Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-09-04

Theater, the first theater In
Washington, the Oldest thea
i ter in Washington. You may
have it in memory as the
Washington, the Comique and ker-
mans 1t remains theater-the
President. 1t has been made over
more than once, but much of the site
is the same. and part of the wall on c
and Eleventh streets may be that
which was built in 1904.
In the ran.ble before this you could
have read how the theater was begun.
The Rambler borrowed the account
from Early Washington Theaters,
written by his good old friend. A. l.
Mudd. Mr.. Mudd's story is in the
records of the Columbia Historical So
cietv. 1t will be convenient for me
and informative to you to turn to Mr..
Mudd's story where we left 1t in the
preceding ramble.
Mr.. Mudd:
1.-The theater was not reopened until
the fall of 1905. The regular dramatic
season began Monday. September 3,
1905. the Philadelphia Co. opening
s-ith wives AS They Were and Maids
AS They Are and the farce Ways
and Means; or, A Trip to Dover. The
prices of admission were: Boxes, 81.
and pit, three-quarters of a dollar. Ins
those days the pit was on the first
floor, where the orchestra chairs are
now located, and was for the use of
the people now classed as gallery
gods and who patronize the top gal
lery. The doors were opened at and
the performance commenced at
o'clock. The performance took place
three times week, an occasionally an
hoy
given Mr.. HARDWOOD September Is, be-
ing the only remuneration for his per-
formances.' and on that occasion the
celebrated comedy, The School for
Scandal written by Richard Brinsley
Sheridan, was presented for the first
time in Washington. The cast for
that evening was as follows:
Sir Peter Teazle, Mr.. Hopkins; Sir
Oliver Surface, Mr.. Clarke; Joseph
Surface, Mr.. Poe: Charles. Mr.. Green;
Crabtree, Mr.. HARDWOOD: Sir Benjamin
Eackbite, Mr.. Claude; Rowley, Mr..
Bignall: Careless with song), Mr..
Conner; Moses, Mr.. Wilmot: Trip, Mr..
Briers; Smoke, Mr.. Martin; Lady
Teazle. Mrs. Wilmot: Mar!s. Mrs.
QSeen; Lady Sneerwell, Mrs. Claude,
and Mrs. Candor, Mrs. Bignal.
1.-The theater closed October uptil
%, the season ending December 81.
It was again opened November II,
1906. by Mr.. Manfredi and his COM
pany, consisting of five persons-three
ladies and two gentlemen. The per-
formers were tight-rope dancers and
tumhlers. Among the acts performed
were throwing SomersaultS backwards
ead forwards, over tables and chairs,
a-d Nine. Manfred partook of a COLA
ton on the tight.rope seated at a
table. The Manfred Co. gave its last
performance January /, 1907, and the
theater remained closed until April 4,
1908, when a performance was given
by amateurs.
1.-The season of 1903 was begun Sep
TENDER by the Philadelphia and Bal
timore Co. with The Rivals; or, A
Trip to Bath in which Mr.. Joseph
Jefferson. the grandfather of the pres
ent joe played Bob Acres; Mr.. War
rem, Sir Anthony Absolute; Mrs. Fran
els. Mrs. Malaprop; Mrs. Jefferson,
Julia, and Mrs. Wilmot, Lydia Lam
guist. The length Of the season was
but nine nights, and the company,
which contained number of persons
who afterward became well known
and famous players, was composed Of
Mr.. Warren, Mr.. and Mrs. Jefferson,
Mr.. and Mrs. Francis, Mr.. and Mrs.
Seymour, Mr.. and Mrs. Wilnot, Mr..
Harris. Mr.. Blissett, Mr.. Briers, Mr..
Cross, Mr.. Mckenzie. Mr.. Cone, Mr..
Bray, Mr.. Miller, Mr.. Charnock, Mr..
Jacobs and Miss Hunt. John Howard
Payne was afterward a member Of the
company.
The same company played from
June Is to August z. 1909. and the
theater remained closed during the