Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1908-01-10

dozen; now there is a vaudeville house in
I almost every city of over 10000 popula
ton, all furnished with attractions by
Dir. Keith and his associates.
After twenty-five years of activity,
such as few men have had, Mr.. Keith is
endeavoring to relinquish the reins of
management 10 others, Mr.. E. f. Albee,
who has been general manager of his en-
terprses since the beginning, and Mr.. A.
Paul Keith, assistant general manager,
taking over the great bulk of the work,
although Mr.. Keith himself is still in
close touch with his varied interests, par.
ticularly his theatres in Boston and Phil
adelphia, pronounced by the late Sir
Henry Irving to be the most beautiful
theatres in the entire world.
MIR. Keith is native of New .Hamp-
shire, but at the age of seven began life
for himself on farm in western Massa-
chusetts, where he first showed that in
dependence and self-reliance which ever
since distinguished him. He was 10
years of age, however, before he became
interested in the show business, and he
made many ventures with shows of his
own, and particularly with others, be-
fore he began to see the possibilities of
vaudeville and quietly began the process
OF evolution-or more properly, perhaps,
revolution-whichh has made it what it is
today. form of entertainment made up
of the greatest performers of the earth
and taking from the legitimate stage
many of Its strongest attractions.
The beginning was made JAMS, 1888,
building on Washington street, Boston,
covered by the present site of the Adams
II )use, or more strictly speaking, in a
room in that building, not more than So
feet long and Is feet high, tapering to a
width Of about 6 feet in the rear Mr..
Keith had but one attraction, pound
and half midget. called Baby Alice,
but his museum was model of cleanli-
ness, refinement and good taste Mr.
Keith prospered and after three months
an upstairs room was secured, in which
he placed 1913 chairs and built a stage 81
feet high, Here the variety turns"
were introduced but "turns" from which
all the Objectionable features common to
the variety theatres of that day were
eliminated 1t was all new to the class
OF patrons sought by Mr.. Keith. His
theatre was filed with ladies' and child
rem. He added more space and could
seat 800 people. Then, in 1886, 1.-THE con-
tiuuous performance" evolved itself in
Mr.. Keith's fertile brain, and on July g..
without any previous announcement, he
gave it trial. 1t was an instantaneous
success, and soon became an important
f ature in theatricals all over America
Mr.. Keith's theatre was called the
"Gaiety" and it was not long after the
introduction of the continuous" that it
was taxed to the utmost. Next door
was the Bijou Theatre, and at that time
in its decorative features the most beau
tiful theatre in Boston. Mr.. Keith
secured lease and then introduced con-
tinuous performances with two opera
companies playing alternately with
vaudeville acts between, all of which
had been successful in the Gaiety. These
performances given at popular prices,
were said to be equal to those given in
the best theatres. However that may be,
the Bijou played to capacity nearly all
the time, and Mr.. Keith began to look
around him.
While he was quietly planning a new
theatre in Boston, he also became inter
ested in Providence, r. l.. where he oh.
tanned possession of building known as
the Providence Museum, made radical
changes and on March 81. 1887. opened
it as the Gaiety Museum. with vaude-
vile and light opera. Here aain Boston,
his patrons were largely women and
children, and it was not long before he