Evening Star Newspaper, March 2, 1930, Page 92

THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, MARCH 2 1930. ————— Old Carroll Institute Hall and Its Plays BY JOHN CLAGETT PROCTOR. URING the recent cold, Winter days, the writer found it quite to his lik- ing to sit in his warm home at night and dream over the many pleasant experiences of years gone by; of the old friends, some still with us, some living in other cities, whom we might some day see again, while others, alas! have gone forever, never to return, but with whom we have spent many an enjoyable evening well worth remembering. Of course, all ages have their pleasures, and no doubt the greatest pleasure, to those whose hair is whitened with age, is the recalling of the happy distant past before the cares of life had stooped their shoulders ard wrinkled their brows. Carroll Institute Dramatic Club and Carroll Institute Hall, at 920 Tenth street northwest, have in common found memories for a host of ‘Washingtonians, now around middle age, who patronized one or the other. A large number of old Washingtonians, no doubt, will recall the many happy evenings spent in this popu- Jar hall dancing the polka, the military schot- tische, the quadrille and the lancers, years and years before the one-step and fox-trot, and, of course, they will remember the masquerade balls which were occasional and special events. Harry Lydick and Ed. Davison, the writer's cousin, for several years conducted a dancing gchool there, Davison later running the school by himself. Harry Lydick was a nice-lcoking fellow and & fine dancer; he married a Miss Faunce, a very charming girl who used to attend the dancing school. Davison soon followed suit, and married a Miss Jennie Shomo, who died a few years later. His brothers, “Sam” and “Rob,” used to assist in teaching when their services were needed. “Ed” is still teaching. The weather conditions then made slight dif- ference in the attendance. The same old faces and the same old crowd could usually be seen, no matter how hard it rained or how cold it was, nor would 10 inches of snow reduce the attendance to any perceptible degree, and though 35 or 40 years ago places the period before the automobile, yet no one objected then to riding 5 or 10 miles or more in a blizzard in a street car, if necessary, to have a real night of dancing with—as James Whitcomb Riley would probably say—“That Old Sweet- heart of Mine,” or perhaps who afterward be- came $o. “Al” Moran's orchestra then furnished- the music, “Al” playing the violin, with Ed. S. - Gee at the piano; Ben. Madert playing the slide trombone; Andrew Lewis, the cornet; Fritz Kimmell, the clarionet, and ‘the drum- mer’s name has slipped my memory. *“Al” Moran has five sons now who form a band all to themselves; Gee has passed away; Ben Madert has entered a new field of professional activity; Andrew Lewis died a few years ago, and just what Fritz is doing the writer does not know. Once in a while, when Gee did not show up, Moran’s sister, Clara—now Mrs. Jonas Bernheimer—would play the piano, though she was then quite a child. 3 About this same time E. Mortimer Caruana— now among the missing—gave fancy-dancing lessons in this hall, and many will recall him as being an unusually clever dancer and an excellent instructor, and his May balls, as al- ways, being of the best and well attended. It is quite probable that Minnie and May Hawke also taught here for awhile. FTER the lapse of so many years, it is hard to recall all or even some of those who at- tended the dances at Carroll Institute Hall, but, nevertheless, here are a few anyhow: Mrs, Anna Gee and her sister, Miss Todd; Mrs. Mary Veérmillion, Miss Florence Bridgham, Miss Fur- long, Milton Conolly, Miss Marie Gamble, Harry Wimsatt and his sister Viola. Miss Gamble married Harry Wimsatt, and maybe you will recall that she went to New York, Jjoined the Floradora Sextet, made a fortune in a day or two on Wall street, left the stage, divorced her husband and married Freddie Gebhart, a sporting man, who paid considerable attention to Lillie Langtry when she first came to this country. Gebhart died a few years ago, and the last the writer heard of Mrs. Gebhart she was living on a beautiful villa site some- where near Washington. The Carroll Institute Dramatic Club, which gave a number of performances in this old hall, and did much of its rehearsing here as well, was a noted amateur organization with a repu- tation that is recalled with real pleasure. In- deed, it did not stop here, but played before many distinguished audiences in the leading theaters of the city, and many names now prominent in our business and civic affairs graced the play bills of this notable body of amateurs, that not only became famous locally but throughout the South as well. The club was composed of some of Washing- ton’s brightest and best-known young men and women, who included in their repertoire about everything except grand opéra. Their minstrel Jocutor, Percy F. Leach “Bones”; ‘W. Cullison, George H. O’Connor and Ben son alternated as “Tambo.” George T. sang “Asthore,” George H. O'Connor, “I'll Be True to My Honey Boy”; L. E. Kaiser, Pretty Irish Maid”; Percy P. Leach, “Oh, John' ; Charles Moore, “I Live in the Heart the “: ™m"; the Wood™; Dramatic Club Held Commanding Position in Life of Washington—Its Patrons and * Patronesses Included Many Distinguished Names—Roster Suffered From Demands of the Stage— Those Who Entered Business and the Professions. Left to right: George O’Connor, William S. McCarthy and Percy F. Leach, well known actors of the Carroll Institute Dramatic Club. Tms dramatic organization, which was founded in 1893, grew out of the Lawrence Barrett Dramatic Club, whose members did such excellent work that many drifted into professional theatricals, thus depleting that club - to such an extent, we are told, that it could scarcely cast a play. Seizing the psychological opportunity for continuing the good work performed by the Barrett Club, Messrs.. Edward J. Walsh, Percy Leach and George H. O'Connor a few years later, with the support of Carroll Institute, organized the Carroll Institute Dramatic Club, the original members of which were: Messrs. Edward J. Walsh, Percy F. Leach, George H. O’Connor, Matthew F. Halloran, C. T. Daly, John 8. Moran, J. Travis Cocker, John J. Nolan, John F. Pearson, Mrs. Gay Robertson, Miss Helen Lackaye and Miss Nora Cocker, , with Vincent Lynch as stage director. During the following season two additional members were admitted to the club, Willlam 8. McCarthy and Miss Anite Hendrie. Soon after- ward, the membership was increased by the addition of Felix Mahony, A. T. Seaman, Miss Anna Hathaway and Miss Theresa Machen. From the beginning the club took on very serious work, portraying scenes from Shake- speare’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,” pre- sented at the Lafayette Square Opera House, with “Barbara,” & dainty little sketch, as a cur- tain raiser. Percy Winter was then directing the stage According to an account printed in The Star in 1897, the club also had its troubles the pre- vious year, as had its predecessor, the Lawrence Barrett Club, because during that year “three of the members went into the ranks of the profession, Miss Hendrie with Frank Collyer, Miss Ann Hathaway with Augustin Daly and Travis Coeker,” this loss being somewhat offset by the introduction of two new members, Miss Alice K. Irwin and Miss Irene Rowland. “A Night Off” was then produced by the club with success, permission to use the play being given by Augustin Daly, who seems to have taken a fatherly interest in the Wash- ington amateurs. About this time, because of the growing im- portance and needs of ‘the club, a reorganiza- tion was had, and Edward J. Walsh was made president; W. 8. McCarthy, stage manager; Mr, O'Laughlin, business manager, and Theodore Friebus, jr., director, and the following addi- tional regular members: George H. O’Connor, A. T. Seaman, J. J. Nolan, William Conley, Miss Nora Cocker, Ann Hathaway, Nellie Lack- aye, Alice Irwin, A. P. Evans and Irene Roland. URING the many years the Carroll In- stitute Dramatic Club functioned as an von Ketteler, and numerous dis- tinguished diplomats witnessed the performance from the orchestra circle. For the double bill of “Barbara” Co- lumbia in May, 1897, the following list of im- portant patronesses was published: Mrs. Hoar, Mrs. Vincent, Mrs. Philip N. Sheri- dan, Mrs. A. P. Gorman, Mrs. Cushman K. Davis. Mrs. J. K. Jones, Mrs. T. C. Cat~hings, Miss Whelan, Mrs. Hearst, Mrs. Thomas ' rter, the Misses Roach, Mrs. Josiah Pierce, 2"t W C Robinson, Mrs. Manriga F. Toan, M ert Hinckley, Mrs. Paul Hasley, Mrs. J. L. Jordan, Mrs. Ramsay, Mrs. Brewer, Mrs, Brown, Mrs. Peckham, Mrs. Elkins, Mrs. J. B. Henderson, Mrs. Bland, Mrs. Murphy, Mrs. Stephen M. White, Mrs. A. A. Wilson, Mrs. R. C. Kerens, Mrs. F. Page Robinson, Mrs. Marie Redfern, Mrs. Faulkner, Mrs. A. S. Reid, Mrs. J. B. Mann, the Misses Riggs, Mrs. M. B. Morse, Mrs. Thomas Waggaman, Mrs. Boardman, Mme. Patenotre, Baroness von Thielman, Bar- oness Hengelmuller and Miss Andrade. Some of the other plays put on by this note able club included: “A Bonnet for My Wife,” the comedy-drama “Rosedale,” by Lester Wal- lack; “1871,” as used by E. M. Holland; “His Wife's Proxy,” by Alfred A. Smith; “My Uncle’s Wiil,” “At the Hearth,” “Alabama,” Augustus Thomas® beautiful Southern play, given at the Lafayette; “One Touch of Nature,” “Mr. and Mrs. Peter White” and Gillette’s “Secret Serve ice,” also performed at the Lafayette Theater. One of the things that proved particularly interesting to the writer as he was studying the activities of the old club was the familiar old songs they sang around 35 years ago, for in its minstrel shows quite a number of popular songs were used. Maybe you will remember some of these, especially if you were old enough then to join in the chorus of “Sweet Adaline.” Here they are, hum them over: “I Don't Want to Play in Your Yard,” “Ah, Mourner,” “My Mother Was a Lady,” “Maggie My Own,” “The Blow Almost Killed® Father,” “One Heart Die vine,” “My Angelife,” “Don't Be Cross,” “Chimes of Trinity,” “On the Banks of the Wabash,” “My Coal Black Lady,” “Sally Warner,” “I Love You in the Same Old Way,” “She Was Bred in Old Kentucky,” “Mr. Johne son Don't Get Gay,” and, of course, George O'Connor sang and is still singing: “I Don't Like No Cheap Man,” “My Gal Is a High-Born Lady” and “That Ain’t No Lie.” ONEotthethlnameclubsoontoundslmos indispensable was an orchestra, ‘and Sol Minster was secured as director. The first vio= lins were Herman Bredekamp, Theodore Urban, Ernest A. Levy, B. Reichman, D. M. Gatti, L. F. von Wimpffin; second violins, William S. McCarthy, M. Hanlein, Alfred B. Gawler; viola, N. D. Adams, W. D. Hadger; ’cello, William F. Doyle, Paul Finckel; bass, B. J. Iseman, W. C, Brown; flutes, F. L. Joannini, A. J. Gill; clari= net, T. . Taylor; piccolo, F. A. Berry; cornets, Dr. W. E. Dieffenderfer, William H. Lepley; trombones, Charles H. Henney, W. J. C. O'Brien; drum, Isaac Scott. To the writer's way of thinking one of the best shows the club ever put on was a two-act burlesue with four scenes, called the “Hula Girl,” the words and music of which were writ- ten by the Harris brothers—W. H. and A. P, two Washington boys-—and enacted at the Co- lumbia Theater. The writer happened to know the Harris brothers and heard the incidental music to this burlesue rehearsed at his own home upon more than one occasion, and saw some of the parts even acted out there as well, especially the dance given by F. R. Dooley, later well known in banking circles here. It was as clever a burlesque and the music was as tuneful as many of the best pieces that came here, and the wonder is that it was not taken up by some theatrical producer and put on the road. As it was, it ran here during the entire week of September 12, 1898. It had quite a large cast for an amateur pro- duction, and included the following: “Lily-0= Killarney, queen of the Sandwich Isles (green by name but black by nature), Mr. James Cathell; Princess Koylani, heiress-apparent to the throne (Americanized expressly for this occasion), Mrs. Thomas C. Noyes; Kapiolani, & taro-beater, in love with Eoylani, Miss Marie Howe; Ko-Dak, governor of Oahu, father of the princess (the biggest coon in town), Mr. W. H. Harris; 8. B. Jole, of the firm of S. B. Jole & Co., Ltd. (professional dethroners), Dr. E. C. Shade; Rover Greveland, P. D. Q. (of the firm of Greveland, Freshan & Co., professional re-enthroners), Mr. W. A. Morsell; Baby Truth, Rover’s daughter, grown to womanhood, with yachting proclivities by inheritance, Mr. George O'Connor; Spreckticles, proprietor of the ‘Sugar Trust’ Hotel, Mr. William S. McCarthy; Officer O'Hooligan, the police force of Honolulu, Mr. W. H. Conley, PFijii, small boy, Master Wil- liam Morsell.” AN unusual feature of the program is that the cast was changed for each perform- ance. The cast for Monday, the first evening, was: “Queen Lil, Mr. James H. Cathell; Koylani, Miss Edna Scott Smith; Kapiolani, Mr. Melville D. Hensey; Ko-Dak, Mr. Paul W. Evans; Jole, Mr. Willlam A. Morsell; Rover Greveland, Mr. Mr. A. Seibold; Kuka-Tan, Mr. Karl Daniel; Herald, Mr. Johnson. “For Tuesday evening, Mr. Cthell, Miss Ivy . Herriott, Mr. Hensey, Mr. Arthur Earnest, Mr, Clabaugh, Mr. George O’Connor, Miss Eva