The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-01-29
PLAY BILLS THIS WEEK
s0THERN, ROBSON AND CRANE,
THE THREE STARS, At ENGLIsHs.
s.sIr. Barnes of New York" VIII BE
the stock Company's Play at the
Grand-Park and Empire Cards.

l.
pear Thursday night in a another new play,
1.-THE Medder." by Augustus Thomas. and
the last two days of the week William II.
Crane viii bring two more new plays, his
last seasons success, a Virginia Court
ship" aud "The Head of the Family" his
latest New York production. which will be
shown Saturday night
Sothern did not make his production, THE
Kings Musketeer." until after his New
York season with "The Colonial Girl" He
has Henry Hamnton,s version, now being
played in London, and it is only one Of sew
eral dramatzauon4 Of Dumas famous
story OF The Three Musketeers." In fact,
there seems to be regular "musketeer"
fad among theatrical people. The opening
scene of THE Kings Musketeer," which
Mr. SotheTn produces on Monday night, is
the ante-chamber Of ". De Treville, where
IS introduced the hero d Artagnan, from
Gascony. His scraggy horse becomes the
Jest Of the three musketeers. The result is
a duel at pre-aux Cleres. 1t is in this
place that 8iiladl and De Rochefort con-
spire to ruin the Queen. His assailants not
arriving, D'Artagnan, in his waiting, en-
counters Gabrielle, the Queens lady in wait
ing. and instantly falls in love with her.
proceed, when Cardinal Richelieus guards
intercept the swordsmen. D'Artagnan goes
over to the side of his erstwhile foes, and
the guards are quickly put hors de combat.
Amazed at his prowess, the three mus
keteers welcome D'Artagnan as a comrade
IN arms From this time on the eleven
scenes OF the play are described as teeming
with both heroic and romantic events of
the sort admirably suited to SOtherns spe-
cial gifts. The adventures of D'Artagnan
IN his support of the Queen and his en-
deavor to win the beautiful Gabrielle, a
new character introduced in the play. are
fraught with numerous fascinating acts of
herOlsm and bravery. The part taken by
Miladi, one of the agents of the cardinal,
IS one of the most interesting. There is
plenty of swift, lively action through the
long procession OF scenes, which give
glimpses of King LOuiss court, of Anne of
Austria and of RicheIeu, represented this
time as a vigorous man. whose mailed hand
Is concealed by a very thin glove. For an
Out-and-out villain there is the woman
Clarice, the wife OF Athos, in disguise as
a lady of title and in reality a spy in the
cardinals pay. Mr.. Sothern, as D'Artagnan,
slashing around with his good sword, saving
the Queen and his tiance from all sorts of
dangers, is the life of the story.
The Colonial Girl" which Sothern pro-
duces Tuesday night is spoken of as
brilliant, frOlicsOme comedy, with the old
colonial atmosphere and character portray
ais Of a richly entertaining nature Miss
Edith Crane is Mr.. SOthern'S new leading
lady for this season, playing the role of
Miladi IN The King MuSketeer, the part
that has made Mrs. Brown Potter famous
In London. Miss Katherine Florence of the
Lyceum Theater, New York, will play the
part OF Gabrielle. The DArtagnan play re-
quires a cast of nearly forty people, and is
spoken of as the greatest production Soth-
ern has yet made.
Stuart Robson, intelligent and careful
player that he is, comes to the English
Thursday night for one performance in his
new play and with company as notable as
any Of the supporting casts to be seen this
season. The story of THE Medder," briefly
told, has to do with one Francis Eli an
artist whose meddling proclivities extend to
the affairs of his immediate friends and
acquaintance. He pursues this rather dan
gerous pastime with no i'll intent, but it
has the effect that this fad always engen-
ders of throwing the victims of it into a
state of turmoil and trouble from which
there would seem no escape and causing
complications which, while bordering on the
serious side, are none the less cOmical. Mr..
Thomas is said to have handled his subject
In a mastery way, and while The Med
der shows unmistakable signs of the
French school in its lines. it does not offend
in delivery. Mr.. Robson has been appearing
before the public for almost four decades,
and during that interim of time has given
u the American stage many artistic and
carefully-drawn portraitures, which, by rea-
non of their association with his quaint
methods and inimItable personality, will
ever occupy permanent inches In American
dramatic history. In his new play Mr. Rob
son is said to have been supplied with
role which suits his peculiar requirements
better than anything he has essayed since
his great personal success as "Bertie, the
Lamb In Bronson Howard's THE Hen
fTHf n
in The Meddler' is beyond all question
superior to most of those supporting the
travelling stars. Several of them have won
stellar honors prior 10 joining Mr.. Robsons
organization and all of them are distin-
guished in the field of dramatic art His
principals are Maud Granger. Mrs. Stuart
Robson, Gertrude Perry, Frank c. Bangs.
Harold Russell, Theodore Babcock. George
PauDCefOrt and Marie Burroughs. The last
named actress is a lady of whose ability
all theater-goers are aware, but Indianapolis
fas yet to see her. She is considered one
OF the best leading women on the American
stage to-day. Seats for The Meddler' will
be on sale Monday:
William H. Crane brings his two plays to
English's Friday and Saturday with COM
pany of comedians whose names alone with
out that of the star would he almost suffl-
Cient evidence OF a delightful engagement.
AS comedians they all shine. There is
piquant Gladys Wallace, stately Olive
50 Ada Rehan in Days company. and
Ysobel Haskins. OF the men Walter Hale
was Orlando TO Marlowe's Rosalind, and
Boyd Putnam has been featured in big COM
panies In addition 10 these are Kate Les
ter. Leila Bronson William Boag. Percy
Brooke. George De We're, the well-knOwn
Frederick Truesdell and number of others.
on Friday night local theater-gOers will
see "A Virginia Courtship' for the first
time. This was Cranes notable success of
last season, when he did not appear here.
it is described a continually amusing
comedy with the scenes in the Old Dominion
when chivalry and romance We're still part
of the education and life of the Southern
aristOcracy. Mr. Crane is an. old-time Vir
giuia major, who starts enough trouble for
q drama by turning his son loose on the
world In the first act because the boy re-
fuses to accept unknown fiancee selected
by the major. The comedy appears when,
after the boy and girl elope it turns out the
sweetheart IS the girl the father wanted
the boy 10 marry. The major also falls in
love with the girls widowed mother and
comic courtship follows Trivial domestic
events are said 10 be handled so cleverly by
the dramatist that interest in the story is
as intense as in some thrilling serious
drama
.iThe Head OF the Family" given Satur-
day night, shows Crane in another odd char
acter middle-aged professor, who lives in
his library and permits his wife and three
daughters 10 run wild in society until the
entire household is nearly wrecked. The
father Is forced TO take a hand and save