The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-05-24

the leading man. the remaining men,
bers of any company being RELOCATED
to rooms situated on. a gallery above
the stage and approached by flight
OF steps On Mr.. BENEFITS arrival the
two rooms designated for the stars
We're occupied by Miss Grayce. Scott
and another lady of Mr.. Giffen's conf
pany. but when Mr.. Bennett learned
that the lady was toabesg given one .sof
the rooms on the saliefSrina ord that
he might occupy the stars room, he
positively refused to permit 1t.
Even before Mr.. Bennett arrived in
Richmond an episode occurred in which
1t is true that he does not lay claim
to acting the knight of chivalry, but
which forced upon him quite a good
deal of Involuntary gallantry. IN leav-
ing New York, the leading man was
most DESTROYS of securing a lower
berth, and upon finding at the ticket
office carly in the morning that 9one
was not to be obtained, he secured
the drawing-room so that he would
not have to occupy an upper. Upon
his arriving at the traina4that night
to claim his reservation he was In
formed that some .of his friends had
come down during 5thettdayt@ and In
formed the ticket agent that he had
changed his mind, and was not going
to Richmond that night They had
thereupon taken the drawing room
themselves, and the leading man was
snugly and somewhat heatedly slowed
away in an upper, at loss to know
who his somewhat ofticious friends
we're. While he was registering at
the Jefferson, after his arrival here,
an old friend came UP and slapped
Bennett on the back. and, after mGSh
laughter at the others epense, eX-
planned that he had come down to
the ticket office in New York with his
wife the night before, had endeavored
to get section and being unable to
do so. and finding that Bennett had
a whole drawing-room to himself, just
could not resist the temptation
When asked what he had been doing
with himself since he was last in Rich
mond the actor replied: II have been
working like a dog day and night try
ing to perfect myself In English. as
much French as possible, and in study
ing the psychological Characterization
OF stage puppets. in order. to enable me
to get under the skin of character
Instead Of playing the freckles on the
outside" And those who saw When
we Were Twenty-One" last week saw
how wonderfully we'll he had succeed
ed. Since Richmond audiences last
t.
l,"Jim Bludso" "Sweet and Twenty,
.Tnprudence," The Other Girl Man
land Superman" THE Rector's Garden,
l"strongheart," The Best of Friends:
I'm three cities-London Boston and
New Ycrl1-n THE Lion and the
Mouse: with Miss Grace George, IN
ls"Diyorccn"; in THE Hypocrites'
lin London, and comes to the Giffen
| Company again from an engagement
lin chicago in Twenty Days IN the
| Shade" ,t
DAYS ago he said Mr.. Bennett was tho
most popular actor on ROADWAY, and
| every day has to. turn down offers FOR
\ enga gements
When the subject of Richmond was
preached the actors face beamed With
happiness, He said If / said all the
good things I thoug ht about Richmond
III would take me from now until the
| time / closed; my heart has been SO
won by the attitude of the Richmond
speople. IT seems tome that there Is
! II friendlyShand held out to any one
who comes here, If he, is half-deserv-
ing of a welcome.s' INremember the
Hast night the C;iffen Company played
4 here whom we We're here before, ana
/ we We're all called before the curtain
to make speeches. j stood there and
cried like a baby and could not talk
4 for minute and then&I think ! said
some fool things like 'Howsdo you do
good-by; am glad ! met YOU.
At The nliou.
Daniel Ryan returns to the Bio,
this week and viii offer THE Bells,
THE Merchant of yenice,H and the
Three Muskete ers" The performance
4 Friday .nirbt viii he for the benefl
OF the Richmond Theatrical Mechanics
i Association, ss K,
I. .rhe BclsN the opening play, VII
show series OF Belascoesque pictures
THAT win he new to IA Richmond audi
lence. In the hrst act alone there are