Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-05-18

mates, Is sturdy Scot from Glasgow
who, to escape the rigidity of eccle-
siastic intentions formulated by fond
but orthodox parents. adopted the
stage instead of the pulpit as a pro.
fession.
In the half century that this fine
artist has been before the public he
has played over 1900 parts. He has
created nearly eighty characterize
tons, in such plays as The Little
the Wind" '"The Girl 1 Left Behind
Me- Under the Polar Star" "The
Bishop" The Royal Family" Money
Talks" and score of others. and he
has been identified with stock com
panies for over twenty years. fourteen
of which he spent in New York city,
affiliated with Wallack's, Days and
the Empire Theater companies.
In 1S7S1879 he was a member OF
the then famous Holiday Street Stock
Company, Baltimore, associated with
Mr.. and Mrs. Albaugh and Ada Rehan
who supported the leading stars, OF
that time. =
Mr.. Thompson is one of the very
few pillars of the drama who have
grown gracefully into maturity. as
alert today as he was twenty five
years ago, a player of distinction and
virility.
An chronological Drama.-Booth
Harrington is the author of Clarence"
the fourth of the series of entirely new
plays to have their first presentation any
where. by George c. Tyler's special COM
pany here in June. Previous announce
ments set forth that the play was by
distinguished literary celebrity
because of desire of Mr.. Harrington
to remain in the background until
after the first metropolitan produce
ton of the comedy. Mr.. Tyler. how
ever, has just persuaded him to per-
nit the use of his name.
own words Contained in a letter
which he wrote last week.. has a
principal man who has to learn the
saxaphone to play to beetles to see
if they have ears" This, he admits,
demonstrates that the comedy is "a
somewhat eccentric piece. to say the
least" 1t is totally unlike anything
he has ever written before.
The comedy was written around the
personality of a young actor named
Alfred Lunt who will be remembered
as the impersonator of the double
distilled snob in THE Country
Cousin" The Tarkington-Street com
edy. Mr.. Lunt will be featured in II
on Broadway next season. and is a
potential Tyler star. The company
| the past two weeks rehearsing the
| first three plays to be presented, and
! these rehearSalss will contn niue up tc
| the first performance of ''On the
| Hiring Line" the opening comedy
! Frederick Stanhope, one of the best
known stage directors in this coun-
! try, has undertaken the task OF
| staging all of the plays.
| Cressy In France.-Will NJ. Cressy
| was with the first American actors to &C
to France in answer to Gen. Per
shing's appeal to bring American
amusement and entertainment to the
American troops. The Cressy Play
| ers for five months played entirely
! for troops just back from the front
lines and trenches. on six and eight
| days leave. The simple, straight
| forward Greasy humor is credited with
/ having pleased the soldier taste where
| far more ostentatiouS effort failed. A
| list of anecdotes and "reminiscences
that Mr.. Greasy brings back are de-
| Scribed as even more entertaining
| than his rural characterization. which
| has become vaudeville classic.
| Henri de Vreis.-Henri de Vries woT
renown for his performance of sever
| different roles in play called "a
I Ease VI aTSOf Eminent cTlllCs
! abroad and in New York praised moi
! only his skill in changes and make
up, but his art in differentiating the
characters in mentality as well as il
| appearance. Inability to secure {
play suitable to his distinctive skill
has kept him off the stage for mum
Der of years. His return is dramatic
event of some moment.
Recently he made this reply to a re
quest for information about himself
My family for four generation.
| Roosevelt, but j adopted profession
ally my mothers family. l took III
different characters through an acci
dent. | was playing a good father IL
IA piece written by Herman Heyer
mans. The actor VI no played the 'bat
1ather Was taken III. ! was producing