Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1898-11-13
Extraordinary Cast En-.
ployedIn Catherine.
Terriss' Son Now an
American Actor.
Rialto Chat.
Copyright, 1898. ]

who entered the stellar ranks last
year, is in most places playing to ca
pacity. Maude adams is doing per-
haps the largest business in the United
States. Alice Nelson might have re-
NAMED at Wallack's theatre in this
city throughout the season if arrange
mentS with reference to time could
have been made with her successors.
Viola Allen is filling the Knicker-
booker nightly, and now along comes
pretty faced, sweet little Annie Rus
sell with Henri Lovedan's four act
comedy, entitled Catherine" in which
she has achieved a positive triumph.
Critics may differ as to the precise
merit of Catherine" as a dramatic
structure, but all will agree that never
in the history of theatricals in this
country has more remarkable cast
been put together for the exploitation
of one play. That in ITSELF is enough
to make the production of Catherine"
remarkable. The cast in full follows:
Duke de Coutras. ........ Frank Worthing
JeOrge Mantel.. oSeph Holland
N WALTON. ,....,.......W. j. LIE Moyne
Baron Frouard. G.. Savflle
n. Lucas. Robert Hickman
Frederic. Francis Sedgwick
Duchesse de Coutras. ....................
Sara Cowell-Ie Moyne
catherine WALTON. Annie Russell
Helene, V1scountesS de Grissolles......
Elsie de Wolfe
Baroness Frouard. -. Dora Goldthwaite
Madeleine de Coutras. Ethel Barrymore
Blanche WALTON. May Buckley
Jeanne. George Mendum
Aoulse..'.......... Marion Kirk
The story of Catherine" in it's main
oil
Romance of Poor Young Man." ex-
cept that in this case there is a hero
inc instead Of hero. The play is
probably, from a commercial stand
point impracticable for the road. in
as much as no sane manager would be
foolish enough to attempt to send
company of such uniformly high priced
artists on tour, as IL would be impossi-
BILE for the receipts to be large enough
to enable the ledger to make a salts
factory showing. Of course a few of
the very large cities may be visited by
Catherine" with the original cast, but
it may be said, if the opinions of
shreWd and time-tried judges of dra-
matte material count for aught, that
Catherine" will never do with an in
erior company. The play is too COM
monplace for any such experiment to
hold out the slightest promise of sue
cess; in fact, almost every one in New
York is agreed that if Catherine" had
been interpreted by any less remark
able aggregation OF players its career
here would have been a decidedly short
and to its exploiters an unpleasant
one.
There are very few bad people in
Catherine" Nearly every one is good.
The heroine is music teacher who is
loved by a man far above her in the
social scale. She wins the first prize
at the Conservatoire, and the young
duke is fascinated by her. When he
suggests the possibility of an alliance
with the music teacher, his aristocratic
mother endeavors with every argument
at her command to dissuade him, but
he is deaf alike to entreaty and per-
suasion, and the parent, like sensible
woman finally yields. This is perhaps
the only really novel bit in the whole
play.
There is at least one situation which
in the hands of less conscientious peo
pie might be made decidedly risque,
but on the whole the morale is excep-
tionally good. Miss Russell's well
known naturalness OF method won her
a well earned triumph, but the honors
of the production unquestionably go to
Mrs. Sara Cowell-Le MOyne, than
whom there is no better artistic in her
line of work on the American stage.
But it would be difficult, as it is I'M
necessary to mention any member OF
the cast who does not give an eXcep-
tionally fine rendering of the role in
trusted to him or her, and, remarkable
as it may seem, it is nevertheless TACT
that it will probably be many days ere
New York again sees the like OF the
Catherine" cast
]. H. Stoddart, the veteran actor
whose stellar venture in dramatlza-
ton of the Beside the Bonnie Brier
Bush stories was not the most glitter
ing success which the American stage
has known during the past decade, ana
whose plunge into vaudeville created
genuine stir in dramatic circles, is
about to forSake the continuous houses,
as, every one expected he would do,
and return to the field in which his
magnificent art will have at least
qualified opportunity to shine. The
vehicle selected for his re-entree into
the legitimate is entitled Red, White
and Blue" AS may be supposed, it is
a patriotic drama of a somewhat lurid
type. Mr.. Stoddart's role will be that
Of Father Savage, a naval chaplain,
and the promoters of the piece may
rest satisfied in the consciousness THAT
whatever there is in the part of Faith
er Savage will be developed to the full
by this veteran and sterling actor.
London theatrical circles have gone
daft on the question of municipal
theatre. The Coincide Franchise Of
Paris is cited there, as it was cited here
ayear or two ago when a similar prop
osition was brought forward, and Beer
bohm Tree has made a strong speech
in its favor, declaring that by means
of such an institution British dramatic
art will be given a boost that could
be obtained through no other agency.
AS Tree is about the last man in Eng
land who would be supposed to look
with favor upon such a scheme the
advocates of the municipal theatre
were all in high feather. Wilson Bar
rett had been counted upon as a GER
tain ally and when he came out with
a strong argument against an English
temple of amusement there was con-
sternation in the ranks of the faithful