The sun., 1909-01-23
MISS ELLIOTT'S STAR PARTY
4 PROFESSIONAL MATINEE At
HER NEW THEATRE,

With Tea Afterward on the Stage for the
Fsyored-Dinicuit Job Naming This
Audience, Which Included Mary Gar
den and Lima Cavalier, Far Apart
The matinee performance at Maxine
Elliott's Theatre yesterday was played
by starlight There were. to be sure. a
few electric lights. but they really were
not needed, and it is doubtful II anybody
noticed that they were there at all The
few non-professional members of the
audience put in most of their spare time
wishing and II there is any virtue in the
ancient superstition a lot OF good things
are going TO happen to those wisher S
before long, because you couldn't look
in any direction without your gaze falling
upon some star or other, Not only were
there stars. but now and then, II Is to be
feared. there was a brief comet who con-
sidered himself a fixed star, not to mem
ton no end OF near stars and satellites.
The occasion that called out all this
theatric Millisnce was Miss Maxine
Elliott's first professional matinee in her
new little gem OF a theatre The theatre
was crowded despite the fact that not
a single seat was sold. Everybody present
came as Miss Eliott's guest and goodly
number OF them were also asked for
tea on the stage after the fall OF the final
curtain.
In a company OF this character it's
pretty hard to know where to begin the
catalogue. II 1t were possible one would
name the characters "in the order OF their
first appearance" custom to which the
much harassed theatrical managers have
recently resortei in printing their
programmes. But unfortunately IL isn't
possible. Still one must begin somewhere,
and probably II won't hurt anybody's
feelings to make a start with the occu-
pants Of the boxes
In the boxes there were-well. place
to the ladies and they'll be named first.
But alas! four OF them are feminine stars.
What to do? All! The alphabetical
method! Alas! again-two Of them
commence their names with the letter b.
Back to their Christian name sthen. and
a start is made with Blanche Bates, and
Miss Barrymore mustn't mind it, becGlse
she isn't responsible for the fact that
Ethel doesn't begin with an A, Prof.
Brander Matthews. the celebrated Simple
Spellcr, who occupied seat in the very
front row. could doubtless arrange TO
have the proper name Ethel begun with
an A. But up to yesterday he hadn't
done 50.
With Miss Barrymore Brother Jack
Barrymore was sitting. and in the ad-
joining box one saw William Gillette
who used to Sherlock Holmes 40 neatly
but who now devotes his time TO Samson
ing. Mr. Gillette was looking a trife
fstigred, presumably from his nightly
trsk Of choking the life out OF husky
Arthur Byron, who sat in en- orchestra
chPir not far away.
The operate exhibit too ives not
snail. II included the portiy Caruso.
who looked down from box not quite
so rltitudinous as his own high &. The
fPmous sob in the throat" which ia this
tenor's pride end Joy, wGs now here in
evidence. II was no occasion for snbs
And Mary Garden ws.s there also, looking
ss ii there had rcver bcen rnythirg but
peace end c9lm ct the Sign Of the HPt
IN West Thirty-sourth street. Ard tOh,
dnggrrs ind poison) the Line CEvT.iari !
wrs T'sD among those there but somn
sc'e distHnco removed from Miss Garden /
hat renowned specialist in dramatic
sociology Wilton Iackaye occupied an
aisle seat down front trying to look IA
If he had never said anything clever that
wasn't put in his mouth by a playwright.
Anna Held contributed her celebrated
tour de force of looking like tho heroine
OF Miss Innocence Richard Bennett
was enjoying himself lot too much for
r j. NJ. barrie character without any sense
OF humor. Vera Mctord Of Via Wire
less" looked as il il wore quite easy To he .
Leading lady IN a play by the biggest
syndicate Of authors in the world. Mrs.
Kate Douglas Wiggin reeniorced the
literary divisio. nNilliam FaverSham .
abandoned his anti-tip parOcr shop at
Daly's long enough TO drop in for a while
and forget about 8vinG.
Frank Mcintyre forgot all about the .
latest thing in ladies suitings" for .
time. Henry Jewett consented for an
hour or two to overlook the fact that he is .
a Russian Grand Duke in The Man From /
Home" while the Prince Troubetskoy !
neglected TO emphasize the fact that he IS .
a Russian prince in real life, and there .
was oh, everybody.
And everybody so much enjoyed the .
adventures OF Miss Elliott as the Countess
Won Tuyle in the jolly little play that there T.
wasn't much acting in the audience
except between the acts. Miss Elliott .
received so warm welcome from her /
friends that she could easily ,
nave made a speech after the second act.
put instead ofthat she waited until il was
over and then made lot Of friendly little .
speeches TO individuals at her tea party
On the stage. All the stars inspected the
pla yhouse and the ideal dressing rooms
and went away determined to make good
straight talks to those manager people.
The Forthcoming crop Of new theatres
'on paper is likely TO break all records
and they will all be named after stars
because. don't you see. then you can't
mention the play without advertising the
3tar,