The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-24
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ADJUSTMENTS.

Augustus Thomas9 Indiana play, 1.-THE
Hoosier Doctor which Digby Bell will
bring to the Grand Christmas matinee and
night, is said to have given the genial
comedian the opportunity of his life. The
title role, which Mr. Bell impersonates is
reputed to combine pathos and comedy, and
by his artistic Interpretation of them he
has surprised his most ardent admirers
THE Hoosier Doctor is a combination of
self-sacrifice, gentleness and humor. He is
widower with three grown daughters and
mother-in-law, whose sole object in life,
apparently, is to find fault with everybody
IN general and her son-in-law in particular.
She is an obstacle in all his efforts >, sue
coed in life. The doctors efforts in life have
been exceedingly checkered, until, as the
comedy opens he has just succeeded in
graduating at the head of his class with
honors as medical practitioner. His moth
er-in-law's termagant qualities eventually
become so unbearable that to secure the
heart affection denied him at his own fire.
side the doctor consummates clandestine
second marriage with an attractive widow
and through the dual life led by him in this
secret marriage and the hours passed with
his Wife, whom he represents as patient
named Robinson, many contretemps arise
and the more prominent comedy scenes of
the play are developed. Toward the finale
SelI-constltuted whhe-capping COMMITTEES
headed by his mother-in-law visits the doc
tor and his bride for the purpose of disciplin-
ing them in approved White Cap fashion.
Through this foundation of plot are in
terwoven many comedy episodes and sew
eral pretty love scenes and pathetic bits that
are SAID to be complete departures from
scented by playwrights
me organization supporting Mr.. Bell con-
siStS or the following well-known actors:
.IOVr6
garet Dale owen, Emma Butler, Viola Miles,
Mamie Fulton, Estelle Marbury and little
Ethel vance, and the MessrS. Arthur Hoops,
Frank Monroe, Herman Hirschberg, Gage
Clarke, Harry S. Robinson, Joseph J.. Trea-
e Ss Bert Bayard, Charles Edwards. Edward
dicates large Christmas audiences.
There are only few of them left, those
veterans of the American stage-Jefferson,
Couldock and Stoddart, and none of them
has a record more enviable than the last
named in the list Stoddarts distinguished
appearance has attracted the attention of
everyone about the Denison Hotel this week,
where THE Sporting Duchess" stars have
been taking their Christmas vacation. Sew
enty years ago, in Scotland, J. II. Stoddart
saw the light of day, and his dramatic use
fulness has extended over period of six
ty-four years. His sxty-thrd anniversary
on the stage was marked in New York last
January by the actors and managers pre-
senting him with golden loving cup. In
all these years Mr.. Stoddart has never had
play produced for the sole purpose of al
lowing HIM to star, although he has been
stellar feature OF notable metropolitan
successes for nearly thirty years. His first
opportunity Will come next year, when
frank Perley and F. NJ Ranken will pro-
duce the matization of Rev. Dr. Wat
sons dan MacLaren) THE Bonnie Brier
Bush" The veteran Stoddart seems as hap
py with his coming stellar debut as any
young leaolng man who has become the IDOL
of the matinee girls. The old doctors char
acter will be well suited to Stoddart. He
began his professional career in Glasgow,
where his father and brother were perform
ing, and is Scotch TO the bone. He assisted
the older members of the family receiving
from pence to a shilling a performance
the salary depending or his being cast for a
thinking or speaking part. He came to
America when little more than thirty years
of age and joined the company of the elder
Waliack in the old stock days. Stoddart's
present role in THE Sporting Duchess is
said 10 suggest strongly his thrilling por-
trayal OF Ola Moneypenny, the character in
THE Long Strike, which made him famous
in America and which he played the last
time he was ever seen in INDIANAPOLIS neartv
thirty years ago.
The veteran tells a story for the truth of
an incident at the play OF The Long Strike"
one night at Laura Keenes New York
theater. then one of the fashionable houses
OF the C.. city. Stoddarts Old Moneypenny, the
Strike standing-room success. On the
night in question there was what the papers
would call a brilliant audience Boxes dress
circles and parquet were packed. Just in
front of a friend of Mr.. Stoddart in the
parquet, sat d young bride and her husband
evidently on wedding tour. In the play a
mill owner has been murdered. Suspicion
rests on young man engaged as one of the
mill hands. The only person who could prove
an alibl is a sailor who went To Liver
pool to ship for a long voyage and is sup
posed to be on his way to sea. Away down
the Mersey Is the head lighthouse that
connects with the Office in IiyerDoOl by fele-
graph The young girl. determined to save
her lover goes to old Moneypenny and in
duces him TO take her case. The lawyer sees
that he can just get the sailor back Law
yer and girl hasten to Liverpool to get the
snip slEnaled, so that she may stop and send
the sailor home. The scene in the telegraph
office is heart-rendng, the old lawyer fuss
ing and fuming, the girl crying as il her
heart would break, while crouching in cor