play the
part He asked O'Hara If he had ever
played Perry BascOm in Blue Jeans"
O'Hara said: Only about five hundred
times. "
Good! You can go right on"
And without more ado Mr.. OHara went
on and played the part and was forthwith
hired for the rest of the season.
He possessed a good tenor voice, and he
used to sing ballads between the acts. He
played with the company a couple of sea-
sons, when he attracted the attention of
Mr.. Barnabee of the Bostonians He
Joined that famous organization, and was
with IT for two seasons, afterward playing
the lieutenant in The Isle of Spice"
where Mr.. Blaney, his present manager
saw him and signed a contract with him
TO star in Irish comedy for five years.
WHY "MONNA WANNA" WAS FOR
BlDDEN.-The performance of Maurice
Maeterlinck's play. "Monna wanna" was
not permitted IN England because Of the
edict Of the play censor. MIR. Redford. Just
what Mr.. Redford found Objectionable in
'Mouna Wanna has not been made clear,
but his decision in the matter aroused such
Indignation among the prominent literary
people of London that they formed a So
ciety and presented the play privately.
Among the prominent writer's who were
concerned in this private production were
Thomas Hardy, Mrs. Craigie John Oliver
Hobbesl. William Archer, Frederick Har-
rison, Maurice Hewlett, Henry Arthur
Jones, George Meredith, Lawrence Alma
Tadema and w. Il. Yeats
In connection with this action of the
British censor of PLAYS q funny story Is
now being whispered about London. Ac-
cCrdlng TO the story, Il appears that the
worthy censor IS a bit uncertain In his
French. and when he came to the stage
direction for Norma Nannas entrance in
BTiEZtEallp'S Sh 81 nd
only III her mantle in obeyance to the
orders Of the Florentine general-he made
a laushable mistake. The stage directions
are: "Mouna Wanna entire, nue., sous un
nanteau.' Unfortunately the censor read
sans for sous" and. closing the book
with a virtuous shuddcr, he gave the order
that has made the presentation of Maeter-
liuck's masterpiece In England impossible
a GROWN-UP PICKANINNY There
were no pickaninnies in that first company
which produced In Old Kentucky" They
did not become part and parcel of the play
until the formation of the company which
was to tour the country with the play.
which was originally produced by stock
company in St Paul And they really
made the fortune OF the melodrama and
placed Jacob Lift on the solid and sure
way to immense wealth. Since the original
little band entered the company its indi-
Vidual members have changed from time to
time, age making men of the boys and the
cares Of the life taking them from the
ranks OF the picks" but one of the troupe
has remained faithful. john Powell who
Is now the leader of the band. and who is
referred to as the ''C0lored Sousa'' by his
admiring compatriots, was one of the small
est of the boys when Jacob Lift selected
the band. He grew older, but not much
taller, and although he has spread a bit
he Is still capable OF hopping about In lively
time In the rush of the second act of the
play. Powell is very proud of his band,
and the greatest triumph of his career--a
thing TO which ne refers with swelling
breast-was when his boys played against
the Hawaiian band and won In the contest
These small coiored boys see a great deal
of America In the course Of years, and in
Indianapolis, where most of them live
through the summer. aud where John Pow
ell trains them for each coming season,
they are the lions of their set.
IN TIE GOOD OLD DAYs-sam Ber-
nard. the comedian. was telling the other