Evening star., 1940-05-12

many Of the present organizations {
OF the dramatic clubs, the writ
stitute Dramatic Club and its hall, 6
The hall is especially remembered
when its was dance hall. conduct
ed for time by Harry Lydick and
Edward T. Dawson, and subsequent
ly by the latter only.
Mr.. Lydick was nice-looking
fellow and an unusually graceful
dancer; he married one of his
pupils, Miss Faunce, a very charm
ing girl. Dawson married Abbie E.
johnson and later Jennie Shomo
who assisted him in teaching, and
after her death a Mrs. Kohler
"Al" Moran's orchestra furnished
the music. "Al" playing the violin
with Ed. S. Gee at the piano. Ben
Madert played the slide trombone,
Andrew Lewis the cornet, Fritz
Kimmel the clarinet and Esputa
the drums. Moran is still living in
Washington, Gee passed away some
years ago, Ben Madert entered a
new field of professional activity,
Andrew Lewis Is dead and the
whereabouts of Fritz Kimmell is
uncertain. Once in q while, when
Gee did not show up to tickle the
ivories, Moran's sister, Clara-now
Mrs. Jonas Bernheimer-would play
the piano. though she was then
qnite . child.
About this same time e. Mortimer
Caruana-now among the missing
gave fancy dancing lessons IN this
hall and many will recall him rs
being an unusually clever dancer
and an excellent instructor, his May
dances always being of the best and
well attended. 1t is quite probable
that Minnie and May Hawke also
taught here for while.
Attended Dances.
After the lapse of so many years
It is hard to recall all, or even
some. of those who attended the
dances at Carroll Institute Hall, but
nevertheless here are few anyhow:
Mrs. Anna Gee and her sister, Miss
Todd; Mrs. Mary Vermillion, Miss
Florence BRIGHAM, Miss Furlong,
Milton Conolly, Miss Marie Gamble,
whose first husband was Harry
Wimsatt, and his sister Viola.
The Carroll Institute Dramatic
Club, which gave q number OF per-
formances in this old hall, and did
much of its rehearsing here as well,
was a noted amateur organization
with a reputation that is recalled
with real pleasure. Indeed, 1t did
not stop here, but played before
many distngslished audiences in the
leading theaters of the city. ana
many names now prominent IN our
business ana civic affairs graced
the play bills of this notable body
of amateurs, that not only became
famous locally, but throughout the
South as we'll.
The club was composed Of some
of Washington's brightest and best
known young men and women, who
included In their repertoire about
everything except grand opera.
Their minstrel performances were
of the best and it is interesting
to look back to 1895 to one OF these
entertainments and see who took
part In 1t and the songs they sang,
some of which have been entirely
forgotten. Phil E. Baer was the
interlocutor, Percy F. Leach Bones"
and william w. Cullison, George
n. O'Connor and Ben Judson alter
mated as "Tambo." George T. Cox
sang "Asthore," George H. O'Con-
nor, It'll Be True to My Honey
Boy; L. E. Kaiser, MY Pretty
irish Maid: Percy F. Leach. "Oh,
Uncle john; Charles Moore, Il Live
IN the Heart of the Storm; Will
Cullison, He Didn't Split the
Wood: Phil E. Baer, MARY My
Love-" and Ben Judson, Little
johnnie Fraser"
One Of the closing features was
. song and dance entitled "The
Wedding Of the Lily and the Rose," :"
which was interpreted by Messrs.
O'Connor and Leach In female at
tire, and Messrs. w. 8. Mccarthy
and Jasper as their escorts.
Origin Of Group.
This dramatic organization, which
was founded in 1893, grew out OF
the Lawrence Barrett Dramatic
Club, whose members did such ex-
cellent work that many drifted into
professional theatricals, thus de-
pleting that club to such an extent,
We are told, that it could scarcely
cast q play.
Selling the psychological oppor-
tunity for continuing the good work
performed by the Barrett Club,
Messrs. Edward j. Walsh, Percy
Leach and George H. O'Connor q
few years later, with the support Of
Carroll Institute, organized the Car
roll Institute Dramatic Club, the
original members Of which were:
Messrs. Walsh, Leach, OConnor,
Matthew F. Holloran, G. T. DAILY,
YUM .. MOA d1AS ~ 4AosAS SVShSA ,
John j. Nolan, John r. Pearson, Mrs.
Gay Robertson, Miss Helen Lackaye
and Miss Nora Cocker (now Mrs.
Bagnam). with Vincent Lynch as
stage director.
During the following season two
additional members were admitted
to the club, william 8. Mccarthy
and Miss Ante Hendrie. Soon
afterward, the membership was in
creased by the addition Of Felix
Mahony. A. T. Seaman, Miss Ann
Hathaway and Miss Theresa
MAchen.
From the beginning the club took
On very serious work, portraying
scenes from shakespeare's Julius
Caesar" Hamlet" Twelfth Night"
and "The Merchant Of Venice" later
following this up with the comedies
"still Waters Run Deep" and
Home" produced at the institute
hall, and David Garrick," presented
at the Lafayette Square Opera