Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-02-27
ALL OLD FRIENDS.
Little of Novelty in This Weeks
Theatrical Menu.
Northern Lights" and THE Pacific
MaiI'' Divide the Week at the Worces-
ter Theatre-A Mammoth Uncle
Tom Troupe Holds Forth at
Lothrop's About Play
ers in General

There is nothing especially new at the
theatres this week, but each attraction
represents a tried favorite. j. w. Har-
kins' Northern Lights" plays the first
half of the week at the Worcester The
atre, at popular prices, and the bright
farce, "The Pacific Mail" by Paul Pot
ter, comes on Thursday, Friday and
Saturday. Lothrop's points proudly to
it's engagement of AL W. Martins NAM
moth original "Uncle Toms Cabin" and
confidently expects a tremendous bust
ness.
NORTHERN LIGHTS" Z"
Although this is the third engagement
in this city within two years of Mr..
Harkins' play, there seems little
doubt that the house will be crowded
nightly, especially as the prices have
been fixed at a moderate scale. Mr..
Harkins is a Worcester playwright, and
anything from his pen is sure to be
virile sensational. ingenious and brim-
full of interest and action.
Northern Lights" is a typical Ameri-
can drama of the military order, all the
scenes being laid in Montana. The ac-
tion takes place in the Little Big Horn
valley, in June, 1876 when the United
States troops, under Gems. Crook, Terry
| and Gibbons, were to make a concerted
attack upon Sitting Bulls eneampment,
and recalls Clusters heroic charge. The
action of the play does not, however, de-
pend entirely upon Indian warfare, for,
in connection herewith, there is a most
interesting story of scientific crime. A
prominent character is a middle-aged
surgeon, whose heartless selfishness,
sometimes disguised as passionate
scientific interest, will allow nothing, not
even human life to stand in the way of
the scientific Investigations that he be-
lieves win bring him lasting fame. The
subject Of parental influence also plays
a prominent part in the unfolding of the
plot of the play. Perhaps the most in
teresting character, and one which is
entirely new to the stage, is John Swift
wind, fulI-blooded Sioux Indian, who
has been graduated at Yale. This char
acter, in some respects the good genius
Of the play, is studied sincerely, sym
pathetically and to fine effect While
the play abounds in thrilling scenes,
everything about it is produced in a
natural manner and with such effective
ness that the audience is kept in a state
of excitement to the very finish.
The company presenting Northern
Lights" this season is considered one of
the best ever seen in a play of this kind,
the principals including Robert Brod-
erick, Robert Neil, E. D. Denison, Fred
Mayer, Mart Kelsey, Will S. Gill, Frank
M Allen, ]. H. Ferris j. w. Horne.
Fred E. Jones. H. p Martin, Barrett
Lawrence, NJ. E. Mann, A. H Adams.
w. B. Evans, Albert Elmer. Arthur
Howard, Frank Sedgely, David Levy,
Lillian Brainerd, Ethelyn Palmer, Nellie
Callahan and Maureen Allen.
THE PACIFIC MAIL
The not posted reader would imagine
this play from its title to be a melo-
drama of the most lurid type; but it is
mot. 1t is on the contrary one of the
jolliest and brightest farces IMAGINABLE,
and was the vehicle of one of William
II cranes annual visits to this city.
Paul NJ. Potter, whose name is now no.
torious through having written the EN-
pire's salacious play THE Conquerors, -
and who also adopted "'Trilby' and lots
of other successful pieces, is the author
Iot this one. The story relates to frisky
business man and his suspicious wife,
and will be unfolded by such people as
r. E. Graham, Sydney ~Price, L. M.
Martell, Charles Craig, Marion Abbott.
Helen Lowell, Celie Ellis, Oracle Sher-
Wood and 16 others, including the great
est of all, Maggie Cline. The piece has
been remodeled to admit of divers musi-
cal Interruptions, so Maggie can THROW
'em down, McClosky," and sing other
ballads for which she is noted, to the
audiences highest satisfaction
Among the novelties presented for the
first time in this city is the famous Nine
Alexa, prima donna soprano and pupil
of Nine. Marchesi, who is said to pos
| sess a phenomenal voice. Mile Four
giere, the celebrated Partisan danseuse,
will present her remarkable dance en-
titled La belle Parisienne' The musi-
cal portion of the entertainment will be
under the leadership of Prof, Max Fehr-
mann. with an augmentad orchestra