Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-03-05

s,,~uu. :, uGd'r IA, mauNr"w",.! "i lh"~'
Two lupuIaI huG well knowu pli"t-. l.'n
y. St.N,is aud .luhu W. Nj
.b,ut N,um.y, Win" NJ. hikl ~ the
N''' ,uUu, lis # Ii" stage "lo"." and
Jefferson are also members 10y Vo.a'4"n.
DE Angels. %v",lt'ou and to" ilHI'is Of
~ nJsn, as p. is lami''ar5,
friends. is q tf"tou@niy interesting person
nl'ty. apart ti"un his SiaI,' connection. In
In" hrst place. h." is AN unusually wei bred
war. arr! a colN,i~IilonL.ist of excellent
gIal!lN. ~ - ra'nntcGI There IS 10 h"il,f
man .ilvuE tn select group OF IL, yer t"i-
lows al ina; GHiuHu organization called th..
Lambs ciub. ~ tar, IN with tn SOM
VIA; criminal phrase. .lelf "!Irgan young.
TO- lon parents w,r" both Old llYNtif.
Az! III" futur" comedian Md~ certainly al
stag. THIS interesting event happened
whele J'tf %iat!lcr and mother we'r play
ing ~ a LITTLE th"!t,r III ihos" days very
popular. but NOW fallen inio IN" s.re ana
yellow preceding oblivion. Jtn iath"r Wa
san Francisco Ministries which inc!!dta I'M,
old-:imc fayuriteS. l:ackus. iiir. n. Bernard
and the rest. and which ORGANIZATION has
never been approached in merit 10y III" Sloat
OF inll;ators which hav- followed and lasted
CELLS says that h. distinctly rrm"mh.rS
waking up on rh, stage OF this small san
Francisco ]th,ater; III iiIc daHS OF ~. .ai!s
infancy in . cradle, but be this as 1t may.
the fact remains that he mad. ms Nral
professional appoar:tncs on the siaGe i, Ne
ylll, housr int Philadelphia, still, standing
| bur away from III. pathway OF public popu-
larity. jcff continued III variety Tor sevgrat
wears. appearing az different times with
Il t~alrntc! sister. and Il. other times win
his father and sister in various Sketches
and snort plays.
bilious 10" better things, and. having ac-
uuir,d a considerable sum OF money
through those rarest virtues of a mumniers
mnke-up. economy ard frusllity. he con-
ccived The idea o: organizing a ranatl
company for a tour of that distant FL Dor
that year until i>>4 JEFF not only toured
Australia, but covered India, China ana
Japan as well. His sister and a few other
clever and versatile San Francisco. players
were the nucleus Of q company which from
death and acquisitions changed III qualty
and quantity TO u great extent before
it wound up again in the city which he
loves and still calls his home-San Francis
co. During this tour. jeff spent some time
in Manila. and many are the stories which
he relates of Spanish suspicion and trick
cry. liShtered by many tales of charming
hospitality. This band Of strolling players
under the daring De Angels produced all
sorts and conditions Of things dramatic and
2psratic: which included rCaSte' our
aMEaseotta' '"; Lights Of LSndon. Oil
vette," and other plays and light opera.
-Four years OF hard work and incessant
nents. fell TO the lot Of The actor-manhSer.
hut at til" end of that tine he came out
with Il snug sum of money.
y brief list of the places visited in the
four years ought TO possess some interest
for the reader Of to-day. as well as TIL"
ambitious a%srirant who thinks that life
behind the footlightS is one glamorinG
"cin.h' OF glory. First to Australia. thence
TO China. Manila. Singapore. India. thence
10 Africa. where Natal. Cape Town. the
were visited: then to Queensland. the
Nauritius islands. teylon and Japan: a re-
turn visit TO Manila. where the company
Was playing at the time of the frigntful
earthquake which shook that beautiful
Island of LlZon.,one OF the Philippines. in
which our people are 50 much interested
and from this city. the str"lliug players
returned to their homes in San Francisco.
by way Of the Sandwich islands. From !S>4
crown in public favor. as well as in artist
ic ability. and to-day he is recognized as
one OF TIE Tour i.aders Of light comic opera.
James y. Herne does not believe in fol-
lowing old time methods in stage art.
When he wrote and first produced his ia
NOUS problem play. Margaret Elem ng.'
a hue and cry was heard that
yaues SWepi from ocean to ocean.
"S The. play was so unique. 50
uernes original and SO daring that the
Work. public did not know whether
to praise or condemn it. As il
* easiest TO condemn a work
OF This nature, there WAS little hesi'ancy,
and Mr.. fi"rne was forced 10 Withdraw his
work. This all happened less than ten
years ago. ana yet to-day the remembrance
OF the lev representations given of Mar
Saret fl"mii= is frequently resulted and
MI i HAS i''l! urged. again ana AGAIN
10 rtviV" the play. Offers have even come
L" the artor-dramatist for Margaret Elem
iLs from London. Berlin and Vienna.
Thcss who Were fortunate enough 10 see
IN" piece say, ii was unuucStioiibly the
most powerful problem play ever written
by an American, but the truths il set forth
plays Of ibsen. Mast@riinak. Ha lnHlisn.
and Sudermann this work OF Mr.. EIrrie's
was hot depressing, bat. on tn. contrary.
uplifting and eievating and taught a great
lesson III morality.
Of its wants. Mr.. Hcrnc did not despair hut
Immediately set himself /" work on "Shur.
Acres Again there were innovations and
famous play passed through the hands of
every prominent manage in this country.
Yet none of them seemed L" want il. Then
came an offer for its production with Il
stock company in Chicago. This WAS in
My. 1s'2 and the eminent theatrical man
ager. j. III. NcNickcr. sat in Judgment. He
uS"lced on certain changes and insisted
that the last SCENTS Sr.Itest-of the play
b.. cut out. Even, this did not quite kill
Shore Acres" and at least one discerning
critic tNr. Barrett Eastman predicted its
popular success. New England plays have
been written bcfur. and some have been
"Shor" Acres" sill remains the sweetest
and pur.sr play OF lis kind ever produced
on iLt American stage.
WIKI James \. II -rncS latest play. "Grif-
nth davenport" the public is sti!l unftmil-
Helen II. Gardeners successful novel. y
Unofficial Patriot" lis scenes are lad at
Stony Mead, Va. ana Washington, l.. e..
ana II treats OF the social. civil and sthi-
cal conditions that obtained just previous
10 the civil war. II was first produced at
Washington on January IL ana has lust
closed a four weeks engagement il New
York city. II WAS recognized as Il rare
work al stage art. but certain changes viii
have Ia Il" mate 10 make Griffith pavou-
port" popular wiki all classes Of th-atvr
gOcrs- Thes" changes Mr.. Herne j. now
making and :he revised version Will ne sent
on tour March j.. Tie New York Herald
predicts with certain changes "the play
viii run heaven knows how long
The DrnaatiC Mirror says: Mr.. Horn.'s
play was received most cordially. 1t i 4
work of ~splend!i arJ. superb construction
ana magnificent force. A. an example. Of
dramatic writing The work j a .hlrg of
beauty. lis exposition OF the slavery uu@>-
ton j. III. rl,arrsi. frankeSt thit has been
written. giving talr, Opt! treatment 10 both
sides Of the cas-. utterly without preju-
dice.
The Clipper says: II is a literary work
of rea: value, i, Treats Of II controversial
theme with logical tO.ce of reasoning, and
with remarkable fairness and Imnart.al.ty
il is trau&ht with teuGerrSt emotion. il :uv-
r!SheS noble .Xanptr. and finally II PAYS
worthy tribute 10 mat martyr-d patriot
who h. his maintenance Of orr Union ,nu-
ferreG equal blessings upon victor and van
pushed
one day last season while The Russell,
pe.AuEel!,- Fox company was making :
lump between Detroit aud cincinnati. ovcl
he Cincinnati. Hamilton X Dayton ra!l.
road. on The fastest tram on that linz. Cullet
th- Cannon BAH. and which made hu'