Evening Star Newspaper, April 2, 1933, Page 72

THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, APRIL 2, 1933 - - AMATEUR THEATRICALS IN WASHINGTON Frank Hitchcock, “Billy” Mitchell and Dr. Reichelderfer Were AmongMembers of The Players of Colum- bian Student Days. Professional Recollec- tions of the Local Stage. _ BY JOHN CLAGETT PROCTOR. E do not realize how the time is slipping away until we undertake to look up some event with which we are more or less familiar, and which to us, sesms to have happened only yesterday, but which in reality happened years ago. Then we realize that we must be growing old. *ndeed, how forcibly this though! struck the w_.ter recently when h: was looking up the ities of “The Players,” an organization of ‘umbian University students, which made first public appearance 38 years ago last “3-cember. To some, this may not seem such = long time, but when we consider that some ¢: the boys who belonged to this club are now grandfathers, it will at least cause us to pause and reflect. There were no baldheads or gray heads in th> class at that time; no one anticipated ever being afflicted with any of the various forms of rheumatism; the silver lining of the clouds was always in view, and the chances are that every one was happy and care-free. But life ‘s not all one merry-go-round, as some of those boys have undoubtedly realized ere this, as they have alternately partaken of the bit- ter and the -sweet, and have longingly looked back to their amateur theatrical days and craved their return once more. But the way to the return is barred forever and they must live only in the recollections of the past. For the few years it lasted, The Players was a highly efficient organization, including in its ranks some of the best young men of the country, nearly all of whom were then attend- iry Columbian = (now George Washington) Ualversity. Many had fine family connections, ard after leaving the university quite a num- bsr became successful and prominent in various - walks of life. One the writer has in mind, Fiark H. Hitchcock, served as Postmaster Gen- €::1 in the cabinet of President Taft; another, -~ her H. Reichelderfer, became an eminent . ~ician, and is now serving as president of i..> Board of oners of the District of Cclumbia, while still another, Brig. Gen. Wil- liem Mitchell, became director of military aerg- neutics during the World War. MR. HITCHCOCK was president of the or- ganization; Brig. Gen. Mitchell was one oi the altos in the ensemble, while the part taken by Dr. Reichelderfer is not given. The first performance took place at the New National Theater on December 14, 1894, and the play was “Dorothy.” According to the program, the characters were taken as follows: _ Della Fox in the “Little Trooper.” 2 Lillian Russell as the “Grand Duchess,” from an early picture. Squire Bantam of Chanticleer Hall, Harry Hughes; Dorothy Bantam, his daughter, Sam- uel Hazen Bond; Lydia Hawthorne, her cousin, M. LeRoy Goff; Goeffrey Wilder, Bantam’s nephew, Theodore Friebus, jr.; Harry Sher- wood, Wilder's friend, Melville - Dupignac Hensey; Priscilla Privett, a widow, Bennett Boynton Cushman; Lurcher, a sheriff’s officer, william Huntington Conley; John Tuppitt, the village landlord, James Taylor Cronin; Phillis Tuppitt, his daughter, Willicm Hearne Grimes; Tom Grags, her sweethear!, Prederic Milton Supplee: dy Betty, guest of the squire, Noch Willis Pomeroy; Wilson, attendant to B:>ntam, Horace Hampton Weston. Joseph C. Fisher was the costumer; N. Du Shane Cloward, musical and dramatic direc- tor; James H. Vermilya, instructor of dancing; Oliver Cromwell Hine, assistant stage manager; Robert C. Kelton, chorus master, and N. Stein, assistant musical director. It was a thoroughly stag affair and all the parts were taken by men. The Star at the time said: “Those who sustzired female parts did very well in their unaccus.omed attire, notably Hazen Bond as Dorothy. Le Roy Goff as Lydia, B. B. Cushman as the widow, Dr. N. Willis Pome- roy as Lady Betty, while the chief figures in the male cast were Harry Hughes, as Squire Bant:m; W. H. Conley, as the bailiff; Fred M. Supplee, Melville Hensey, Thecdore Friebus, jr.; James Taylor Cronin and Horace West- cott. The ballet corps was a decided hit, and Harry Sheridan as the premier scored a pronounced success. * * * The audience was a latgz and fashionable one.” The program at the time carried an error upon this and the subsequent occasion that The Star reporter did not detect, for Dorothy was taken by Mr. Goff, and Lydia Hawthorne was assumed by Mr. Bond—the positions being just reve----. N reading over the v....u., th: writer found the names of a number of persons who he never knew could sing a note, and yet they must have been zble to sing some—or make a noise at least—or their names would not appear on the program. It is interesting to see what gay sports some of the folks we occasionally mect around town really were nearly four decades ago, .and the writer is going to let you read the names of the members of the chorus, toe. Maybe you might recognize some familiar names, as he did The sopranos were: James Albert Houghton, Albert Morris Sames, A. Rowland Johnson, James Augustine Hendley, Robert Emart, Orville Elias Bailey, Wharton Test, Blair Shaw, William . Gassway Woodford, Edwin Danby Flather, Philip ‘Weisner. The altos included: Edward Abbott Beard, William Valmouth Grier, Edward Franklin Conklin, Roy Bazley Hayes, James William White, Emmett Meador Carter, Irving George Raybold, Willilam Mitchell, A. Avery Rittenour,. Evans. Arthur Lee Wilson, Paul Warrington The tenors: Robert Hall Campbell Kelton, George Burton Heinecke, Edward Hurlburt Parry, Paul Fout Grove, Allan Josiah Hough- ton, Hirbert MacNamee. Those with bass voices were: Arthur Henry Giles, Ulysses Schuyler Catlett, Lewis Crandall Kyselka, Frederick Lund, Theodore Taylor Dorman, Scott Griswold Ingram, Alfredo Victor Gana, Henry Cobb Spencer, Harry Augustus Sellhausen, But that is not all, for some of the men we now occasionally meet in the pink tights and fairy dresses at this affair, even kicked up all sorts of monkeyshines, w! they will probably never be able to do even if they cared to do so. Their names listed in the ballet and include Harry C. dan, Beverly Kennon Peter, Harry N Robi-on, Rudolph Baldwin Schwickardi, Ed- ward Arlington Pittis, Martin Joseph Sioussa, Alan Ogilvie Clephane, John Joy Edson, jr.; Adiit Clem:ns, Willlam Krafft Ward, Donald - McDonald. Other members of the club whose specific duties are not set forth were William J. Acker, Edgar Allen, jr.; Brainard Avery, Charies M. Baker, J. William Beatty, William R. Biackford, Benjamin F. Blye, Howard P. Boyle, Andrew Y. Bradley, Paul O. Brockett, Frank S. Brown, Joseph A. Burkart, James A. Caldwell, George Christiancy, Malc:m A. Coles, Alden M. Collins, P. E. Cox, Arlon V. Cushman, D. F. Daggett, Wwilliam E. Davis, Charles W. Draper, Horace B. Durant, Lewis H. Finney, Richard A. Ford, William H. Gallinger, John C. Goodfellow, James M. Gray, William D. Green, Henry H. Hawling, Walter G. Hensey, Ralph W. Hills, Harry G. Hodgkins, W. R. Holland, James C. Hooe, Charles J. Hcpkins, Charles E. Howe, Arthur Johns, Guy H. Johnson, Grifiith L. Johnson, J. Burr Johnson, James E. Jones, Lee Mason Jordan, Carter B. Keene, Messmore Ken- dall, John H. Kennedy, Frank H. Knowlton, John E. Laskey, A. L. Lawrence, Jesce B. K. Lee, Reeve Lewis, Ellis Lord, Otto J. J. Lueb- kert, R. S. Lynch, Russell B. Main, Robert H. Mzoiia, Viater L. Mason, Ornesby McCammon, James J. McElvilly, Arthur E. H. Middleton, Frank H. Moore, Francis P. Morgan, Edwin E. Morse, Lawrence O. Murray, H. Beach Need- ham, John Nordhouse, Charles L. Parker, Fred- eric R. Parks, G. Freeland Peter, Graham H. Powell, Harry T. Proctor, Henry R. Pyne, R. B. Randolph, John A. Roeder, Arthur B. Seibold, Beverly T. Sener, Henry E. Shuster, John B. Sleeman, jr.; Joseph Stewart, Robert A. Stick- ney, Clifiord M. Stoy, Willlam M. Symons, A. Morg:n Thomp.on, Marven Thompscn, William S. Torbert, Richard K. Tyler, Ralph R. Upton, Harry J. Van Der Beek, Robert E. Wiley, John C. Wilson. On Fridar, March 1, 1895, “Dorothy” was repeated, and The Star the next day said: “The Columbian Players. “The pleasing opera of ‘Dorothy’ was re- peated at the New National Theater yesterday afternoon by the players of the Columbian Uni- versity. % “W. H. Harris sang and acted with great spirit and effect. “B. B. Cushman took the part that was made 80 effective at the fir:t performance by Melville Hensey, and J. Taylor Cronin was very good in Squire Bantam. “John Joy Edson, jr., played Priscilla remark- ably well and furnished much amusement by his excellent acting in the scenes with the bailiff, W. H. Conley. The latter was, as always, fully up to th= requirements of the part. Hazen Bond’s ‘Dorothy’ was & fine piece of work, e both in singing and acting, and LeRey Gofl, ' as Lydia, was & fitting comp:nion. W. H. Grimes made a sprightly Phyllis, and F. Milton Supplee was all to be desired as the rustie lover. Messrs. O. C. Hine, James A. Hendley, Paul Evans and James White retained their re:pective parts in gocd style. The choruses were well sung, and the ballet was fully appre- ciated, particularly the graceful dancing of Harry Sheridan.” A SHORT while ago the writer saw Mr, Goff in his office in the Woodward Build- ing and though he hoics his own with the best of 'em, yet cne would really have to stretch his imagination a long way to see in the same person the charming character of Dorothy which he assumed years ago. picture of himself in c:stume and you can see for yourself what a real delichtful sort of & girl he made. Indeed. it is quite probable if the same company could bec got together again and would repeat the same performance, it would draw a packed hous:—zs it did bzfore, since the last performance, given many years ago, was for the benefit of the Homeopathic Hospital. - “The Johnnie Juni-rs” was another organisa- tion that put on seme nice performsnces of & similar character, the “M‘k-do” being the most notable. This famous Gilbert and Sullivan comic opera was given at the Columbia Theater by the Jon- nie Juniors on March 17, 1897, the principal characters Ko-Ko; Earnest, Poo Bah; George P. Robinson, the Mikado; Three Little Maids—Leroy Goff (Yum- yum), Paul-W. Evans and Sidney Ingles, and W. H. Harris as Katrisha. James G. Traylor, who was for many years connected with the Smithsonian Institution, and who died recently,.was a member of the Jonnie Juniors and coachad them for this performance, § 2 § type, for whom every one had a his lovable disposition, his friend panionship will be missed by the staff and and file with whom he daily came in at the institution. From the time he young he engaged in choir work, and led some ik U M. Le Roy Goff as “Dorothy” in the play of that name.