The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-06-15

one hundred million doilars--such
Is the amount involved in "A Gentle
nan from Mississippi" The play Is
s ssass as big as the amount involved,
except that that amount OF money is
not a laughing matter and the play
Is. SO is Thomas A Wise. who wrote
81 eaa starred in IL. The play has
bean PRESENTED here before at top
prices without the star and Miss La
Verne is now offering 1t at popular
prices. with the author and original
star, ard needless to say, the play
reduced under his personal direction.
Two times one is two, so except Tor
The fact that the press agent gets paid
by tie line, there would be no need TO
write further.
Mr.. Thomas A Wise never played
"a Gentleman from Mississippi be-
fore the crowned heads of Europe,
but ne has played 1t before practically
every crowned. uncrowned and to be
crowned head in the L. S. A. He
has letter from Colonel Theodore
Roorevelt in which three words stand
cut minently-''corking." ripping
and bully" and note from ex-
President Taft saying. II never laugh
cd so hard. / laughed till my sides
nched." without casting any asper-
stons by the latitude Of Professor
Tafts sides II might be remarked
that Tom Wise In the G. l.. NJ. created
quite a considerable ache, Woodrow
Wilson said the play was ''scrump-
ticus."
The story Of the play ts this~-Sena-
tor Langdon. the gentleman from
Mississippi. arrives in Washington,
senator. He is unencumbered except
for two ambitious and unsophisticated
daughters and a money mad son. Sen
ator LanGdon happens TO be disciple
OF Diogenes. and every one knows
,Diogenes didn't waste minute or a
match in Washington. not In the SEN
ate at any rate. But the gentleman
from Mississippi sticks around His
son and daughters pull against him.
Their ambition for position and money
eclipse the full moon of their fathers
honesty. He doesn't lack friends.
however, Young Bud Ha1nes and
Mrs. Spangler. a meretoriously merry
widow. get In harness with him, and
they pull under the wire far ahead
of the grafters The senator wins
not only the race, but the widow and
Eud captures second prize in the SEN
ator's daughter.
Thomas A. Wise will. Of course
rIay the senator. tho part he wrote
for and starred in himself. Lucille
La Verne. who aid the biggest bust
ness of the season as star of her own
company last week. will play the
widow. Percyval Aylmer will be seen
as Bud Haines. and Parke Patton as
the senator's daughter. Messrs.
Beane. Baifour. Conway and Ross fol-
low In the list of twenty-five char
acters called for by the play. Miss
Won Buelow and Miss Haber wifi be
seen to good advantage as will the
local thesptans, Herbert Curtis. Louis
Kracke, Nan Crawford and Louise
White.
LucfIle La Verne has done wonders
IN Richmond this spring. She has re-
turned with a company OF extra
ordinary merit; she has produced the
best plays available for stock and sic
haE offered some of the biggest stars
IN the country In "A Gentleman From
Mississippi" with Thomas A. Wise.
she will offer the treat of this theatrt-
cal season. She - Offering drst, a
play with a royalty too high TO- the
average stock company, and. second. a
star who has not appeared for many
years at less than two dollar prices
Mr.. Thomas A Wise and Lucille La
Verne are close personal friends Miss
la Verne Is giving MIR. Wise ons OF
the largest salaries ever paid sny
actor in stock. Mr.. Wssa at nrs- re-
fused to accept the proposition. pure
~ on the grounds Of friendship. hgur-
ing that Miss La vsrne coria not help
but lose money at the salary she Of
9ered him. Miss la Verne replied
that she knew Rich nonders and knew
that II she gave them THE Gentleman
From Mississippi" With Tom Wise.
supported by Lucille La Verne and
her company that the box Office would
swell to an extent that would prohibit
loss on her part Mr.. Wise came.
Judging from -hs advances sale Miss
La Verne did not cxaggerate the ap-
probation and loyalty OF the pub
lie
The management requests that You
reserve seats as far in advance al
possible for Mr.. Wise's engagement.
thus obriating the unpleasantness al
ways incurred when good seats can
not be secured on the day OF the per-
formance.
At the Empire.
All the good tabloids that have
toured the South having ended their
seasons. the Empire will tomorrow
resume its interrupted vaudeville