Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-02-26

list OF plays that have been presented
by that sterling comedian, William H.
Crane, who renewed last week acquaint-
ance with his many Washington admirers.
Referring to Mrs. Ffske, the " washing
ton manager said: "Out Of consideration
for myself, as well as out of considera-
ton for Mrs. Fiske. 1 don't propose to
tell how long ago 1t happened@but 1t
happened. When Mrs. Fiske (who was
then known as Minnie Maddern) resent
ed play entitled I'm Spite Of All she
had as a member of her company
young character actor by the name OF
Richard Mansfield. Mr. Mansfield had
very small part; that is. he had very
few lines to speak: but even at that time
his budding genius asserted itself and
Mansfield made a distinct personal hit.
He already had some idea of heading his
own organization. and he approached my
feeler as to whether week might be
obtained at the National should he de-
eide to star the following season. Rich
ard Mansfield had made such favorable
impression that my father gave the
wished-for announcement and the date
was marked off. History has SHOWN that
there was no error in judgment"
FAMOUS ACTORS ONCE IN BLACK
FACE.-"A chronicle of the origin and
evolution Of negro minstrelsy from the
simple plantation melody of the slaves
to the present elaborate performance of
the well known minstrel companies can
not fail to be of more than passing in
terest to the amusement-loving public"
says John III. Mack the veteran come
dian. who plays Uncle Neb in I'm Old
Kentucky" Negro songs and minstrel
sy are purely American institutions, and
have a history that Is interesting from
the fact that they are connected with
many persons who were prominent in
their day
AN actor by the name OF Herbert
seems to have been the first man to ap-
pear before an audience with blackened
face and sat In chair In front of the
curtain while he sang His song was en-
titled ''The Battle of Plattsburg." He
painted his face with black paint, the
use of cork being unknown at that time.
This was In 1916. in Albany. N. Y. The
Coal Black Rose" 1t was sung at
the Park Theater. New York, in 1893.
Thomas S. Blakely, an actor, was the
singer and the song made a great hit.
1T may be added that many OF our
noted actors and managers of recent days
have been in the minstrel business, among
them Edwin Booth. Joe Emmett, Denman
Thompson. Sol Smith Russell and Bar
ney Williams
SUCCESS ON BOTH SIDES-when
Edward Abeles decided to adventure
into polite vaudeville in this coun-
try he arranged with the managers
OF the London Hippodrome Theater to
| make the first production there OF He
Tried to Be Nice" the comedy he pur-
| posed using in this country. This gave
him the advantage Of having its au-
thor, the London playwright, Grant
Stewart, personally supervise the re-
hearsals. His success in the English me-
| tropolis was greater than he hoped Hav-
| ing won the London critics and public,
and having been spared the painful boo
| ing" with which the "pitites'' among
| English audiences harrow the feelings OF
many American invaders, Mr.. AbeleS
prolonged his engagement by putting on
George H. Broadhurst's "Self-Defense, =
and his playing of the dumb Italian boy
elevated him still higher in British
] esteem.