The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-05
THE WEEKS PLAY BILLS
MARIE DRESSLER AT ENGLIsH'S
WITH "COURTED INTO COURT"
Mrs. Fiske in "Tess," KelIar, the Ma
gician, and Joseph Jefferson as
Grip, Later in the Week.

Magnetic, likewise athletic Marie Dress
Ter will be here tomorrow night at Eng
lish's Opera House, the occasion being the
initial presentation Of John j. McNally's
latest effort in the farce-comedy field, en-
titled "Courted Into Court" The Dressler' s
stage career has been fairly meteocic. 1t
was begun but a few years ago and at the
very bottom rung of the operate ladder
the chorus. She gave almost immediate evil
dence of being the possessor of undoubted
talents in the field of her chosen profession.
fact quickly realized by managers of
things theatrical. Miss Dressler's first en-
gagement of Importance was in the Rob-
Der of the Rhine" an opera that fouri3hed
at one time. After successful season with
that organization she joined the forces of
Americas operate queen, Lillian Russell,
with whom she remained one season, APP
pearing with much success in the prima
donnas production of prince Pro TEN"
The following year she was engaged by
Camille d'Arville and created the role of
Mary Doodle, the erstwhile widow in THE
Magic Kiss a character in which Miss
Dressler scored very heavily.
The next year found her enrolled in The
acting forces of that king Of burlesque pro-
extravaganza, 1892" A long engagement
with Canary and Lederer followed, and I'M
der the management of that firm Marie orig
mated several characters which had de-
cided tendency to accentuate her ca
reer and likewise to place her with
in visual range of that spot so
dear to the hearts of all thespians the
center of the stage. Then she made hits in
THE Lady Slavey,' and later in the music
halls. She contracted the vaudeville fever
and played a long engagement at Roster u
Balls, in New York, in burlesque called
"Tess, of the VaudeVilleS." Miss DrosSler
has a brilliant record of successes. She
made quite a hit with Eddie Foy's "Of the
Earth" spectacle but left the company the
week before it appeared in Indianapolis, so
that her present engagement with "Courted
Into Court" will be her first appearance
here since she became famous fun-rnaker
and comedy star.
Should any one have an invitation to dine
with Kellar the magician, when he comes
for his performance at English's Thursday
night, he would do we'll to go prepared for
emergencies. In a Broad-street restaurant
in Philadelphia, the other day, number or
newspaper men were lunching with Magi-
clan Kellar. Mr.. Kellar is "a delightful en-
tertainer and his stories of India and the
weird doings of the Mahatmas are always
of absorbing interest. He is very fond of
a practical joke now and then, and, While
he RECALLED his friends with the best sort
of stories, he was working their downfall
After luncheon several bottles of beer and
ale were ordered and the waiter drew the
corks. The boys, one after another picked
up the bottles and essayed to pour their
contents into their respective glasses, but
the liquids refused to flow The waiter was
called and asked to draw the supposed bro
ken fragments of cork. He showed, how
ever, that the corks had all come from the
bottles in perfect condition. Before further
arguments could be had Kellar picked up
the bottles in rapid succession and broke
each of them with a knife handle. out
dropped live oysters, hard-Shell crabs, live
eel, and, last of all, a guinea pig. The
boys looked at their drinks" in amaze
ment and silently stole out of the place,
each thinking the joke was on the other
fellow. The story leaked out, as matter
Philadelphia to-day to whom the nicknames
of Guinea" and Lobster" will stick for
many a day.
Joseph Jefferson, who will be at English's
next Saturday night. in RIP Van Winkle.'
played that piece in London thirty years
ago. Appreciation of American actors is
none too common in England, but Mr.. JEFF
ferson was we'll received at that time in the
raised against him. His reception in Lon
don has never been forgotten by the older
English theater-goers, who place him as
high his admirers this side. With
his advancing years his art has ripened and
his RIP" is proving record breaker thus
far this