Evening star., 1931-12-20

Warreal, Miss Broadhurst Mrs Oldmixon and
Miss Arnold The managers were also actors
The company played in Washington with great
reputation, but no proportionate pro.st' and
closed the season about September is. 1900"
BE washington Theater, designed by George
Hadfeid and which stood at the SOUTH
east corner Of Eleventh and streets was
first opened Friday, November Is, 1904 Its
successor is now known the President Thea
ter, but all old-timers recall the playhouse as
the Theater Comique, Kernan's Lyceum
The first building on this SITE OF which the
lot originally included 81 feet on street and
135 feet inches ON Eleventh street, was begun
In June 1893, the opening play being grand
medley entertainment by the celebrated Mr..
Maginnis from London, who has performed in
most of the capital cities of Europe and Amer
ica." Later plays here included wives as They
Were and Maids as They Are" and Ways and
Means or Trip to Dover" which sound some
what like the titles of the plays put on there
nearly century later by Jake Budd and his
contemporaries Williams and Eugene
Mas. They included: THE Two Tramps" The
Oyster Dealer" Big Foot Wallace" The Rail-
road War" "A Messenger From Alexandria"
"A Big Mistake" "A Practical Joke" Bill
Jones Cousin" and others with similar titles.
Here, as far back as l803 Joseph jefferson
grandfather Of the Joseph Jefferson of rip
Van Wrinkle" fame. played The Rivals" or "A
Ir1p to Bath" and. year after Francis Scott
Key wrote THE Star Spanged Banner" the
piece was sung here and was received with
tumultuous and unbounded applause" Shortly
afterWard, Gen. Andrew Jackson attended here
performance for the benefit of the poor and
in 1el9, President Monroe and his family wit
messed play here ard it is said to have been
the first time President attended Washing
ton playhouse. The theater was DESTROYED by
hre April 19, 1920, leaving standing only the
walls. In June, 1921, the site and some addi-
tonal ground were purchased by Lewis Carusi
and here Mr.. CaIusi built his Washington CITY
Assembly Rooms, generally known as Carusi's
Salon, where many Washington girls-now
venerable Wonen-learned to dance while cos
TUNED in hoop skirts and other handicaps to
the performing of the light fantastic
DR1OR to the Civil War, the Washington As
Sembly Rooms were engaged for the best
functions of the city, and here the elite gath
cred to dance at the inaugural balls of Presi-
dents John Quincy Adams, Martin Van Buren
James K. Polk, Zachary Taylor Franklin
Pierce and James Buchanan 1t was in Car,si's
salon that Baron Stackelburg had the distinc-
ton OF introducing here the waltz, which IL
still one OF our most popular dances
After the burning of the Washington Theater
new playhouse, which adopted the same name
was built on the south side of Louisiana avenue
'now Indiana avenue), little east of Sixth
street. Here on August g. 1921, its managers
warren and Wood, had their opening night IN
She Stoops to Conquer and The Spoiled
Child" and among the members of the COM
pany engaged by the managers to give it a sue
cessfM beginning We find such notables of tia
cay as Mr.: Warren, Mr.. and Mrs Wood, Nh.
and MIS- Francis, Mr.. and Mrs Jefferson. Mr.
and Mrs. H. Wallach MT. and Mrs. paiIev Mrr
Burke, Mrs. Lefolle, Miss Seymour Miss Hat.
well, Mr. Wheatley and Mr.. Hatwell
I was IN this Louisiana avenue house that
"Clari, Or the Mail of Milan" written hv
John Howard Payne, formerly of this thsaxer.
was presented on March 2s 1924 At this per.
1ormance, Mrs Warren sang Home, Sweet
Home to great applause" Eleven years later
we md "Clari" again appearing at this theater.
tfls time as part of the repertoire of Mrs
Richardson, late Mrs. S. Chapman" The opera
py this time seems to have been dramatized as
IL la referred to as an Interesting drama in
three acts" Mrs. Richardson rnop +b;e ro,,