The Washington herald., 1907-01-14
ABOUT PLAYS AND PLAYERS.

Percy G. Williams, the Boston yaude-
vile promoted, is trying hard TO lure
Thomas W L.awton onto the vaudeville
stage. He thinks Lawson can't be caught
by a straight money offer, so he puts his
bait in the form Of an invitation 10 lee
ture TO the public on financial topics for
ten minutes each afternoon from the stage
Of the Orpheum. which Williams runs.
II Lawson viii do this. Williams offers
20 make contribution 10 charity Of such
size as he and Lawson may agree on.
lillian Russell thinks she is going 10
make so much money out OF her new
piece. "The Butterfly" that she can af-
ford the princeIy luxury of racing stable
the coming summer. When she was down
in Kentucky the other day. she visited
j. r. Madden's stock farm and offered
$500 for a two-year-olG flly by the Eng
lish Derby winner, Melton, sire Of Sy-
sonby
Some skepucaI people may insist on
afidavits before they will believe il, but
/ it is said TO be a fact that Edna Aug has
/ made such a hit as the American coquette
/ in the annual revue at the Paris FOlies
/ Bergeres that her fame IS rapidly spread
/ ing all over Europe. She Is the idol OF
/ the boulevardiers, and the Paris papers
and magazines are extravagant in their
| praise Of her. Yet Edna was never re-
garded here as much more than an ordi-
/ nary vaudeville performer Of no special
/ talent.
Robert ManteI has got so genuinely
big that he finds it in him 10 praise a
| feilow-actor whose funeral hasn't been
/ scheduled At a dinner in Baltimore the
other night. ManteIl spoke glowingly Of
the work Of Richard Mansfield and the
| debt the American stage owes him.
When Ada Webster. who has been play
ing the part Of the curate's wife in The
/ HypoerItes" in New York for five months.
resigned and sailed for London on Satur-
/ day it was disclosed that her real busi-
/ ness is that of "a mOdiste and that she
owns a very swell shop in London.
The -MarlOwe engagement in
/ New York Will open next Monday night
with Sudermann's John the Baptist" As
John D. Rockefeller is quite a prominent
member Of the Baptist Church, Sothern' s
manager thought he saw a certain fitness,
10 say nothing of other things, IN trying
10 induce John D. to attend the perform
ance. So be wrote placing a box at the
multimilHonaire' disposal, which the lat
ter's secretary promptly declined with
thanks on the part Of his employer.
A New York theatrical sheet is respon-
sibla for the report that when Z. II.
Sothern goes on his English tour he will
isert a ''u'' in his name out Of difference
to the English prejudice in favor of the
useless use Of that letter in words like
honor, parlor sc.
There Is no question that Pittsburg took
70 Richard Mansdeid's Peer Gynt" as if
Ibsen was an original Smoky City dis
covcry. II is said 10 have given up 10000
70 Mansfield in recOmpense for his week
stay there.
The latest addition TO the long and lurid
| series Of Charles Z. Blaney melodramas is
entitled The Hired Girls Millions" 1t
has just been copyrighted at the Congress
| sional Library.
For the first time in America, Cilea's
opera of ''AdTienne LecOuvreur' was pro
duced in New Orleans recently by Henry
/ RusscTs san Carlo opera Company. The
new work seems to have been both an
artistic and popular success as presented
| by the Russell troupe OF singers. The
/ leading roles were taken by Tarquinia
Tarquini and Constantine.
To accommodate the people who want
| 10 see her in Peter Pan" MaUde Adams
will give three matinees week during
the remainder of her engagement at the
Empire TheateT, New York.