Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-12-28

INENT IN WHEELING SOCIETY T..
Al SERIES OF PRETTY STAGE
PICTURES AND BEAUTIFUL
TERPsuCHOREAN n Y NJ E s
GIVEN UNDER THE AUSPICES OF
THE PARISH GUILD OF ST. MAT
T,HEWaS CHURCH.
The first performance of Ben Hur, the
spectacular paMomime given uno~r the
auspices of the Parish Guild of Sd. Mat
thews F. E. church, took place at the
Opera House last night, and was VIII
messed by large and appTeciatiVe audi-
ence.
The entertainment is probably the flrst
of its character ever witnessed on
Wheeling stage, and the presentation as a
whole fully merited the unstinted praise
bestowed by all those who were so for
tunate as to be present.
The pantomime is magnihcently cos
tuned and staged, and some of the tab
leaux and scenes presented are of the
most brilliant living pictures that have
ever been seen upon the Opera House
stage The calcium lights added greatly
to the production, and ii is safe to say
that those who have not yet witnessed the
spectacle may expect something OF sur
prise.
1t is proper here to say that the green
light used last night adds nothing to the
good features of the presentation, but
greatly detracts from the. same. 1t has
the effect of showing the makeup of
every performer.
The Opera House orchestra, with Mrs.
Alex. Glass at the piano, played during
the entire performance.
The opening scene in the lonely desert
with Mr. John b. Wilson as Balthazar,
and the arrival of Mechoir, Mr.. W. f.
H Caldwell and the closing OF same
scene with Mr. Morgan Berger as Casper
was warmly applauded.
Major Ram Stalnaker, as Joseph, and
Mrs. Harry c.. Whitaker as Mary, with
Mr.. Tom Sweeney./as the Rabbi Samuel,
closed the second scene.
Mr. j. D. Dubois made an excellent
King Herod, and the scene with the three
Wise Men in the Palace received much
applause Charles Killmeyer, as Ben
I1ur and VIII Brice, as Young MESSIAH, in
the quarrel in the palace gardens, closed
the younger life of Ben Idur with pretty
tableaux.
Mr. Edward b. Franzheim as the elder
Ben Hur fautlessly rendered his part.
His makeup was excellent, and he de-
served the appreciation manifested by the
audience.
Mr. Julian G. Hearne, as Messiah, the
elder, was creditable indeed. Col Ned
Stalnaker, as Simonides; win Cas-ell, as
Sheik; Platoff Zane, as Sanballat and
Major Norton. as Thord, We're excellent.
and the audience was of the same opin-
ion as the writer
All the ladies acquitted themselves well
and covered themselves with g'~ry. All
made up admirably. MS Alice
McCabe held her established reputation
as an amateur in her portrayal of Tirzah
Mrs DR.. E. C. Myers was another of the
performers who we'll earned the generous
applause she received lras> Miss
Florence Atkinson as Amrah, acted her
part in a graceful and painstaking man
ner: Miss Gussie Wright, as the mother
OF Ben H,ur, and Miss Eva Wilson, as
Esther, deserved the generous approval
bestowed by the auditors.
Mr. Robert c. Darrah recited the Char
lot Race. Mr. Darrah demonstrated his
ability as declaimer He spoke without
a hitch or halt, ana kept his hearers 50
interested in the description of the ex
citing contest, that when the climax was
reached by the presentation of the racing
tableauX his auditors were almost con
WINGED that they were witnessing real
chariot race 1t must also be said to MI
Darrahs credit that he wass only called
on at the eleventh hour to prepare for
the difficult part.
Misses Gene Waterhouse, Ethel Bailey
and Flora Stifel posed as statuary. The
audience manifested its appreciation.
Miss Edna Miller, Queen of the Arab. ans
and Zanetta Queen of Butterflies, por-
trayed by Mss Gertrude Harris. gave
the audience AN IDEA of the sort of crea-
lures they were. Their dancing deserved
applause. Miss Irma Kraft, Thalia,
was a favorite from the start, and her
Dance was loudly applauded.
The dances under the following chaper-
ones were very beautiful, and the young
ladies showed careful preparation in their
execution of the various steps All kept
excellent time:
Naiads-Chaperons, Mrs. Platoff Zane
and Mrs. Gibson Lamb Misses June
Bradley Blanche Brown, Nell Brown,
Stella Commerford. Laura DalZelE Vir-
ginia Moffat, Genevieve Ewing, Ethel
Ewing, Nell Humphrey, Charlotte john
son, Rebecca Morgan, Edith Noise, Annie
Reymann, Alice Caldwell, Frances
Wheat, Emma Ewing
Priestesses of Apollo--Chaperons Mrs
Frank j. Hearne Mrs Hulihen Quarter
and Mrs. w. A. Isett; leader Miss Sara
Brockunier. Mrs Allan Wheat Misses
Alice Brady, Louise Lamb, Eleanor Brice
Edith Carr, Frances List, Martha. List
Bertha Mccoy.
Egyptian NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Mrs
w A. Isett and Miss. Gene s. Friend
Misses Mamie Grub, Frances Wheat
Grace Hoge. Sue Caldwell.
Nymphs of Daphne Chaperons. Mrs. j.
s. Gibbs and Mrs j. ]. Holloway Misses
Julia Kirk, Nellie Prayer, Edna Ewing
Nell Gilchrist.
Arabian Girls Frolic-Chaperon. Mrs
w a. Isett. Misses Sarah Kirk. Cert
rude Dillon. BESSIE English, Hester Brady
Margaret Glass. Elizabeth Steenrod.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Mrs. l. G.. Dbl
lon and MRS. JEANNE Hendershott. Miss s
Madelyn Bloch, Margaret BRADY Eleanor
Mcclure, Eleanor Glass. Josephine Robin
son, Alice Miller, Monte Wickham, Bessie
Meder, Amy Meder, Evelyn Refer. Isabel
Caldwell, Xie Swift.
Sprites' Fantasia-Chaperons Mrs. B.
Misses Martha Lee Robinson, Florence
Garrison, Sara Garrison.
The sale of seats for to-night's perform