Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1895-01-27
PLAYS and PLAYERS.
GOSSIP ABOUT THE THEATERS AND TIE
THESPIANS.
Omar, Hons. Well Paronizsd During the Week
The Grand ClOsed-Comlng Attractions
and General Noes.
Tho Grand was closed all week. with

/
The Grand was closed all week, with
the exception of Thursday. AT the
Ooera House Manager Riester had two
! bigb class attractions. James ONei!
anneared with an excellent company
Monday night in Monte Cristo." The
h pse was crowded, and Mr.. O'Neill
was several times called before the cur
| rain. It's regretted that Mr.. ONelll
! has decided 10 drop this masterpiece Of
| Dumas' productions, as there Is no per-
| son on the American sage VINO Is so
we qualified TO enact the dual role oil
i Edmund Dantes and the Count OF Monte
| Cristo. But Mr.. O'Nell has been faVor-
| ably received by the critics In 'Nir-
ginius," and il is understood that his
repertoire next season will also Include
"HanIet" aud other legitimate roles.
O'Nsill possesses in an eminent degree
all the necessary qualifications for sue
cess in these parts, and the Wheeling
theatre.goers whom he has delighted
for several seasons, will wish him an
abundant measure of success.
Friday night James A. Herne's drama
of New England life, 'Snore Acres,
was presented TO a crowded house and
most appreciative audience. This Is
remarkable departure from the ordinary
stage production. 1t is original through
out, It's strongest point, aud one which
aupeals strongly to the audiences, is its
naturalness The characters are not
m separate trne lovers and plot for pos
session of fortune. The persons are
such as one meets in everyday HE,
and the story is one o! human interest,
illustrating the strength and weakness
nj human character. There Is no
straiping for dramatic effect, no start
ling climaxeS, yet the interest OF the
audience is maintained from the rise
until the fall of the curtain. The end.
ing OF the play is superb piece OF
work. One by one the dramatis PERSONA
retire, leaving Uncle Nat" alone on
the stage. For ten minutes not word
is said. vet the sef-Sacri6cing, true
hearted old man, by facial expression
depicts his thoughts more effectively
perhaps than If they found expression
in words. He closes the house, puts out
the lights, the clock strikes the mid
night hour. he retires 10 his room, ana
the curtain drops.
Probably the most disagreeble night
of the winter was Friday. Yet every
seat in the Opera House was occupied,
and the ''Standing room only" placard
was hung out. This proves most effect
lively that Wheeling theatre goers will
patronize a first class attraction, and it
may also be regarded as an evidence
that a new theatre, a modern play
house, will not suffer for patronage.
Wheeling is good "Show" town,
but Wheeling has not good
theatre. These are patent facts
and cannot be denied. 1t is
a mistake to measure the numerical
strength of theatre goers, by the pat
ronage which is accorded TO the present
play houses. The com Imperative receipts
of Wheeling's old horse car line, and
the present excellent trolley system, is
an illustration OF the folly Of such an
argument. 4 larger stage would en-
able companies TO give more satisfac
tory performances, TO say nothing OF
the drawing qualities of cosy audi
forum.
Ben Teal, the well known stage d.
rector and manager, has probably staged
more pretentious theatre productions
than any man at present engaged in
such work in this country. Such pro-
auctions as Palmer COx's Brownies, now
running at the Fourteenth-stree The
atre, New York, "in Old Kentucky"
Held by the Enemy" blue Jeans"
and "Niobe," were siited through his
careful discrimination before publicly
presented. Mr.. Teal is at present en-
gagged with Dramatist &. t. Darcy in
arranging for the production Of the lat
ter's new American play, The War Of
Wealth." which is 10 receive its initial
presentation at the Chestnut-street OPP
era House, Philadelphia, February 25
e.
Mr.. James Stephen Martins pupils
gave a musicale at the Grand Thursday
night.
For the first three nights Of this
week, Manager Fenler offers his
patrons a novel attraction, Prof. Bar
tholomew's Equine Paradox. This
marvellous exhibition of animal intelli-
gence has been seen before in Wheeling
and has never failed to draw and please
large audiences.
"In Old Kentucky" G. T. Dazey's
stirring melodrama, has not only proven
the most successful play Of its kind that
has been witnessed this year by theatre
goers north of the Mason and Dixon
line, as well as in the far West, but It's
reception throughout the South during
the past few weeks has been one of the
most remarkably prosperous experiences
in a theatrical way in that section this
season. The tour through Texas alone
is said to have brought Manager Lift a
larger profit thar any melodramatic
presentation ever given in that State.
Miss Annie Eva Fay, noted spirit
| ualistic medium, will give an entertain
meut at popular prices at the Opera
House on Wednesday aud Thursday
evenings Of this week.
| Even during lass week when half of
! Brooklyn was up in arms on the CUES
ticn, pro and con, OF the great street
| car strike, the drawing powers of the
| thrilling electrical melodrsma Shaft
| No. >" which Manager jacob Lift re-
Gently had altered IN some respects TO
| admirable advantage, did not diminish.
J The plot of SHAFT No. ." touches
slightly but effectively the trials of a
heroic electrical engineer. Frank
Losee still plays the role Of Jim Rath-
| burn.
COMING AIIACIlONS.