The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-02-04
FEW PLAYS THIS WEEK.
The Private Secretary and Mr.. Potter
Of Texas the Attractions.


Mr.. James II. Racket to Make His
Bow as the Successor of Gillette-The
Potter of Texas Company to Come
Here Direct from the Grand Opera
House in New York.
Tuesday and Wednesday nights and
Wednesday matinee. The Private Score
tary.
Thursday night "Mr. Potter Of Texas"
Mr.. James H. Hackett will make his
bow to Savannah theater-goers this week
as The Private Secretary" He will ap-
pear here Tuesday and Wednesday nights
and at a Wednesday matinee as success
sor of Gillette.
The "Mr. Potter of Texas company
will jump directly from its engagement at
the Grand Opera house in New York
city, to Savannah. But three places will
be visited prior TO its New Orleans en-
gagement; from thence trip through
the state of Texas will follow. The COM
pany will be here Thursday night The
play is pleasing story pleasantly told.
1t mingles breath of the exhilarating
breezes of the wide spreading prairies
OF the Lone Star state with
the perfumed air of the drawing room of
the English aristocracy. 1t tells q story
of the love and disappointment of Lady
Annerley. petted daughter of England's
most exclusive society II tells the story
of the love and happiness of true, noble,
outspoken American girl, and Of the Hon.
Samson Potter of Texas, who was
scalped by the Commanches, and his
rough, open hearted, quaint and humorous
ways. 1t tells of Scotland Yard detec-
tive and his dog, Snapper OF ticket
of-leave man unjustly confined in the
penal colonies of Australia; of one high
in society and affairs of government who
was at one time bank defaulter, and a
good deal else.
"The New South" was played TO a
crowded theater at yesterdays matinee
The play is melodrama pure and simple,
but it is praiseworthy in that it rests it's
chances for success upon its inherent in
| terest and the strength of its situations,
instead of tanks, shaky canvas devices
and other tawdry mechanical effects. 5"
There is good deal of character sketch
ing done by the author, but most of it is
strongly reminiscent of Augustus Thomas
"Alabama." Original and thoroughly
| good are two roles-the Massachusetts,
blue-stocking," whose visit to the south
is mainly occupied with acquiring
material for magazine articles on the down
| trodden colored race, and the negro villain,
a conception unhappily happy in its truth
The devoted old family servant of the
south, as made familiar by many dramas,
once existed. Later years have brought
into sadly frequent notice a new type of
the negro, with all the worst and none of
the best racial instincts developed. Such
as these cause Infatuated men in other
sections, as well as this, to resort to mob
law, and in this play, for the first time,
such one is shown upon the stage. If
for no other reason than this truthful
portrayal of new type, THE New
South" would be praiseworthy. The
| basis of the play is love so strong that be-
meath its influence sectional prejudice
passes away, and even supposed crimi-
nality and family wrong fail to cloud the
| sight of a southern girl. The play is in
| teresting up to the last act, and there the
interest drops.
FThe old saying, the unexpected always
happens, is especially true in our bust
ness" said theatrical manager yester-
| day to a number of men who had come
out to smoke between the acts at the
matinee. When Lawrence Hanley was
| playing leads in Blue Jeans" lie con-
| tinued, 81 remember one city where we
were billed to play the same week. At
| almost every one of the performances
| tainted. when he was on the board in the
sawmill scene, and to the uninitiated it
| looked like instant destruction to the
actor. OF course the intensity
of the scene is lessened, and
the attention of the audience is
distracted when the women are taken
out into the fresh air. The people on the
stage cannot, in spite Of their endeavors
to take no notice of such interruptions
help being ratified, and | have known
several of the best actors to forget their
lines"
There are often times when a scene is
enacted that is not down on the pro-
gramme, the manager continued. Mr.
Willard, who made such hit in 1.-THE
Middleman," studied his part with the
benefit derived from visiting a pottery
and learning the ways and manners
of the men working, although
they were unconscious of the fact
During the strongest act where the fire
in the oven goes nearly out and the daugh-
ter returns with no fuel, the acting of Mr.
Willard and Miss Marie Burroughs al
most beggars description. The house is in
half darkness, the audience is worked up
to high pitch, and not a sound is heard
save the voices of the people on the stage
1t was in Cincinnati where a celebrated
pottery is located, and the gallery was
damned with an unwashed enthusiastic
audience, while in the lower portion of the
house the elite and beauty of the city had
taken every available seat, and
standing room was at a premium.
Mr. Willard had almost hypnotized his
audience but was completely upset during
the oven scene. He speaks of how his
lifes work was going to be lost and it was
impossible to get any fuel, when pres
entity silver dollars, half dollars and
quarters began falling on the stage. The
potters in the gallery forgot where they
were and seeing before them one of their
own workmen apparently in want took up
a collection and showered their silver on
the unfortunate man, shouting at times
$50 buy coal, Mr.. Man, we will not see
you suffer" The effect was startling, the
curtain was rung down and the we'll
dressed audience down stairs joined in
the wild shouts of the half-crazed men in
the gallery.
''The Danger Signal" popular play
with railroad men. was presented in an
Ohio town few nights ago and a local
operator asked as a special favor that he
might send the message over the wire
used in the second act. The permission
was granted, and the manager was sur
prised to hear clicked over the wires re-
quest for 1.-TWO beers" Several telegraph
men in the audience replied by using
their lead pencils on the seats.
The many friends Of Minnie Dupree