The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-04-25

has one of his best make-ups as Old Bensel.
and Mr.. Patton a. Schwartz. the leader OF
the strikers. has a boiler-maker get-up and
a muscular style which caused his many ad-
mirers 10 laugh at most inopportune mo-
ments. Patton reads the lines given 10
Schwartz better than in any part he has
taken. Miss Bridges does the part OF Mrs.
Knowlton and Miss Berg has another of her
fiowing-ringlets parts az Poly FIetcner. 90
ing a very pleasing piece Of work. Mr.. Shell
don has few lines, but gives his usual oddly
clever character part rs Mr.. Fletcher. MISS
Daily has "A most outlandish makeup as
Cinders. and only a sight Of her was needed
to set the great audience roaring with
laughter In the palmy days OF Dave Hen
dersOn's EXTRAVAGANZA companies. when Ada
Deaves was the female eccentrique. she
never dOnned a funnier costume than that
worn by Miss Daily in The Lost Paradise. y
Miss Daily speaks her lines with rare humor,
and il Is hard 10 believe that she il the same
lissome. beautiful girl who has charmed the
audience In other roles. Mr.. Gordon as Billy
Hopkins does a most effective bit OF char
acter work. playing opposite to Miss Daily.
showing much ability in work Of this sort.
The other parts are in good hands.
REVIEW OF THE SEASON.
The Grand Stock Company, which closes
it's season this week, has been the most
popular organization of the sort ever seen
in Indianapolis. Starting cut as an expert
ment, a sort of timid venture, with many
saying it would not last longer than four
weeks. il has held on and won a remark
able success At one time things looked
really blue for the company, but once the
public became interested in the work and
personality OF the players a change set in
and the season developed a triumph for
the firms OF Dickson AZ Talbot and SOsman,
theater-goeTs as well as for the man
ayers. furnishing excellent entertainment at
popular prices. The season opened oct. I'D
with 'The Charity Ball" and with the ex-
ception OF the two or three unfortunate VEN
lures into character productions such as
I'm MiZzoura' and blue Jeans there has
been little opportunity to ~criricise the pro-
auctions. The public was given what IL
wanted and it turned out cheerfully.
There have been a few changes in the
personnel Of the company, each for the bet
ter, and nc harm would have resulted in a
few more. At the same time 1t should be
member that what one person likes an
other may dislike. with no reflection on the
good taste of either. on the whole, the COM
pany, as it now stands. Is very well ball
anced. OF the twenty-eight plays which
nave been prodaced this season. few beyond
those mentioned above can be called TO mind
which were not put on in a way TO call forth
praise. II is hard to pick out the play which
made the greatest hit. was a
success-a strong one, yet ii was one of the
worst from an artistic point OF view: there
work done by many OF the members of the
company. Jim the Penman" scored a hit
from the first night, and The Charity Bali
was another. Then there was The Wife"
"A Social Highwayman." THE Idler," The
Lost Paradise" Friends" and, possibly.
var vATist SsTs all a good %ndPd iefei5; The aeo ia WsT
given a scenic production that eclipsed the
majority of the plays of the season. yet
grip on the audiences after all. "A Scrap of
Paper" "A Gilded Fool" Too Much john
son. THE Senator Friends and The
Private Secretary" were the comedy hits.
1t is probable that Mr.. Kirkland is the
most popular member of the company,
dramatic ability considered. Mr.. Hansel has
the leading rn1ac II &c trtrn Naf Mr. KfrE.
land has shown that he can handle any part
assigned to him. Hansel * not happy in
some of his parts. Miss Shannon has given
uniformly good work all season without ever
showing signs Of setting the scenery on fire.
She is well liked. From the first she was
given a good race by Miss Daily, and a very
q eat many people are of the opinion that
Miss Daily is the best actress in the COM
pany: This must be said even if il should
result In a fight behind the scenes before
the week is out. Mr.. Sheldon ranks mex 10
Kirkland. He is one of the best character
men in the profession at his years. and prob
ably no one else could have pleased the au-
diences so well and so continuously. Mr.
Conger has been the matinee idol of the
company and deserves IT,. AT the same time
he has had a rival in this particular fea-
ture in the statueSque, amateurish Mr.. Pat
ton. who Is an ambitious worker, a studious
actor. He seems to be growing slowly.
Conger is a very good love maker
and his successes in the plays have been
followed with admiring eyes and heaving
breast by many a matinee maiden. Miss
Berg has had the soubrette roles all season.
with one exception. That was when she
had a more serious role in The Ironmas-
ter In this part she did some admirable
work. A good many people like her as q
soubrette, too, but as said before there is
no accounting for taste. Miss Berg pleases
and that is what brings her in her salary.
Next season there will be another stock
company at the Grand and ii is understood
some OF the present members will be re-
tanned. The company will leave Sunday.
Most OF the members will go East. Mr..
Conger and Mr.. Sheldon will go TO Denver
and Mr.. Patton TO Atlanta.
Mr.. Walter Clark Bellows. the stage man
ager, and Mr.. Ritter. the scenic artist. are
deserving of much credit for their seasons
work. They have given indianapolis people
a continuous example of what perfect stage
setting and stage business is and getting
down TO hard facts. In their work may be
found the secret for at least one-half the
success of the season. This is no idle COM
ment. Mr.. Murdoch. manager of the com
pany. has a bouquet coming TO him.. also.
and has been content while the rest got the
the Masonic Temple Roof Theater in Chi
cago. and he will be the highest-salaried
roof-garden manager i'm the country, bar
ring Oscar Hammerstein. of course. That
shows what a good man Murdoch is, but
Ii hardly tells how clever he is personally,
The Lost Paradise" will be the bill un.
til Thursday. That evening The Idler'
will he presented and the group photos
which were the souvenirs last night. will
also be presented TO the ladies that even
inc.