The San Francisco call., 1899-04-14
TWO ANGELS"
FOLD THEIR
WINGS AND QUIT
A Dramatic Frost at
the Alhambra.
ONE MORE THEATRICAL WRECK
SIX ACTORS WANT TICKETS TO
GO HOME.
Edward Holden Flashed the Local
Capital for the Enterprise, but
He Could Not Draw
Crowds.
ONE MORE THEATRICAL WRECK
SIX ACTORS WANT TICKETS TO
GO HOME.

Two "angels" of the drama have folded
their little wings this week and become
dead uns." Their names are Henry Mac
Donald and Thomas Kilgo. They were
good things while they lasted, but will
soon be indistinguishable amid the
wrecks that crowd on memory at the
Alhambra. They are theatrical ghosts
that refuse to walk even for the half
dozen members of the stock company
brought here from the East to electrify
San Francisco at ten, twenty and
thirty"
Less than three months ago the an
gelic qualities of Macdonald and Kilgo
were discovered in this city, of which
both are residents, by Actor Z. ]. Holden.
He had new venture in mind and had
no trouble in introducing it to the heav-
emily Yisitants. They fell in love with the
idea and soon Holden was on his way
East to secure actors for the company,
Macdonald and Kilgo having agreed to
fiutter their wings for the necessary cash.
Holden to get salary as stage manager
and a working interest in the venture.
The Alhambra Theater was rented for
two months-from March l to May land
the thrilling melodrama, a blood curdler
from away back, Dewey, the Hero of
Manila" was put in rehearsal for the
opening week.
York, having signed there six people for
the stock company, for a season of eight
weeks. In addition to their salary, they
were promised, as in all cases of such
short engagement so far from home, that
they would be given return transporta-
tion. The six were Thomas Doyle, late
leading man with Fanny Davenport
Charles Swain, who was such a popular
comedian at Morosco's; De Witt Clinton,
whose great gra9Sfather was the cele-
looks out from the revenue stamp on all
cigarette boxes; Joseph Tracy. Miss
Laura Alberta, leading lady, and Miss
Florence Rossland, ingenue.
Dewey, the Hero of Manila" was put
on for the first time at the Alhambra on
the night of March 6, the Eastern per-
local talent. 1t went with a whoop. Red
fire and tin thunder, bullets and blood
flashed and ratified and whistled and
flowed through four fierce, acts; Spanish
were slaughtered by the thousand; Hob
son flew all the way from Santiago at the
rise of the curtain to Cavite in the last
act, just In time to raise seventeen sunken
ships and put the ''kibosh" on any little
idea the enemy might have had that it
was still alive and kicking. The first
week s receipts were very good and The
Hero of Manila" might have been given
an extended run for his money had not
Holden provided otherwise. He had also
engaged, while in New York, Agnes Hern-
don as leading lady and announced that
Belle Marie" He did, but that gifted lady
failed TO touch responsive chord IN the
public breast and the receipts dwindled
as fast as the hopes of the "angels."
Saved From the Flames and Married
Not Mated were tried in the succeeding
two weeks with even worse luck, and
The Sunny South" a war drama, with
plantation songs thrown in, was produced
last Monday night in a despairing effort
TO coax coin into the house.
The frost that struck THE Sunny
South shriveled up the hopes of all. 1t
was a nipper and no mistake, and al
though Holden insisted in putting on the
The temperature was too much for it and
it died an unnatural death. The snow
drifted about the doors Of the Alhambra,
and they did not open Wednesday night
and there is no telling when they will.
Never again, however, under the triple
headed management of Holden, MacDon-
aid and Kilgo.
The angels" are supposed to have
dropped 5000 between them, Macdonald
three-fifths Of that and yet all the cred
itors of the short-lived manapement are
not satisfied. The six actors brought
from the East for the Hero of Manila"
are still waiting for their return tickets,
and are none too sanguine that they will
get them.
The cause of the failure is laid at the
door of Holden, who is accused by mem
bers of the company of a sort of loftinesS
that was very trying at times, and is said
to have interfered with good work. In ad
dition, he is said to have avoided the
usual channels, of advertising, and this
is declared to have been his most costly
mistake. He might have drawn people
even to the Sunny South had they had
any means of ascertaining that that play
was being given.