The morning times., 1896-08-23
G0THAM DRAMATIC CHAT
Homsand Travelling Companies
Are RehearSing.
sANs-GENE. HER "sAY"
Maggie Cline Is Working Hard, for
She Is a Poor Study and
Has a Star Part.

New York City, Aug. 22.-AlthouGh the
curtain has been rung up during the week
at q Couple of theaterS ana the season Dy
this token may be said to have technically
-begun, the grand opening is yet To Come
No one feels that the season is oIen. The
awakening is not complete Tfere Is a
grunt and blink and shrug, as when
one is called too soon from late morning
sIurnbers, but the drowsy feeling is still
with US.
The past seven days have been busy days
of rehearsal The sta ge managers and pro-
ducers are the hardest worked people In the
profession, next To the new soubrette VINO
graduated last June from the school OF
acting, and row has two speeches In an
otherwise long thinking part. You can sse
her every morning with her manuscript OF
one pa ge and elaborate cover strutting with
her proud anG conscious step out from the
Oblivion Of the Tenth street boarding houses
to the soltariness of crowded Broadway
She i S more of a burden to the stage mail
ager than all the others OF the company,
but she is unconscious OF it and pursues
her fancy, first awakened when she read
the allurlng prospectus Of her school ol
acting, OF how one day she viii be leading
woman and will 'Just show the others.
May Irwin is busy rehcarsinE her sue
cessful comedy OF last year, The Widow
Jones" Her company viii remain in most
respects as IT was last year. met them all
at the opening rehearsal at the GarricE
Thursday, ana saw aan the old people but
Sally Cohen. John c. Rice and Annie Suth-
erIand. They are succeeded by Eta Gil
roy. Charles Dickson and Hattie Williams.
She opens in Boston. September Z.
At the Bijou the labors begin at in the
morning and end, at IN Tic afternoon.
Edward Harrigan is the presiding geniu,
here. and is producing his new play. Harii
gan is a hard tasknaster. He makes
players repeat and repeat on the minutcst
details.
John Drew and his company are labor
on Rosemary" at the Empire. and at the
Lyceum reIearsals on stephens An Enc
my of the KING are progressing under Mr.
SotherD and Dan Froamaus direction.
Travelling as well as stock companies are
occupying the stages or every theater and
hall in town.
TWO OPENINGS.
The Garrick opened last Monday night
with the confirmation OF the run OF Thor
Oughbred." which was one of The latest of
last years predictions TO succumb TO the
hot weather. Tic cast is the same as when
the spring run closed. Thomas @. Sea-
brooke. Joseph Humphreys and FltZ Viii,
laIns are the life of the farce OF whose
merits you will have q Chance To judge
before very many months in Washington
" W1tlIGt reIfl.i1n iOnk dItuc anu
II is booked for early Washingto ton production
when il goes on tour.
The other production opened the Star
Theater. 1t was revival Of David
Belasco's "Under the Polar Star" which
was first acted on the Pacific coast a dozen
years ago Several of the pla yers who 1p-
peared in the original cast acteGia Thursda y
nights performance. not ably w. H. Thorn
son az the Eskimo guide. Tho play Is
,I.,Ir a o<.f
Mr.. Belasco pitched into the fray and di-
rec;ed the production himself. The event
stimulated more interest Than mclodramatit
product iols usually do and fine first night
audience was present. An attractive ne "
leading woman was brought back TO the
stage in this play. She is Grace Hcnder-
suiI, wife Of the Chicago extravaganza pro-
ducer. Tie rchcarsals jf this play were
charged with n line irony TO the otserv.nt
but the actors themselves We're so in earnest
in their work and SO engaged with their di-
rector's magnetism, that they did not 81 EN-
To motto. the huiEor OF the situation. L was
coming up Broadway Tuesday and thoughti
should drop cr prostration unless | Sought
shelter. The Stars fr0ntdo were at hand
and your SaHs-Gere went in. With the
therinon.ctcr ill the 9G's the players We're
acting with all seriousness the scene in the
ice fields where they fr.,elc 10 Ceath. They
simulated fatal freczing with the per-
spiration streaming off their faces. Not
a bad idea for Ross ard FeEtoD To taxi snld
on for their burIesqucs of popular plays.
MAGGIE CLINE'S LABORS.
Maggie Cline's manager won't tell yo;
that the Eew soubrette Is the hardest work
ed woman in New York. He G aims that tiis-
tinction for his Celtic nightingale. Have
you ever seen her at tie capital? If you
haven't you have trifle in life TO live for.
Maggie S learning her new part in "Or
Broadway the play In which she is tC
star this year. If there is any one thing 10
this world of theatrical trouble and af-
Fiction that Miss Cline finds to be diff
cult of accomplishment it is tie learning oi
new lines. on the first night of her songs
she cannot for her life remember the words
She pores over them most industriousiy IN
advance, gives them hours and days aDd
nights OF Eard study, but no sooner does
the orchestra leader start the first bar al
introduction than tie words are gone and
she is Lopelessly befoyEei.
A less experienced and resOurceful vo-
calist than Miss Cline would break down
under such circumstances. But not 90
Miss Cine She talks banteringly to the
conductor, makes breezy little speech to
the friendly boys in the gallery, and all
tie time she is cudgeling her brains for tt se
missing lines Even when one of her gal
lery friends calls out, as / heard him one
night ut Tony Pastors, Now, then, Mag
gle. come, now: what you givin' us:
Where's them words. Maggie?'' Miss Cline
is not to be Disconnected, but answers
hack Iaughingiy till the lost couplet recurs
70 her
II this is the way Ii Is with mere songs,
I don't know what Miss Cline is going
TO do with a speaking part OF average
length. 1 believe. as l have said, that
she is the hardest worked woman in New
York today. studying for her coming ap-
pearance rs dramatic star.
PROSPECTIVE OPENINGS.
When John Drew opens at the Empire
Thcater. the 31st of the month. he will
have au ACTOR assolistcd with him who
has for five years been an apparent fix
,ure with Richard Mansfield. he is Daniel
Harkins. Others in the company will lie
Maud Adam Arthur Bryon. Harry Har-
wood Ethel Barr ymorc, Frank Lamb, An
nie Adams. Louis Baker, and Joseph Hum
rhreys. who will leave Thoroughbred
TO join this company. Joe is busy ttcse
days He studies his part and directs
Rosemary during the day, and at night
he play in Thoroughbred This is
Drew's fifth season as star under Charles
Frohman's management.
Manager Augustus PitoJ reopens the
Grand Opera House Saturday evening, u
gust 20. when new sensational melodrama
by Scott Marble, called The Cotton Spin
ner.' will ne given its first production on
any stage. One Of the important scenes will
show the interior of Il cotton mill, with all
the vast machinery in motion ant many op-
orators at work. Following THE Cotton
Spinner Manager Pitou is to present some
of the most popular Combinations now be-
fore the public. The list includes The War
of Wealth. .'Chimmie Fadden," Sandow'S
Olympia, Maggie Cline. Excelsior, Jr.,' y
"Power of the Press The Prisoner OF
"Zenda,' Peter F. Daley, The Sporting
Duchess. THE Lady Siavey," "Too Much
johnson" May Irwin an Primrose & West
The Ecurfeenth Street Iheatar renEens