New-York tribune., 1908-02-16
ACTORS FUND SOIREES
At CAFE DES BE4UX ARTS.
Wit and Beauty When Players En-
tertain Off the Stage.

actors painters architects statesmen and literary
persons-gathered twice a month in one OF tne
fashionable restaurants of Paris or It's suouros'
there while they ate and drank. discussed ART,
politics and Gibbon has observed parttioned
the empire with the calm del1oeratlon 'ha'
might attend conference of a Roman trufn'l-
rate
Since they themselves represented everything inst
in France in those days they wanted for notn-
ing at those gatherings There were heard the pop
uar ballads. sometimes composed and sung on 'he
spur of the moment by clever variety entertaiiei
stories that afterward became choice morsels OK
gossip in the salons were invented at these
soirees. and the most graceful dancers IN tne ehi
pire found in them excellent opportunity 10 exc
cute new movements and observe the enect on ,la'
scutey critical gathering
In Paris It the fashionable cafe In Ensiano
the coffee house or a club especially arranged; IN
both countries these gatherings knew netner rahA
circumstance. The poet and the Jineiins
rhymster did their turn with the statesmen q.
noble lineage. the beauty and the genius OF
the land appla uded. Another gathering resemohhs
these is being steadily brought about in New YORK
as the result of a weekly dinner held every Thurs
day night the Cafe des Beaux Arts the proceeds
of which. by arrangement with the Bustanoby
Freres. Andre, Louis and jacques. are devoted 10
the Actors Fund. If the reader has not heard OF
des Beaux Arts a visit to that hosiery Will repay
a debt to the Imagination, and if he can preVah
upon jacques to place for him at the
Thursday night soiree-that's the name-he VIII
have Into the midst OF beauty and wit and
''he shall want, neither Tor a JOKE nor soHs'
a sUeetmest or a cordial To the bound
aries of des Beaux Arts would be to ridicue a
popular resort but 1t Is not far from broadway
and It is equally that great parade ground OF
all Americas passions-Fifth avenue You may
turn off the avenue off the way, and at each
turn the mfrth of the Bohemians will fall upon
your
GATHER IN THE ART ROOM
The gathering which gives excuse for this ar
and
al room, the title is amply indicative OF It's
attractiveness. At the present writing the ioea
is young and its youth makes IT captivating NO
nerson may now be said have done the town
who has whiled away a night here with the
player folk. Only three gatherings have been held
as yet, but there has been no want OF wit and
beauty Frank keenan, has spoken there in behalf
OF the fund and awakened renewed interest IN the
art of acting by his selections from The Warrens
Virginia"
Daniel Frohman and David Beasco have given
it their imprimatur, and Mare klaw has declared
publicly that ''the soirees the thing just as the
plays another thing. Olga Nethersole has prom
ised find way up there soon as the crowds
quit going to Dalys. and Henry Miller has writ
ten to Phil. Mindil that he will attend the next
gathering and bring with him sll concerned III tho
division of the Divide"
There were only scant hundred at the first
Thursday night gathering but Frank heenah was
billed the following Thursday, and the Belasco
forces out IN full array. Indeed. 1t was COM
things for Keenan, had given orders that night
Charles Emerson Cook was there to see tnat MI
Keanan's remarks were properly observed Dy 'he
publicity promoters. His presence set new pace
for press agents.
Thursday night by some clever arrangement
was turned into triumph for the vaudeville play
ers In fact. 1t a vaudeville soiree. The near
est approach the legitimate was the presence OF
John W. Rumsey whose special occupation these
davs is keeping a keen eye The Thfef and
auditing the arrearages of The Friars Mr Run-
sew was not asked recite or TO sing NOBODY Is
asked. II you can do something you are expected
to get UP and It, and repeat 1t If the gathering
thinks. well OF It. Mr.. Rumsey slipped black conee
and calmly remarked that it was apparent inc
variety people owned the place and the newspaper
mon as well. Vesta Victoria slipped an EnSIlsh
vintage and INQUIRED what poor John" meant OF
course Miss Victoria did" brighter act tnan
that, 1t considered suf1cient 10 sharpen
the wits in the variety field. These remarks are
merely Introductory to the story Of the night.
HAD TWO HUNDRED CONTRACTS.
There were two hundred seated at the tables
when the clock struck the "witching hour And
what a two hundred Every one Of them carried
a contract and Josephine Conan was awarded
special piece of glassware. designated lan1pposl'
for exhibiting paper showing that she had forced
the "'p-ince of comedians George NJ Cohan to
guarantee her from March / onward a salary that
should exceed Vesta Victoria's weekly allowance
by s99 99e While the first plates were being car
red off and a novel variety of wine being
poured into delicate glassware, a message was
read from the manager of John Mason, which de-
clared that Mr Mason and Mr Thomas were ever
IN sympathy with anything that occurs at the
"wtching hour; they would be pleased too. If
the Freres Bustanoby would accept their check
for the Actors Fund and excuse them for that
night because il had been rumOred that some of
the variety performers would attempt to make a
copv OF Mr.. Mason's eyes. Whereat the assem-
bIace laughed heartily and oldtime vaudevillan
told a story that pleased the ladies nightly. The
chorus was adequately represented. and in the
course of the eating and drinking several pretty
members executed old-fashioned dances mot on
the tabes) while group in corner was en-
gagged In decphering epstle purported TO have
come from John Drew. the subject OF which was
'Brotherly Love"
While the French walters were serving coffee
womanIy propriety which amply describes the sin
of smoking when induged in by fair performers,
and therefore the women denied themselves that
pIeasure) Jack" Hazard, known from Maine
! to California" turned TO. Everybody is
turned to-" Mr. Hazard understood and re-
lated story after story the best of his repertory
being one that concerned German in search of
a choice site 'to do the DUTCH Fred Niblo re-
cited in a on-professional manner, and also re-
! lated some of his adventures between here and
Albany before the vaudeville syndicate had
agreed to allow each performer d special and
a negro walter
THE CoHANs AND VEsTA VICTORIA.
To turn from husband to wife requires no ex-
ar+ion al such gatherings. Josephine Conan was
oplv too happy to see her husband carry Oh some
90 rho IaureIs of the night. and hook her head a
g. tfn,as when the gathering turned" To her.
A. NihIo appeared consent. and Miss cohan
| ,hareunon entertained the gathering Tor haf an
! hour with song and story Ihe story was con
aned chiefly relating how she and George M
! sNa