Omaha daily bee., 1891-12-27

Nh, &-GA have long had stage
. SS imitators, but unit
three years ago the
searchers for new dramatic material passed
the Scandinavian by.
This is not so very hard to explain. The
German and the Irishman are everywhere a
prominent factor in American life, and could
not fail to attract the notice Of the play.
wrights at literary and theatrical ~Centcrs.
The Swede, the Norwegian and the Dane
who came to America settled in the new
northwest The Scandinavian was outside
the horizon Of the dramatic writer of the
cast, who thus failed to learn his worth or
observe his traits.
To MIR. Gus Heege belongs the distinction
Of giving the Swede to the stage as n type of
American character. Mr.. Heege is a Ger
man, but has something Of the general APP
pearance of a Scandinavian. He is a young
man, only in the Turtles, and halls from
Cleveland, which is remarkable amoLg in
terror cities for the plumber of prominent
actors it has turned out. Mr.. Heege APP
peared i'll Omaha a few days since IN his new
play, and in conversation with "A BEE repre-
sentative gave an interesting account of his
discovery:
Several years ago l was supporting John
Dillon" said Mr.. Heege, land we were play
ing in Minnesota. We encountered a great
many Scandinavians up in that country,
and had a good opportunity to observe
their peculi rites, as we played in many of
the small towns. | had written Wanted,
the Earth for Dillon, which made a success,
and that probably prompted me to keep my
eyes open for material for a new play. l
began to mimic the speech and the manner
of the Scandinavlans, at first without any
definite purpose, but it soon dawned upon
me that here was a new field for dramatic
work.
"As the result Of nv study l wrote ole
Olson | organized a company and started
out to play it among the scandinavian settle
ments of the northwest. 1t met with favor
there, but the available towns were soon ex-
hausted. | then started out among
the smaller American towns with
fear and doubt, but the new
character took immensely, and
has been a great success ever since. With
success came confidence, and the larger cit
les were visited. Last season ! had a con-
tract with a Chicago man TO take the man
agement OF ole Oleson,' but he failed to car
ry out his agreements and we separated. |
still own the play, out he has "a three year
contract for its use and is paying me a roy
atty.
sidera much stronger play. 1t was first put
on the stage just about a year ago, and has
met with favor from tho start. We will be-
gin a New York engagement December IS,
and | am encouraged to think it will be a
success, because tho play took in Boston,
Philadelphia and other large eastern cities
last season.
''There have been special difficulties in
creating a Swedish character because
there were no traditions to follow.
1t was entirely new ground. | had to de-
termlne how much Of the dialect to use and
what to leave out. Then there was the Sc
lection OF the particular type from the var
H. ,,,- 49,, .S0 . ..rI &C. -ol-
nent into a consistent character that would
entertain mixed audiences. 'Hon Gonson'
represents n poor, ignorant young Swcde,
but ne has a rugged honesty and a simple
nobleness that takes hold of the heurts of the
people. The SCandinaVlans recognize that
there is no burlesque in the character, and
to other classes it has the touch of nature
that makes the whole world kim"
Miss Annie Lewis, the winsome soubrette
of tho lyon Yousonn company, will star
next season in a new play. She has q three
year contract with Manager Jacob Lift. The
play has not vet been secured, although she
has read about thirty on the present tour.
1t is now ex pected that Patience Stapleton
will provide the desired play. She is the
wife of William Stapleton, editor of tho
Denver Republican, and has written a mum
Der OF novels and short Skories, some of
which contain ramat elements OF a high
order. Mrs. Stapleton has undertaken to
dramatize one of her stories, and will visit
New York. whore Mrs. Minnie Maddern
Eriskc, wife of the editor of the Dramatic
Mirror, will assist her in the m cou-
struction. Wastern people will have a
special interest in the success Of this gifted
western woman.
of Keys" Rag Baby" "a Hole in tho
Ground, "a Trip to Chinatown "a Texas
Steer" and other farce comedies spent
Christmas IN Omaha. Miss Flora Walsh,
~. go - Nk Fn,xyaa Stant, y i, Al 40 IIAt,t
in private life, and her husband accompanies
her IN her travels.
Mr.. Hoyt probably has had more to do
with farce comedy than any one other man
in the business. A few years ago he was a
Boston newspaper man, as hard up as most
of his class, but he has made a fortune out
of farce comedy. Lastseason Hoyt and Thomas
divided $l2O, 600 between thom. They now
own Madison Square theater in New York,
have a NUMBER OF companies on the road and
everything they touch seems TO be profitable.
Mr.. Hoyt has written many plays and has
never had n failure, q notable achievement.
He is now at work on a new comedy TO be
called "a Temperance Town. which will be
a satire on prohibition. Although the play
has not yet been constructed it's route for
next season is already booked and some of
the performing company engaged.
The first half Of the second act was written
IN Omaha on Christmas eve. The first act
had been constructed, and on reaching the
Willard after that nights performance Mr..
Hoyt felt in a mood for composition. BY =
o'clock in the morning he had turned out six
teen pages of manuscript, which he estima-
ted would make about half an act. He eX-
pected to finish the second act before leaving
Omaha.
Mr.. Hoyt is a young man in the thirties,
but his successes haze not given him the big
head. He has quite a circle of friends in this
city, ami his Omaha visits are seasons of
good fellowship. In speaking of theatrical
business, he said while here:
Tho secret of success is in simply giving
the people the best. If you will run over in
your mind the theatrical attractions which
arc making money you will discover that
they arc the best entertainments in their
several lines. The time has gone by when
the American people can long be gulled by
poor plays and cheap actors. Why, the
thing is so plain to me that ! can not under
stand why other managers blunder along
without seeing it,"
THE THEITERS,
'Dr. Bin,n is a comedy in three acts, about
which 50 much has been written, will have
its first presentation in this city, az Boyd's
new theater, commencing this Sunday even