By TOWNES COATES
Long before Instagram, The Players Bulletin knew what was popular. Food. Liquor. Cats.
The Algonquin Hotel made a resident cat part of its insitutional lore. Their 1933 stray Rusty was renamed Hamlet by Player John Barrymore, and the twelfth Hamlet or Matilda is currently in residence. According to this report, Mary the Cat adopted The Players after the Tech Club (MIT graduates who once congregated next door) pulled up stakes. But devoted as we are to ritual, we never brought the club cat tradition into the modern age. This is a custom that should be considered for revival. Speaking of which, we had an in-house pastry cook? This also should be reexamined.
Townes Coates is a producer and writer. He is Co-Chair of Membership at The Players. Drop him a line here.