The Washington times., 1915-03-31
BURLESQUE TROUPE
ON NHONEYMOON TOUR
Gus Fay, Star Comedian, Is
Afraid Cupid Will Break Up
His Whole Outfit.
BY GARDNER MACK.

Dy uhNDINCN MANN
The ides of March. which we're sup
posed to be the pet jinx OF the late Mr..
julius Caesar, had nothing on the pro-
spective brides of April, May, and June
when 1t comes to spreading black clouds
OF gloom in a certain section OF the
theatrical world which happens to have
foregathered in the District of Column
bia for the amusement OF the citizens
thereof this week. The prospective
brides of April, May, and June respon-
sible for this condition Of affairs are
all the more omnous because they have
been keeping their prospects secret.
But Gus Fay, the comedian. who is
very gay on the stage Of the Gayety
Theater this week, looks suspiciously
behind every side set and drop when
ever he comes off the stage, for fear
some one of them will pop out at him.
One Of the reasons for this happened
yesterday, and seven others happened
during the months Of October. Novem-
ber, December, January, and February.
Cupid has been causing serious trou-
BILE with the Gaiety Girls company over
which the fun-makins genius OF ray
presides. The little god is supposed to
do all sorts of execution on the stage
during a performance, but behind the
scenes there has heretofore been an
understanding that he only had a think
ing part.
Cupid Violated Rules.
That is how IL is happened that Gu
pid is keeping Fay guessing-he's V1o-
lated the rules of the game. Judging
from the performances that have so
far been given by the company. no one
would suspect the true condition Of
affairs. But happening yesterday
afternoon brought out the fact that
you can't Judge even a burlesque com
peny solely by performances. Fay
walked off the stage during the matinee
performance and discovered Vesta Le-
were, one Of the prettiest of the chorus
Arthur Heller. When they saw Fay
they blushed.
Fay broke down and wept. He knew
exactly what was about to happen:
Miss Levere and Heller announced
their engagement and forthcoming mar
riage right then and there. That makes
exactly eight engagements or marriages
that have occurred within the ranks
Of the Gaiety Girls company since the
oeason commenced. Fay looked over
his dressing-room. He had no SATIRE,
comment to make, because Fay started
all the trouble himself.
He set the pace for the marriage
game that has been going on ever
since the company started on the
road by picking out a bride for him
Ael&. And others have simply fol-
lowed his lead. IT was early in the
season. Just after the company was
organized for the present tour. that
Fay came to the theater smilingly
one morning and annouced that he
and Ina Hayward. one of the pretty
Hayward sisters. had Just been mar
risd.
ceived the happy pair with great cor
diality and Maud Hayward, the sister
remaining single. gave a big dinner
party in honor of the wedding. Within
a very few weeks Ze1la Ruesell. the
pianist, came blushing to the theater
FOR q matinee performance on the
arm Of Harry Morton. the other come
dian. They. too. had just been mar
ried.
Then 1t Struck Chorus.
There was another party and more
rejoicing and the honeymooning burles-
que show went along swimmingly for a
short time until a bomb was thrown
into the beauty chorus by the announce
ment by Irene Wilson that she intended
retiring from the stage after that week
to become the bride of James Moulton.
Of Newark. Hardly had the smoke
cleared away when Margaret Lavann.
another of the particularly pretty girls,
a stranger whom she introduced as
Frank Mcclure, her newly acquired hus-
band And she retired from the show.
Then Mae Lenoir, another of the pret-
ty girls, married Arthur Phillips, also
retiring from the show. Fay began to
tremble every time he saw a girl come
into the theater with a man. The ne xt
marriage to take place was that of Mn
ME Phillips and Frank Lannig, both
members Of the company. Then came
the announcement of Maude Fisher that
she was to be married Easter week to
Jack Lancaster. an outsider. And yes
terday Veste Levere and Arthur Heller
spoke their little piece to the star.
Fay don't know what's going to hap
pen next. There are a number of girls
left in the show, of course. But there
are not enough unmarried men with the
company to acquire them as wives SC
that they can remain. With the execu.
ton that Cupid has done during the past
months before him, Fay doesn't see how
the company is going to get through the
remaining weeks of the season May
and June, he says are the biggest
months of the year for brides, and the
Gaiety Girls company is booked all the
way into July.
The worst of it is that Fay feels that
he started it all himself and that he
hasn't the ghost of kick coming!