The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-01-04
THE NEWS OF THE STAGE
THINGS THEATRICAL IN WHICH
SAVANNAH Is INTERESTED.

The Old Homestead's" Initial Presen,
tation in Georgia - The Coming
Weeks Attractions-A Night Witt
Ben Hur, Annie Pixley in 'MLiss'
and James OMEN in "Dsad Heart
Mrs. Mehrtens' Recital
"Ths Old Homestead was played yester-
day before the largest matinee audience Of
the season. The theater was packed from
the stage to the top gallery. Two hundred
people, more that ons-hslf Of them ladies
and children, stood during the entire per-
formance. They filed the aislss
and crowded the boxes and
windows and filed every available
space. The performance was up to that Of
Friday night. Last night the audience was
far above the usual Saturday night
audience. The play, while it cannot be ap-
preciated by southern peple as It is by those
familiar with New England farm life. is an
interesting one in many wavs. IL
appeals to the heart. He who has most
heart knows most Of sorrow and OF joy.
The Old Homestead" is interfused with
both. II is a comedy in this, that ell the
heartaches lift as mist before the sun. 1t
IS eating of Of burdens, the unfetterinR
Of bruised limbs. All the while that grief
infects old Joshuais heart he struggles bard
for mastery. and makes the issue doubtful
till u ends. The play, with a weeks run,
W uld have full houses In Savannah.
Each lady attending the matinee was pre-
sented with eat souvenir programme
With bottle Of peFfumery-the ,compli-
tpents Of butler's pharmacy.
THE "5en, bur" representations.
The people Of Savannah Will have their
first opportunity tomorrow night of seeing
the representation upon the stage Of Lew
Wallace's famous book ben Hur." The
tsbleaux will be presented under the dirsc-
ton Of Mrs e. K. Bradford of Washington,
d. Q. A MORNING NEWS reporter mad a
talk With Mrs. Bradford at the Pulaski
house last night upon the subject
OF her representation. Mrs. Bradford
is the originator of the Ben Hur representa-
tons upon the sage, which were first given
In Washington four years ago. When she
first Originated the Ben Hur representations
Mrs, Bradford had no idea whatever Of
producing it upon the stage. Her husband
il Congregational minister in Washing
ton, and she first got up the tableaux for an
entertainment for the benefit of the church.
1t was so successful and the "Night with
Ben Harp took so well that she
WaS IENleAHal
to give the entertainment elsewhere. This
| she did not wish to do, but the requests
were 80 persistent and continuous that she
could not well refuse. Having once begun,
she has continued to produce the "l3en
Hur" representations, and now Is in her
10 nth successive sea on. The might with
Ben Hur" has been produced in all the large
cities OF the north and east and IL
many Of the western cities. 1t has also
hneaNa II A.. g. 80
cities. 1t has been very successful every
where. Mrs Bradford has an engagement
| IN Philadelphia this month. and also one in
Rich nond. the entertainment having been
given in those cities in former seasons.
People generally have a mis-, AIKEN idea
of the character Of the entertainment" said
Mrs. Bradford. sit Is no passion play.
There Is no attempt at any representation
OF Christ. There is a strong suggestion Of
Christ all through the play, but no attempt
is made to represent him. 1t has been
sought as a suitable play for Lent
and ministers are frequently chosen for
parts in the cast. The play is like an Illus
| trated story in which you have the pictures
| before your eyes as you read. 1t consists of
a series of tableaux, each representing a
scene in the story Of Ben Hur. There are
thirty acts. The scenes are ar
ranged very rapidly and the waits
representation, but all the costumes are
furni he'd by me, and / have the direction
of the display. The costumes are his
torically and absolutely correct. There
are seventeen characters in all, including
two children.
ain preparing the representation" said
Mrs Bradford, 81 first made q complete
condemnation Of the book, giving the story
in its regular order. This condensed story
is read by a reader, the reading being ap-
propriate to the scene upon the stage. The
chariot race is read at tho proper time. The
play Is entirely unobjectionable to all de-
nominations and nationalities. The fol-
lowing is the cast:
Ben Hur, #. Myers Messiah, T. Lloyd Owens;
Balthazar. arthur Sbaatf; Melchior, r. f. L.
Daniel; Casper, George A. Cosens; Herod, A. j.
Lervaes; simonides, Murray Screven; Ilderim,
W. w. Owens; Maluch, Gordon Harrison
mother, Sflss /. C.0weus; Tirzah, Miss " Wal
ters; Esther Miss v. Fleming; Iras, Miss H.
Myers; Anrah, Miss NJ. Cosens; children, Miss
Clifford Munnerlyn and Miss Maggie Reilly;
guards, etc y -. Ga5
Ttere viii be- singing behind the scenes
| by Mrs. FInnie and quartette composed
of Frank Keilhach, w. w. Gordon, Jr.
w. !. Blois and Ju liam Walker.