The Washington times., 1914-08-02
SOMELEFT-OVERS FOR THE
THEATER OILERS
By GARDNER MACK.

The infaIlibIe sign of the opening OF
a new theatrical season has been given!
In two weeks time the amusement
world will plunge itself into another
forty weeks of dissipation, For weeks
the publicity promoters of the big pro-
ducers have been busy with their type
writers and flooding the malls with
prospectuses Of the greatest plays that
were ever produced. Every manager In
the business has such a play for the
coming season. Every actor and actress
promises the show of a lifetime. And
these promises and predictions, put into
writings of various lengths, have been
piling up on the dramatic editors desk
during the past month in bundles. Da-
berts, Charles Frohman, Klaw & Err
LANCER. oliver MOrosco-the whole crew
of them-have been crying neatly type
written warnings of the approaching
TO them. They could write what they
please and produce plays wh~ and
when they pleased, and the play patrons
would not turn from their summer
amusements. The wise ones awaited
another sigma surer sign-an INVA-
RIABLE sign. II has been given
Two weeks from tomorrow night the
burlesque season begins;
And that will start the ball rolling
The big men in the theatrical game
can roll uD tne1r sleeves ana 20 through
all the motions they care to-it makes
no difference to the real season. II is
not until the burlesque announcements
are made that things really begin. And
the burlesque announcements have been
made.
rhe season is on.
New York critics and newspapers are
SAYING many nice things these days
about our cid friend and fclloT-worker
aK,~
Theodore Friebus. jr.. who after threat
ening to do II many years. 10 u regular
actor. with his name at the head Of the
program in big type. Theodore ls one OF
the best-known leading men In the
stock business today. He Is a Wash
ingtonian in all that makes people con-
fess to that state Of mind.
Theodore Friebus father was a very
well-known citizen OF the District for
many years. He came here from Ger
many and set up his household.
Young Theodore went TO :he public
schools and was sent to Germany
10 acquire the learning that would make
him a great architect. When he re-
turned TO Washington the architecting
was not particularly good or here was
something else radically wrong about
il. for Theodore acquired a taste for sit
ting up late at night and writing pieces
for newspapers that became incurable.
He found a field for his newspaper
proclivities at various times on both the
morning papers that were then in eN-
istence. and even then insisted that he
was an actor. although he could never
get anv of his friends to believe II. That
Is probably because none Of his real
friends would ever go to see him act in
the many amateur productions he
staged durine these early days of MS
career. In spite Of these discourage
ments he kopt on and secured profess
sional eneaCements where he could. His
first appearance with a regular COM
pany took place at the Lafayette. low
the Belasco Theater. in the stock COM
panv of Walter Clark Bellows. He vas
the Juvenile lead Of that company, and
acquitted himself well. He then sever
ed his architectural and newspaper con-
nections and struck out boldly on the
stage. And he has made a brilliant
success.