Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-03-12
'AssINe SHOW '5EIAsD
Princess Tra-la-la,' are termed comic
operas"

Princess Tra-la-la,' are termed comic
operas"
Art Webs Him to Skirts.-George
Monroe, who makes his first appear
ance in The Passing Show of 1915 as
Frailty, distributing young onions
to the chorus girls. first went on the
stage as boy in Philadelphia.
| For many years he and a group of
| playmates conducted a boys theater,
which was rather grandiloquently call
ed THE Dukes Palace" 1t was in
basement on 9th avenue, and the price
| of admission was cents. The seating
capacity was seventy-two. The roper
| toire included everything under the
Toms Cabin with Under the Gas
Lamps in between. Every time new
production was made at the Forrest
Theater, now the Chestnut street Thea,
ter, the boys company would close and
the members would occupy seats in the
gallery. The next night the youngsters
would duplicate the performance from
memory. Mr.. Monroe was the leading
man.
His first histrionic appearance outside
of The Dukes Palace" was at church
affairs. At these entertainments ne ana
his brother presented what was then
sketch" His brother played an Irish
lwoman in this sketch One night the
Platter was taken Ill. and George called
| in a volunteer to assist him. The vol
unteer weakened at the thought OF the
female impersonation. and Mr.. Monroe
played his brothers role, giving the
substitute his own. His success was al
most instantaneous, and when ne went
into variety the following year ne
diences. Since that time he has been
inseparabIy connected with skirts, al
though he is keen to get away from
them.
.Tye been trying to convince man
ayers for years that 1 play good
Irish male character part and that l
can get as much fun out or II as 90
out of my female representations" he
said the other day. but they WONT
recognize me on the stage without
skirts. 1 don't agree with them. but /
| can't convince them to the contrary;
| The last important male role whlch
Mr. Monroe played. by the way, was no
less a part than that of the choleric
and peppery Sir Anthony Absolute in
special series of performances OF The
Rivals given by an all-star cast lot
the benefit of a New York charity about
ten years ago. The Bob Acres of the
cast was William Collier. and the Sir
Lucius OTrigger was Andrew Mack
! Some Child Prodigies. - Mariiynn
| MilIers hit in THE Passing Show of
| 1915" has obliterated one of the most
reverent axioms of the drama, that "a
child prodigy rarely or never develops
| into a high-class performer"
Miss Miller was sixteen years old the
LIST of last September and her success
as a dancer began when she was Tour
years old
Come to think Of it, almost every one
| of the great dancers and actresses or
the past were started early
| Ellen Terry, the foremost of English
actresses. walked from the nursery
into the glare OF the footlign.ds' n ana
appreciation and applause. would
appear. then. that there was literal
truth in the assertion OF Miss Terry r
| line she ever spoke on the stage"
Mrs. Fiske was on the stage at nine,
first in the Havelin Dramatic Company
! and later with her father, Thomas
! Davis Company. Even as a child Mrs.
| Fiske was looked upon as being
genius"
was taken out of school to appear in
| the title role of "Esmeralda," and won
instant success Miss Allen was lead
teen.
Maude Adams like Miss Terry and
| others, spent her childhood upon the
stage. and their very earliest efforts
were marked with distinction.
Julia Marlowe. under the name of
Fanny Brough. was member of the
Mites 3uNtHlic tOIHpduyb anu
| later with the Josephine Riley Comedy
| Company before she was twelve years
old.
! Fay Templeton. when in her ninth
/ year made great hit singing a song,
Love. Love What Is Love-"
! Marilynn Miller, with all the fresh
/ ness OF youth and exuberance, has
that cIeverness which comes of early
experience. The day may come. how
ever, when ii will be necessary for her
TO live down the fact that she was once
a child prodigy.