Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-10-13
A THEATRIC LANDMARK.

One hundred years of the drama-a
century OF stage life with its galaxies of
stars which have had their rising and
their setting and its generations of thea
ter-goers who have come and gone-this
is the history of the Walnut Street Thea
ter OF Philadelphia. the Oldest and most
famous theater in America.
It's lights were bright when the men who
HAD won the country's independence were
sim In their prime.
Us bill boards invited the crowd to see
The Rivals" played while the ships of
the newborn republic were battling on
the sea with the enemy the colonists had
IL feated only thirty odd years before.
Just rounding out it's hundredth sea son
for X VS. built In 1S08-the Walnut IS not
or. : the Oldest theater on the continent
in point of continuous service, but it bears
the remarkable distinction of never hay
ing been uuoccup ed during a season.
Its irst managers. Papin 6, Breschard.
had a double purpose for the house-the
odd mixture of Craftsmanship and the
stage. for they built a dome upon the
structure put in horse ring and called
II the New Circus" Here for the first
Two seasons the drama and the horse
shared interest, with the balance of at
tent.on ard popular favor on the side of
thu riders.
In the second season the management
altered the front of the building and
changed its name to the Olympic" In
terest In the circus riding feature was
beginning to wane slightly in favor of the
play so the owners put Dwyer, come
dian OF the day and Mckenzie, another
favorite actor, in charge as stage man
ayers.
On January l. 1912 the management de-
cided to begin the new year with an elab-
crate effort, SO they put on Sheridan
The Riv.Is." To please the circus-loving
element they had a riding exhibition after
tie curtain fell on The Rivals" and
then TO WIND up the program came an
afterpiece entitled The --oor Soldier -
Unquestonably 1t was the big show" of
that time.
In 1920 Warren & Wood, another theatri-
cal firm, assumed the management after
the Chestnut Street Theater another Phil
ade.ph!a playhouse, lad been burned The
new proprietors further diminished the
circus feature by removing the dome and
putting in a fiat ceiling.
The incident Of Warren & Wood man
agement-although IL attracted little no
tlce at that time, for the actors spurs
were yet to be won. was the debut of Ed
win Forrest on November 81 1920 For
rest who was a native of PhiIadelphia
had done well In amateur theatricals. and
his first professional appearance N
Homes Douglas was a success though
rs fame was not made until six years
.ater when lie played "Othello' in New
\ GrS.
Forrest played u a house which netted
s - ~ h!s j, but, and later. when he was
permitted TO act in the customary benefit
performance, he Played to u $215 audi
enc.
re next year, April 8. 1921. Edmund
Keaa was seen ,or the first time In Phila.
GciTt.a at the Walnut. which still re.
tanned tie name of Olympia. Kean APP.
peare3 n Ricr-rd III. and his company
snC.Ited Mrs Wood and the elder Wheat.
ley the latter playing The Duke OF Nor.
folk Despite many violent criticism.
Kan drew big houses and his first en-
gaGement nett, d 1887 He PLAYED a ben
eft nfteEward az pearirg as King Lear.
ana this brought him ST.. II for two nights
The finances OF the theater IN these day:
were interesting as compared with the re
ccipts oS today. TIE record receipts of 6
single night under the Warren & WOOD
management was SEQ. This was at bene
ft for the Philadelphia Orphan Asylum
which was burned in 1922. That the pa
irons OF the place were often tickle |!
shown by the fact that one performance
OF The Rivals brought in only $3.50.