Show AN OLD mie at THE GRAND DUKE MANY BRIGHT ACTORS GOT A START A and titio once made a new sight for hew ers most of them have prospered and some are gainon a in a way avro decades ago tua grand dalce theater or newsboys playhouse was one of the most famous institutions of this metropolis today the projector and chief manager of tins unique resort runs an express team from a stand in the new bowery his name is richard burke dick burke is not a large man physically but he is a person of acute mental development he ia as were all the leading newsboy players connected with the original grand duke theater a typical new yorker he waa bom in the fourt ward and he knows about every inch of manhattan island he sold newspapers as early as he was able to walk and there never was a thing in or about new york that dick know now that all the boys of that time are grown to manhood and many of them are firmly fixed in the real theatrical world the story that richard burke can tell of the old days in tho pallar i 01 baxter street has a peculiar interest that cellar was a spacious affair as cellars g nowadays it was entered by a flat d which opened from the one dived down into this thespian home instead of climbing upward the furnishings nish ings were primitive in the extreme there was not even a raised stage the boy actors played their parts on the same floor from which the spectators plau ded applauded about the only accessory th atthe cellar boasted was a curtain of which hid the players from the people there were about seven boys in tho original grand duke company headed by teddy sullivan and dick burke they had no paid tutors schools of acting did not then As burke explains they went to the real theaters and caught onto their pieces WHERE THEY PLAYED they played mainly negro sketches in that old cellar at the corner of baxter and worth streets and many of the kids played better than they knew for nearly all of them have since distinguished themselves before the public on the professional stage it was a time innovation there was spirit jc he breasts of the youth of the land which ma u dees af pf heroic strength land valor rank high ned bantling Bant line evaa recounting the deeds of buffalo bill in the new york weekly leon lewis was writing of the adventures of daring youths in the ledger everywhere bravery showed its front it was not therefore that these new york newsboys should strive to do and dare for themselves and adopting the buskin cleav their own career in the face of many t they were strong healthy sensible boys and they knew that in minstrelsy they had their forte that they did not aspire to the higher distinction of playing shakespearean parts only emphasizes their good sense so they played in black faces and those famous old time sketches beasleyy Bea dog and the coming man figured conspicuously in their repertory the elite as well as the ragtag and bobtail of the town dived down into the dingy cellar to witness die antics of the merry lads the grand duke alexis on his memorable visit to america was a distinguished auditor one nighta in fact the theater afterward had its best known title from this august potentate who smiled and paid for his fun at the newsboys theater there was one typical episode in the career of this juvenile lyceum to which mr burke still refers with pleasure about the time that the boys theater as in progress james gordon bennett as organ zing soup housea throughout he city one night a swell party entered the cellar among the visitors was tony pastor baia person put blown a dollar for his entrant ent ranc fee ACTING FOR the so business was uppermost in mind a pastor biad recently created a faud foi support J J mccloskey the playwright and then actor was one of the party what did he do but spring up in t i middle of the performance and maki ringing speech calling upon those present to contribute to the soup fund dave conroy one of the boy players leaped to his feet and declared that the grand duke company would give an entertainment to help the cause others of the boys seconded the motion and it was carried amid enthusiasm on a later night a special gramme pro was arranged the so benefit was given and was realized which was handed over to mr bennett this was succeeded by other entertainments of a charitable nature heartily entered into by the grand duke boys until theia theater gained a wide reputation not only for its uniqueness but for the practical good it was doing but all this last tho boys grew to manhood and the things of the old time swept away teddy sullivan was drowned at the fulton street ferry three or four years ago two others of the U rand duke actors are now robust and popular policemen sam bernard is a variety agent and has made money and reputation also as a dutch comedian jack conway is of the vaudeville firm of bonway and dempsey michael coyne is a partner in the teams of sheehan and coyne and the two seldom work for less lhnn a week dave conroy and jack dailey are of the funny four shamrocks Sham rocks who are also very well paid frank bush one of the brightest of the grand duke lights is known everywhere for his quaint mimicry of hebrews he is rich too and the manager who hires him has to pay a week the old cellar is now ased for other purposes its walls neve never r again will echio the merry jests of the gay spirits whose noise once shook the rafters new york sun |