The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-11-27
COGHLAN AT ENGLIsH's.
The Distinguished ActOr-AuthOr to Be
Seen in s"Fhe Royal Box


At English's next Friday and Saturday
matinee and evening the distinguished artist
Charles Coghlan and his company of play
ers will present Mr.. Coghlan's romantic
drama, 1.-THE Royal Box" The play, while
It is original in all it's vital aspects of story
plot and situations, scenes and characters,
was rewritten and remodeled by Mr. Cogh-
Ian from Alex. Dumas "Kean, or the Dis
order of Genius The production is the
same that was given in New York and
which has been Coghlan's greatest success
in years. The story is one of intense dra-
matte interest, containing novel situations
and strong climaxes. 1t is divided into five
acts. The first scene shows a reception in
the Swedish embassy in London; the sec
ond the lodgings of Clarence, the actor;
third, the public room of the Cat and Fid-
die" Inn at Savoy; fourth, the actors dress
ing room in the Drury Lane Theater, and
fifth, the stage of the Drury Lane Theater,
on which the balcony scene from Romeo
and Juliet" is being presented. The sixth
scene takes the actor back to Clarence's
lodgings. The story involves the then
Prince of Wales, who afterwards became
George ~ of England, together with the
swedish ambassador and his fascinating
wife Countess Helen; a beautiful young girl
or great wealth who becomes stage-struck;
the notorious Lord Bassett, the Marquis of
Queensberry of that time, and actors of the
Drury Lane Theater. The scenes are all
laid in London and the action of the play
takes place in the year 1910 at a time just
preceding the regency of the Prince of
Wales, Clarence is wildly in love with
Countess Helen. who returns his inflammation
in a frivolous way, at the same time accept
Ing the attention of the Prince of Wales
The secret meeting Of the countess and the
actor in his dressing room at the Drury
Lane Theater. their mutual declaration Of
love and the. actors quarrel with the
Prince of Wales in which the prince tells
will elf in "a
during the performance for which the actor
Clarence is then dressing, creates in the
prince, which eliminates in his denunciation
Of the royal proligate during the balcony
scene as the prince sits In the box with the
countess. In the denunciation situation, a
scene within a scene actually occurs pre-
senting not only fragment of the balcony
4cene Of Romeo and Juliet but also the
announcement of the Prince OF Wales by the
Rctor from the stage. his jealousy causing
him to forget his artificial character and
Express his mind to the prince in his proper
For 1.-THE Royal Box Mr.. Coghlan takes
one Of the regular stage boxes of the theater
and has 1t decorated as the one in Drury
Lane 1heater YVES ornamented in the year
$50, surmounted by the royal arms. Not
only is the finale Of the fourth act a great
che enc the piece has been described as one
which presents many dramatic surprises in
which Mr.. Coghlan stands forth dominating
avery incident by his masterful skill IS an
artist The opinion of critics wnersger it
has been seen. is that 1.-The Royal Box il
dramatic sensation of an intensely interest,"
ing character, and one of the most worthy
Productions made during the past ten years.
IL Is certainly the most powerful and most
successful productions that AR ~oghlan has
made and he has to his credit nine plays,
which were received with unusual favor by
Gheater-goerS. '"The Royal Box" will be pre-
scented here with almost the same identical
cast as was employed at the Fffth-avenue
Theater New York, and includes the names
Of the following players: Nora O'Brien,
Josephine Adams, Andrew Robson, Alex
ander Kearney, Palmer Collins, Charles
Stanley, Gertrude Coghlan, Taylor Gran
Edgar George Mortimer Weldon and many
others The production is also spoken Of as
one OF the most carefully staged in America
IA many years. Five complete sets of seem
~ are carried by the COMPANY.