Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-02-11

and was told that Valli Valli was i'll.
Hastily she jumped into the latters
costume, went on and played the part,
and played it so well that she was
later given one good role after another
with the Frohman companies, alter
hating in musical comedy and straight
drama.
After leaving the F'ronman plays Miss
McComas appeared in what Happened
at Twenty-Five" THE Salamander" and
Inside the Lines until Joining Mr..
Belasco's company to create the role
Of the level-headed Anne Windsor in
Mr.. Megrue's comedy.
John Drew and FrOhman Stars.-A
paragrapher once remarked facetiously
that John Drew's company was the
Charles Frohman incubator for stars.
Facts seem to bear out this rather
whimsical statement. Maude Adams
first won for herself. a following which
has remained loyal ever since, while
leading woman with Mr.. Drew. Ethel
Barrymore first essayed speaking parts
in the company of Mr.. Drew. her uncle,
while Billie Burke stepped into stellar
honors from the post of leading woman
with Mr.. Drew. Martha Hedman, Mary
Roland, Alexandria Carlisle, Margaret
Dale. Margaret Ellington. Clara Blood
good, Elsie De Wolfe and numerous otn-
ers, with names as notable. at various
Drew companies.
New Poll Leading Man.-William
p. Carleton, new leading man OF
the Poll Players, began his ca
reer as a singer. He has baritone
voice and is what every singer Is not,
a good actor. He, began his stage ca
reer with Francis Wilson in a small
iD{ 10 lint then
by no means novice, for he grew up
practically In the profession. his father,
william T. Carleton, being the ceie-
brated opera singer. ....
Light opera and musical comedy
proved to be his forte. He acted and
sang y4fe roIe'of Harry Bronson in The
Belle of New York" for three years and
during the company's London run. He
followed that with two years in "Floro-
dora" and, after two years with Lulu
CHASER in "The Medal and the Maid"
came his longest engagement, four
yeas continuously as Blanche Ring 8
leading man in The Wall Street Girl
and 'The Yankee Girl
Some seasons ago. at the offer OF Jonn
Craig. he became leading man at the
Castle Square Theater, in Boston, ana
for the past five years has been resi-
dent of Boston.
Old Fayorites COming.-This week S
theatrical entertainment will bring
number of old friends back to the ma
tons capital. A single theatrical COM
pany scheduled for appearance at the
National Theater tomorrow evening in
cludes five of the most popular, as we'll
as the most famous, eX-members OF
Washington stock organizations.
Blanche Bates, who comes in Paul NJ.
Potter's new play, Eleven PM" made
her first big success east of the MIS-
souri, river as the leading woman of
Tim Frawley's stock company at the
Columbia Theater, in this city. This
organization, by the way, included
many famous players. One OF them
liam Healey, who created the role or
Little Billee in "Trilby." the greatest
dramatic success written by the author
of Eleven PM"
Wilton Lackaye. who Will play tne
opposite role to Miss Bates, is not only
"a native son, but has headed WASH
ington stock company. The fact Will be
recalled that during one of these stock
enpagementS in Washington Mr. Lack
ave revived "Trilby'' and had two lead
ing women for the title role. Hilda
Spong played Trilby to his SVengaill
the first half of the week and Char
lotte Walker impersonated the quar-.
tier Latin model the last three Gays OF
the engagement
Charles Hammond are three other
Washington stock favorites who VIII
have important roles IN MI. fotter
new play. Mr.. Castor was TOT many
Years the chief comedian of the stock
companies at the Columbia and Belasco
tbeaters. He played the comedy parts
in artistic revivalS of such FAMOUS
dramas as wheels Within Wheels"
"rhe pink Domino Joseph Entan-
7 iar
of the best known plays by Pinero.
Carlton and Henry Arthur Jones. 1t
vriIi he remembered that the casts for
these REVEALS included John Mason,
Gmv standing. William II. Crompton,
Charlotte Walker and Malcolm Doug
Ieffries Lewis began her Washington
stock engagements almost twenty
one of the principals of the Columbia
wear after year. Her COM
edv Characterization are as familiar
to Washington theatergoers as, Tor eS-
ample. the acting OF A. H. van bureh,
who was here last week III the title
role of "Ben-Hur.
Drama League for PrisOners-Blanche
Bates announces that as soon as her
professional theatrical activities will
allow she is going to start a dramatic
league for prisoners
"It's been a pet theory of mine" said
Miss Bates. who for all her rollickinS
good nature is Il deep student of hu-
n,auity. that if people could find q n
outlet for their primitive instincts
through dramatic play there would be
less criminals
owing to modern civilization, she
claims. the average human being eX-
presses only very small part OF MN
self These pent-up emotions and iTr
stincts often burst out, like a volcano,
and because they have been pent up
and misdirected they are perverted
and the result is criminals.
II haven't any idea how the matter
is going to be arranged with the prison
authorities but it's going to be man
aged somehow"
Don't Let the Band Play.-Rose Mel
willie. with isis Hopkins was to play
in small town in Pennsylvania, and
the house was sold out two days be-
fore her arrival. The theater was noted
l,a music IF ifs orchestra. an