Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-11-10

In reviewing this performance The Even
ing Star said: The audience was con-
vulsed with laughter last night by the
representation of Our American Cousin
This play was recently here, but the Lord
Dundreary of Mr.. Sothern IS sui generis
and was so recognized on all hands. One
scene in 1t. that where he receives the
celebrated letter from his brother Sam
in America, tickled the audience amaz-
ingly and ne vas called out to re-read
it. but ne did better than that by supply
ing d postscript, or rather string OF
them. quite as unique as the body of the
letter.
1t was this famous comedy, Our Amer
lean Cousin, which. having been many
times presented in Washington in former
years by the great players of that day,
/ including Joseph Jefferson, Mines LeVick
( and J. Z. Clarke, was being repeated on
the occasion of a benefit to Laura. heene,
| the famous actress-manage-, when Pres
! ident Lincoln. one of the audience, was
| assassirated at the old Fords Theater
! on 10th street.
/ HANDLING BEN HJ-R. Some odd
records have been established by the
KIaw & Granger Ben Hur company dur
ing its eight years before the public re-
! marked Charles F. Towle, manager of the
company.
Though we carry as much stuff as
| small circus. he continued. 1t Is strik-
ing thing that 'Ben-Hur' has never en-
countered an ACCIDENT on the road, and.
what IS more remarkable, we have never
had to move in a rainstorm. We have
never missed a performance and have en-
countered but few delays. But we have
had some peculiar experiences in order
To keen I'D that record. We frequently
were warned 1t would be impossible to
play certain engagements on time. but
good fortune has always smiled upon the
piece In Worcester, Mass, we played in
a theater that was entirely too small be-
hind the scenes for the mass or Tnaterlal
that goes TO make Ben Hur. The stage
would not hold the scenery for more than
one complete act. In order 10 get around
th, obstacle and avoid extensive delays,
we had to rig up our heavy settings out
side the theater. There was no place to
90 tias, SO simply secured lot OF
fat wagons and q Owe them into the street
which led to the stage door. The stage
floor was some feet above the street, ana
these wagons about reached level with
it In this way we were able to hustle
the scenery from one act onto wagon,
and while that was being carried away
second wagon on which the scenery for
the succeeding act had been laid out was
backed up and the scenery hustled into
the theater II was the only way We
could give the performance there. 1t was
/ handled almost rapidly as If we had
Dig. full stage 70 work on.
In Seattle, Wash, when it came time
! TO rig up the stage we discovered that
/ there was not ~Oom enough for the ma
/ Chinery and effects. We cut through the
stage. only to discover that we had in
/ tTIdeo into the center of Turkish bath
! TINS was arranged satisfactorily. The
I twenty odd sleeping rooms were utilized
/ as dressing rooms and the other space ,oc-
/ cupied by the mechanism OF the produc-
! ton. which IS all under the stage. In Des
/ Motn-s, Iowa, we found the stage so
/ crowded there was no room in which to
| sto-e the properties. There was a vacant
| lot behind the tneater, and we rugged up
| a circus tent on the lot, and. cutting a
| small door through the rear wall. handled
/ the production from there as far the
| mass OF properties was concerned The
| striking part of this experience was that
| the thermometer registered Is degrees
| below zero for one or two nights during
| the engage ment'
! NEW MUSICAL SATIRE-''Funa-
bashi,' a musical comedy by Irwin S
Cobb and Stafford Waters, has been ac-
cepted by Thomas ~. Ryley, who pro-
duced The Belle Of Mayfair and Flor
odora." 1t will have its initial production