The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-11-23
AT THE PLAY HOUSES.
List Of the December Attrac-
lions in Topeka.
Half a Dozen High Glass Ones
Are Billed.
Gossip and Other Theatrical News
Pertaining to Topeka-A Sketch
Of Ed Howe.


After Sowing the Wind Tuesday
night there are no theatrical attrac-
tions ia Topeka until December. The
books for the Grand opera House in
December as they now stand assured
are. Wednesday, the 2nd. Donald Rob
ertson. probably in THE Man in the
Iron Mask: Friday, 4th, Z. J. Henly
in Deacon Brodie"; Saturday, 5th, Sol
Smith Russell in "A Bachelors Ro-
nance; Monday, 9TH, the Palmer Cox
Brownies; Thursday, 10th, Rhea; Sat
urday. 18th. Louis James in Sparta
Gus" Monday. 18th, Gus HIPS Oc-
toroons a companion to Vanity Fair
by the same management Saturday,
18th, Frederick Ward tragedian' Mon
day, 21st, Beach & Bowers minstrels
Tuesday, 22nd, saved From the Sea-
q. scenic melOdrama under the manage
ment Of William Calder.
The Crawford house has its Christ
mas week all filed There viii doubt
less be something good at the Grand,
but it is not yet certain enough to an
nOunce. The Crawford attraction is
Ford's Comedians in repertoire at pop
ular prices
The reserved seat chart was opened
Saturday morning for Sowing the
Wind" ait the Grand on Tuesday.
TOPEKA DOES WE'LL ENOUGH.
mans manager who was here with
THE Prisoner of Zenda' was indig-
nant because the patronage was only
$500 lit was the Topeka people who
ought to have been Indignant if there
We're any cause for indignation any
where. There was none. however. The
star of '.The Prisoner of Zenda" had
been Mr.. T.. III. Sothern, whose name as
an actor is q famous one next it was
reduced to Mr.. Hackett Of lesser fame,
then to Mr. Gould, of no fame at all
MIR. Daniel FrOhman, when he reduces
his stars to third grade must not ex-
pect 81. 600 houses in the west, and he
prOba bly, doesn't. $500 was a very good
house for a play like ''The Prisoner of
Zenda-" None of the actors was strict
ly first class though, nevertheless, very
good indeed The audience was well
pleased and had no complaint to make,
but it realized that there was room for
Improvement in the company. Nobody
but stars can draw $1,000 houses in To-
peka or anywhere else, and they ought
not to- The Topeka people are ex-
cellent patrons of the theater when the
theater is worth it, and this constant
harping on one string that they do not
appreciate good things brought here is
entirely gratuitOus. Most of those
who attend high class attractions here
know much about plays and players
and have seen the greater number Of
the noted plays in the larger cities
Our play gOers are thoroughly posted.
In this connection it might be said that
AIanag ger Crawford is providing an ex-
Celleut line of amusenents this season,
and SO far is deserving of every en-
cOuragement. Considering the times,
he is doing all that could be asked and
The Journal believes that Die viii find
that this season viii pay him better
than most others.
ROB ROY MAC GREGOR.
The Rob Roy Opera company de
served better business here than it had
mr. VVhffnevr's manager is Frank
Williams who used to visit Topeka
regularly as manager of the Pauline
Hall Opera company some years ago
and was here two years ago managing
Felix Norris whose performance of a
Game of Cards" and Behind the
Scenes" Topeka people remember with
pleasure
Mr. Morris is in England now" said
Mr.. Williams, but Will be with us again
next season no doubt. He has signed
for the season of '97-8 with Daniel
FrOhman but what Mr. FrOhman in
tends doing with him I do not know
Probably the most constant smile
that ever struck Topeka came with the
Rob Roy company and was the
property, with rights of disposal and
distribution, Of Miss Florence, WOlcOtt
who sang Janet. She was smiling when
she came into town and when she went
out of it. She smiled on the stage and
off the stage and is probably smiling
yet-Or grinning. S2.35 for bOuyancy
of spirit like Miss WOlcotts in these
dull times
Miss VVoIcOtt's career has been much
like that of Miss DOrahy Morton who
sang the Fencing Master here two
yetars ago. She was a church singer
three years ago in New York city as
Miss Morton was in st. Louis and her
friends told her she could sing in opera
She tried it and has been at it ever
since.
Like Miss Morton also she was never
in the ranks"
II have always been one of the
principals, she said, land never yet
sang in the chorus This is easy re-
ferring to her part in Rob Roy, Il have
sung in grand opera The very first
time i ever appeared on stage I sang
Laura in the 'Beggar Student at Schil-
lies theater in Chicago nearly three
years ago"
The 'Rob Roy company has been
south and at Dallas. Texas. about four
weeks ago Miss Frances Rousseau was
taken seriously i'll and had to be left
there. She joined the company here
but did not so on with her part of Capt
Sheridan and it was sung by Miss Nell
lie WOotley-
A very. clever character actor is Har-
~ Parker who played Sandy McSheFry
the irristfble beau of at least so
years. Parker is an Englishman of
middle age.
Fl came over with Cinderella he
said, III have been here four years now
and I expect to be here four years
more Excepting that you have a big
ger country to- cover i find The work in
America just about the same as in
England-our London and your New
York. you know, ana our playing the
provinces and your on the road The
only difference perhaps. is that in Eng
land the one night stand is but little
known. The least is week. I hardly
knew what one night stand was until
I came to America. The stock COM
pany is about gone in England as it is
here I mean by that the oid-fashioned
stock company where the same support
ing company played the same theater
year in and year out and supported
whatever star came along to play
there"
NIr. Parker has a healthy English ac-