Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-11-21
, This Weeks Attractions.
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Coates-All week, "My Friend From
India"
Auditorium-An week, ga Celestial
Maiden and vaudeville.
Grand-All week, Ward and yokes in
h Governors"
Ninth Street-AH week, the Payton
Dramatic Company.
Academy of Music-This afternoon,
Philharmonic orchestra concert.
Having achieved fame in all the Eastern
cities, and after a brilliantly successful
tour of the Pacific coast, MY Friend From
India" returns for a limited engagement
at the Coates opera house for Thanks
giving week. commencing Monday evening
next with a special matinee on a
| giving day. 1t will be remembered the
osophy is the theme of the play, and much
merriment is gotten out of it. H. A. Du
Souchet, the dramatist who struck such
4 good thing in the idea of this play, was
a telegraph operator and is still such,
as he declined to allow his head to be
turned by the success of the play. There
are a great many funny situations in the
+. Ward, John B. Maher, Helen Reimer,
Nita Allen have congenial parts.
The story in a general way Is probable
oAiN AiiC u u Oil iuN-
ural when the conditions are considered,
and as a complete work, my Friend From
India" possesses the Irresistible charm Of
erous Endorsement. Take. for instance, the
mirror scene" where Helen Reimer, as
Mrs. Beekman-Streete, views herself,
she sees not her own reflection, but that
of John F. Ward, as Keene Shaver,
disguised as her very counterfeit. The
ingenuity that brought about this scene and
the many little bits of business that
go to max part of it is of the very high
est order, and can scarcely fail to win sue
cess in other ventures upon the line of
farce comedy.
"a Celestial Maiden is a pretty title for
a play. and it is likely to prove especially
attractive to the patrons of the Audito-
rum, for 1t is the first Chinese drama to be
presented in this city. Much has been
written about the success of the Chinese
play, which is the theatrical novelty of this
season. The merits of Francis Powers
'The First Born" and Chester Bailey Fer
which jumped from New York hits into
London, failures. have been discussed far
b b1v d Mide e. t Their IF failure ibnt a abroad BAD Iva Mas RIobs.
did not fully. grasp the Chinese-American
significance Of the little stories. or sketches,
for they really do not rise to the dignity of
"A Celestial Maiden" however, is a three
act melodrama, said to be full Of action and
iitNa oiu uilC " pDpuldT
taste than either of the successors that in
spired IT. This play. which is the work Of
man is controlled by Thomas b. Bates.
VINO has staged and costumed it deliberately
and presented It with distinct success in
several of the Pacific coast cities and in
Denver. MI. Bates has been in Kansas
City for a week experimenting the re-
h%earsals Of the play by the Woodward COM
pany.
The story is that of a rich merchant of
Chinatown. who goes to Canton for his
promised sSd bride; to discover upon his arrival
fluids BY the assistance of a fortune teller
friend, Ii Ching, a high official in one of
the Tongs. He attempts to rescue her. but
fails. and Ii Ching, fearful Of exposure.
girl is restored to her lover. while Ii Z Ching
the same vault in which the first murder
was to have taken place.
The first act is laid in a street in China
town. the second is the interior Of a Joss
house, while the third is in an underground
orium den. Among the incidentals are a
Sn,nsSie w web piaS Snd ea ths t Snin aissea form cba Of
four white.
be Barney Fagen and Henrietta Byron in
a lively comedy sketch. and the Doherty
troupe of French poodles. while there will
pictures. This weeks bill should prove
even more attractive than nave the inter
esting revivals of old plays at this theater.
The engagement Of Ward and Vokes and
their big troupe. presenting 1.-The Gov
%ernors." at the Grand opera house for
Thanksgiving week. commencing this after
noon, with the usual weekday matinees
Thursday and Saturday. promises a gen.
uine treat to lovers of that kind of enter
tainment called farce comedy. OF the play
We can as yet say little: it is probably as
much of a play as the average vehicle
which travels. under the same flag: but of
Ward and Fokes and the individual artists
with whom thew are surrounded for THE