Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-02-13
THE THEATRE IN WARTIME
4 Little Backward Glance az Conditions
During the Rebellion

TF YOC own an encyclopedia, whatever
L one (; may happen 70 te. you have doubt
less discovered how ircor~-'Ate and u~sa,ls.
factory +. e vh=~ y-l seek ..,Gr.-a..ca upon
some sGh.er; which i; l. supposed . cover
.tu'ohirg-a hes a~a even yg0rs4
Eaoa-'iy va assigned CURSE. re 'av': rs
writing sn7~: a-'.-.e u0or "Thea.-es n
Wa-'.us" v...r -a--.rgla- reference 20 tie
d :3e-,'.es which Nass: the a0Tse-,e-t Houses
In tbs town d.-r- ;le Civil War The
tha, tine were NJ. AID Mrs John Drew
and their associates a. the Arch stree: Thea
ire. - Ne ,ur.al ~ the "Au,-b:or-aohy d,
Mrs. John Drew THIS f. al! we got:
In 1850 8, was -r1-osei by the s.oe';-
holders ot tie Arch hat ! should assume
The rnauagemec:. ard IN l'5l the theatre
was opened as Mrs. John D-s.y's Arch
Street Theatre. \ god deal was done 10
beauty the 'thea,rs. !, was a hard sea-
son 70 meet borrowed money every
week 70 meet 'he salaries The
mex. season e.. o- rather better
and We o,--ed the '1.-d season with tie
Elchings Opera Company. WallacE.
Davenport Edwin Booth and a number o.,
the best Stars acted here. and IL was a
very fine seas11. enabling re - pay back
all the money had borrowed for the .:rs:,
which gave ne g-ea: joy in the doing.
Here are -or4 os the details that would be
Interesting % 4 later generation. bu; the IN.
ylftic.sn. chronicle shows, a, least that the
effect of war upon attendance az the theatre
was much tie sane then "a ve have been
experiencing In this world war--a period ot
depression f-l,oved ~ one O: Increased ac-
tiv''y and prosperity.
The G.s...s1tzred son - this dlst!ngv'shei
actress happening into town a. the moment.
ve called upon m ard afsronted him with
the suggestion that lie nigh; with personal
"reminiscences smu.ty his good mothers TOO
brief chronicle lie Is a genial. good scout
and f0-gaye our ir-rIta'Cu Of age 70 him:
and well he nj gh' f)r we have always loved
John Drew. no. only because ct the many
hours u Gel'gh: his acting has afforded u
bv, because he played oTpos te ;c our god
Gc,s Ada RcEau, when he was twenty and
she was seventeen. - Cupid. and all ye l.ttle
pln}; s,d~ Of love and youth, think Of that!
Il, this .s al We got from him:
,.Whau mother wa managing the Arch
s.re., Theatre during the Civl War wasn't
J1tuerlrr ny head much about tie stage
or anything c.se T.. that matter. | have no
very vivid recollection Of those stirring
times, but 90 recall ms uncle, Colonel Ed
Drew marching through the streets Of Phila-
delrhla at the head Of Berdan's Shsrpsnoot-
ers from Buffalo. on the way 10 the South
II was then attending school at the Ep.s
coral Academy. and | remember now, With
something OF shame for my boyish thought
lsSsnegs hcw enviOus was OF the other boys
ubo uresented themselves In the classroom
wearing badges Of mourning for some rela.
tiy. who had made the supreme sacrifice.
One morning when came down 10 breakfast
1 found my mother and grandmother in
tears Mother was reading a letter which
toId OF the death In battle of Uncle Ed I
rot me a piece CT mourning and beat il for
school, trailing a cloud Of dust behind me-"
Mrs. John Drew. the younger. has in her
ansrtments in the Ritz-Carlton at this mo-
ment two Interesting old photographs One
shows the elder Mrs. Drew In crinoline full
dress such as she wore In the Civil War
days: the other is a picture Of young John
In the gray and black cadet uniform which
Youngsters delighted In then. His legs are
| encased In white galters halfway to the
knee his belt has an eagle buckle and he
carries a tiny gun. The actress mother, IL so
| happens, has one arm extended and this fact
| nut an idea into her daughter r-in-law's head
| She has ntted the picture Of young John in
under the extended hand and above the two
here's my boy" 7. - y.