The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-02-27
'PLAY BILLS THIS WEEK
ssTHE SUNSHINE OF PARADISE AL
LEY OPENS MONDAY AT ENGLIsHs.
WaIlicI<'s ssvhen London sleeps, All
Week at the Grand-ParIk and
Empire Attractions.

Paradise alIey-famous in song. notorious
sn crinne-has passed into history. Over
year ago the Board OF Health of New York
issued the fiat that the old building in the
alley, which has sheltered over one thou
sand human beings at one time, must go,
and the work of demolition has begun with
a view to turning 1t into park to be called
Paradise Park, and the policeman on the
beat views the proceedings with feelings
of gratitude. Paradise alley ran back from
sc Cherry street. In its time it has been
the rendezvous of the famous Cherry Hill
''Whyos' and other gangs Of desperadoes.
Many q policeman has left it's shadows
manned and bruised, and many a dark
crime has been perpetrated there. Yet the
old place is dear to certain people. Some
of those who lived in Paradise alley have
been law-abiding, honest, Woodworking
people, with their moments Of light-hearted-
ness The plunkety-plunk of the banjo, the
drone of the concertina and the shrill, If
not always melodious, voices in song have
often sounded there in token of easy con-
science. The brighter side of the alley has
found expression in the ballad of New
York bard. and Denman Thompson, of THE
Old Homestead fame. has dramatized the
now famous song and given to the stage
production that excited comment from the
first.
",The Sunshine Of Paradise Alley comes
to English's Monday night for three days
The play is divided into four pictures, each
one portraiture of localities and daily in
cidents in the big metropolis. The first one
is an East river dock scene, where the poor
East-siders are seen singing and dancing
and enjoying themselves in their owr pc
cular way. AS night comes on, the cabins
of the vessels tied up to the docks and the
ferry houses, the piers and the great Brook
lyn bridge are all lighted, one after the
other, and make an entertaining picture.
Picture two is the comfortable home of
Widow McNally, the mother OF Sunshine,
the guardian angel of the alley. The third
picture is the famous Paradise alley itself,
with its street lamps, rickety old stairs and
holes and stairs usually found in the slums
Despite their poverty. the inhabitants are
a happy lot. In this scene is witnessed the
reformation of Tom Watson, the drunkard.
He is the last one IN the alley to sign the
pledge, but he finally succumbs to the good
influence of Sunshine and by the childish
Offering Of doll to the policeman by his
little boy. The fourth picture is picnic
in Bronx Park, where the good people of
the alley are having an outing. OGrady is
anveigled into a game of football by the
Paradise alley team, and he makes touch
down. The piece is said to give opportunity
for as handsome and picturesque scenery as
has ever been seen in melodrama. The cleo
trical effects, notably the lighting of Brook
Iyn bridge and the electrical snowstorm,
were largely written about in the East. In
the company are twenty-four people, aud
nearly all have character parts. There is
also the Verdi Ladies Trio, whose speciality
is one of the best things in the production.
There will be a matinee Wednesday.
Grandchildren London Sleeps"
When London Sleeps" is the attraction
at the Grand all this week, opening to-
morrow night The piece was brought over
to this country by James H. Wallick, and
was seen here two years ago. 1t is by
Charles Darrell, English author, who
aas written a number OF successful melo-
drames. Mr.. Darrell has gone this time to
the circus ring for his principal characters
Most people hold in strong affection the
merry din and innocent fun of the tanbark
ring and hence peep behind the curtains
into one of the tragedies of human life, in
which the heroes of childhood play lead
ing part, appeals with force alike to curl
osity and sympathy. Queenie Carruthers,
the queen of the slack wire, it happens, is
cousin Capt Rodney Haynes, covets. She
becomes betrothed to David Engleheart, an
acrobat in the same company, who, In turn,
IS. the object of the passion of Hil0a Cor
rode, an equestrienne, whose overtures he
has rejected. When the heroine is made
aware OF her succession to the fortune
Captain Haynes and Hilda Corrode, who
turn out old acquaintance, conspire to
separate the two lovers, the captain to Sc
cure the heiress and Engleheart to be con-
soled by Hilda~ From this point onward
through a series of exciting episodes vir-
tue and villainy wrestle, and, needless TO
say, virtue comes out of the ordeal tri-
umphant. The title of the play is ostensibly
derived from one of the main and most
daring scenes-a house of nfamy into
which the heroine has been lured. OF
, course she is rescued by the hero. But the
villain is a man of resource He fires the
capes by treading the telegraph wires as
IN the circus ring. The villain, for the mo-
ment, exercises his ingenuity against the
hero, but the attempt fails and leaves him
free to rescue the much-wr0nged heroine
lust when she has been consigned to a
frightful death in the Temple of Somnath,
at the EarPs Court exhibition Here she
has been entrapped by the villain, who in
the disguise of Indian attendant, substf-
tutes her for the lay figure used in a realis-
tic Illustration of the cremation of Hindoo
widows. Among the twenty-four people 1t
takes to produce this play are w. NJ Far
num- Annie Barclay, G. III. TrueSdell, Vera
TSa Mole, William Il. Whitman, Elraa Gill
iette and others. The piece Is elaborately
staged. IT is popular-priced engagement
and matinees will be given Wednesday and
Saturday