The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-11-15
aE WILL COME AGAIN.
Felix Morris Much Pleased With
His Audience.
IT KNEW WHEN TO APPLAUD
Some Gossip About Mr. ana HIS
AHorrHs-Ofher Theatrical News

some Gossip About mr. ana HIS
AHorrIs-Other Theatrical News
Mr.Felix Morris was very much pleased
with his audience last night The first
hoor was quite full and there was fair
representation IN the balcony. The audi
ence was composed of the most critical
of theater goers in the city and they
were all delighted.
1T is an intelligent audience" said
Mr.. Morris after the curtain had gone
down on the frat act Of the second play.
~ like to play before such an audience
They could see the fine points IN Inc
Game Of Cards and all audiences do
not I am well pleased with my first
Topeka audience aud shall certainly visit
Topeka again"
Mrs Morris is & little woman who play
ed the part Of the authOress in ~Behind
the Scenes" and Joined her husband IN
praise of their rece ption They are very
pleasant people as well as good actors
Mrs Morris Is particular friend Of
Miss Emily Rigl, who appeared here the
first of the season in "Mr. Barnes Of New
York and asked q great many questions
concerning her. she is one of the
sweetest women I ever knew" she said
'and is a splendid actress. We we're to-
Rether fifteen years ago in Augustin
Days company in New York City be-
fore she began starring"
e. y
stage name is Agnes Paxton, is . Leaven-
worth young lady" said Mr. Norris. I'VE
we're there Monday night. and she had
splendid reception. We gave her the
best part she had ia our repertoire"
Mr.. and Mrs. Morris we're married if
teen years ago, and have been together
in the same com paRy ever since.
The audience last night was not pre-
pared to applaud unless the play de-
served applause. 1t was attentive and
disposed 70 notice particularly each little
point In the play aud remark upon IT. IL
il the highest praise to Dir. Morris and
his company to say that the verdict was
universally III their favor.
The curtain raiser, "A Game OF Cards
IL a beautiful little piece, ia which the
character Of the broken down French
chevalier by Dir Morris is we'll set. It
was beautifully done, aud in the charac-
ter Of the Chevalier, who was neither a
"prOud nor a sensitive man." but who
was both to an unusual degree, Mr.. Nor
ris' work was splendid Ii could not
have been done better. and the specta-
tors agreed Oh that point
Behind the Scenes" is not really a
good play There was A chance for good
work in it however. and the company
made the most Of it. There are a good
many points in the play that the author
is to blame for, shat, to use one of his
own expressions. would look better If
you couldn't see them An audience is !
always shocked il its sense of the fitness /
Of things, when an actor comes down /
into the aud ence during the progress Of I
the piece, and while il 40 doubt belonged /
to the realism IF the play it aroused /
criticism among the spectators.
All the parts we're well taken in "Behind I
the Scenes" and Alr. Morris part was one /
that gave him the full scope of his pc
culiar ability. The acting was really all /
there was to the piece. As the father of /
the aspirant for stage hOnoTs he exhibited T
the tact that could only come of = French /
man who was not too proud nor sensi- /
tive. The character is equal to any /
emergency that hattery or tact will over I
throw and in the rehearsal scene 4
when the debutante fails to ggive \
the proper emphasis to a scream and 4
he pinches her to compel it the
applause was instantaneous. There
are several little surprises like that IN
the piece aud they always caught on.
When the real actress returns after /
refusing to play and insists
pm going on at the critical moment after
lhe old mans daughter has been accept
3D. he rings up the curtain himself and
pushes his daughter on where she scores
a big success
While SIR. Norris audience was not so
large as 1t should have been, it has been
demonstrated that Topeka will go to a
first class attraction when it comes to
town and il is to bs hoped that Mr. CraW-
ford will get more like Felix Morris.
Mr.. Morris will flash the week at the
Coates opera house in kansas City aud
will then 60 to indianapolis, thence to
New Orleans. The three nights Dir
Morris gave to Leavenworth, Atchison
and Topeka were of nights because he
did not want 20 spend the entire week in
Kansas City.
The Grand viii be dark the rest of this
week but will be open again on Monday
night, when Charles A. Loder will hold
the stage in the musical farce comedy