The Washington times., 1917-02-11
NATIONAL OFFERING
INTERESTING TO D. c.
WashingtOnians and Near
Washingtonians Are Men,
berS of Company.
ARE OLD FAVoRITES HERE
Lackaye, Hickman, Blanche
Bates, Jeffries Lewis, CASTOR,
and Hammond in Cast.

The new production, Eleven P.
A." which comes to the National The
ater this week, is SO full of unusual
and important theatrical features OF
interest to people in this city that
1t is impossible to pass It by with
the usual reading notice alone.
And incidentally The less mira
tions" we make about it the more
room there will be for actual facts.
Paul NJ. Potter, author of Eleven
P. NJ" is best known throughout the
world as the man who dramatized
Du Maurier's "Trilby." Two impor-
tant roles in "Trilby" were played by
Wilton Lackaye, a Washingtonian,
who created the part of Svengali, and
William Hickman, an associate OF
Blanche Bates in a wonderfully popu-
lar stock company at the Columbia
Theater, who created the role OF Lit
tie Billee. Both of these, and Blanche
Bates, appear in Eleven P. NJ
Played at Columbia.
Blanche Bates made her start on
the stage in California in stock. She
was introduced to washingtonians as
the leading woman Of the Tim Fraw-
ley Stock Company, at the Columbia
Theater, where she played Cigarette
in Under Two Flags" and numerous
other picturesque roles.
Her popularity here was SO great
that David Belasco selected Washing
ton for the premiere performance of
The Darling OF the Gods" in which
she was starred
George Arliss played the role OF
the Japanese prime minister in this
1F De aat
supporting company.
Then Miss Bates opened here again in
The Girl Of the Golden West"
Wilton Lackaye. besides being a Wash
ingtonian with brothers and sisters right
in town this minute. has. like Miss
Bates, headed a Washington stock COM
pany.
Don't forget his engagement at the
Columbia when he had two leading wo-
men. Charlotte Walker and Hilda Spong.
Remember. also. that his first big hit
and the role that established him as a
star. was in 'Trilby." the play written
by Potter, author of Eleven P. NJ"
There are three other Washington fav-
orites in the supporting cast. >Jeffries
Lewis played in stock here year after
year at the Columbia. She had the
principal feminine character and comedy
roles in long list OF plays revived III
. Washington by the Columbia and other
stock companies often ~
Has Played In New York.
OF course. Miss Lewis has played big
roles in numerous New York productions
in recent years. George Gaston's quaint
comedy characters stood out at the CO.
lumbia even in the stock productions
which had John Mason. Guy Standing,
Charlotte Walker. Joseph Wheelock. Jr..
and other famous players in important
roles.
George created the leading comedy
role in the original production OF The
Witching Hour" with John Mason and
has visited Washington repeatedly in
important productions.
Another FayOrite Here.
Charles Hammond is another Wash
ington favorite. He is an Austrian and
made his first American hit here at
the Belasco Theater in stock before he
became established on the New York
stage. He played an engagement here
with Edwin Arden and others. He play
ed leading role for Henry Miller in
The Rainbow" and was Ethel Barry
more's leading man for several seasons.
Seven Chances" one of the latest
Belasco successes which opens its
weeks engagement at the Belasco
Theater tomorrow evening, opened
here last season under the title of "A
Lucky Fellow" At that time Mr. Be
lascO was I'm search of a more appro-
pirate name for the piece, and SO he
offered a prize TO any member of the
company who turned in the winning
title.
Seven Chances" was chosen.