davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-12-31
fremont Theatre, Boston

An important event in the Boston
theatrical season will be Mrs. Fiske'
production at the fremont on New
Years night of her new play, Becky
Sharp" founded upon Thackeray's
Vanity Fair" by Langdon Mitchell
This is the most elaborate production
ever made by this distinguished ac-
tress-and all of her productions of re-
cent seasons have been notable-as
well as one of the heaviest ever seen in
this country. There is a unanimity of
opinion that in Becky Sharp Mrs. Fiske
has character perfectly suited to her
This character is one that stands out
above all others in one of the greatest
novels ever written-a novel that liter
ally throngs with strong characters.
There Is no actress on the stage today
and there seems to be no record of any
mental as well as a physical picture of
the role is a natural corollary from her
gifts of mind and person. Mr.. Mitch
ellis play is founded upon the adven-
lures of Becky as Thackeray described
them and it introduces many of the
more prominent persons that figure in
the novel. Vanity Fair" is a story
with stirring moral yet is one of the
most fascinating novels ever' written.
Becky is the very soul of it, and me-
cessarily Becky is the very soul of the
play, Becky Sharp" Mrs. Fiske's
company numbers fifty-one persons,
and there are more than thirty speak
ing parts in the play.
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-12-31
Little Red Riding Hood

Letters are already beginning to come
in at the Worcester theatre applying
for seats for Little Red Riding Hood .
the production which is to be given
Tuesday matinee and evening. This
play had a remarkable business at the
Hollis street theatre, Boston, last week,
when hundreds had to be turned away
at each performance. 1t is play for
children as we'll as grown people, and
at the matinees given in Boston, child
rem made up a large part of the audi
ences and were delighted to renew
their acquaintance with the familiar
characters in the nursery rhymes. All
of these characters are in the produc-
ton: The donkey and the cat, the
little Red Riding Hood and Boy Blue, the
toys. the wolf and Red Riding Hoods
grandmother, Simple Simon, Peter Pip
err, little Miss Muffett, Mary Mary, quite
contrary, Jack Horner, Jack and Jill,
and everybody else one can think of,
almost.
Some of the best known names are
to be found in the list of actors in this
production, emeng them Madge Less
ing, who plays Little Boy Blue; Ethel
Jackson as Little Red Riding Hood;
Marion Bates, Gertie Carlisle, Clara
Havel, Sager Midgeley, Snitz Edwards,
Thomas O'Brien, Neil McNiel, David
Abrahams and a number of others.
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-12-31
DRAMATIC GOSSIP
E'Why Smith Left Home" viii Be
Explained at Worcester Thea
tire New Years Day
RED RIDING HOOD
COMES TUESDAY
Week of MinStreISy at Lothrop's
Fine Bill of Vaudeville at
at the Park

why Smith Left Home George
H Broadhursts fastest farcial COM
edy, which has just closed highly sue
cessful engagement at the Strand thea
tire, London, will be the play at the
Worcester theatre for New Years day,
with a performance both afternoon and
evening The story, which is one of
Mr.. Broadhurst's best, is cleverly hand
led. Briefly. it is trials of Smith, new
~ married. whose wife's relations keep
coming for visits until the head of the
household is nearly driven to distrac-
ton. domineering aunt-in-law,
her put-upon husband, some stray male
acquaintance of Smiths, pretty
maid who coyly yields $500 kisses, a
spteful spinster with two suitors, a
fond young bridal couple, and a red
headed Hibernian cook, manage to take
such effectual possession of the Smith
mansion that in real life after such a
day, Smith would have. been obliged to
wind up his affairs and retire to "A
sanitarium. But just why Smith
Left Home will be told in the play
Monday and not before then.
The company is certainly splendid
one. Theatre goers at various times
have become acquainted with the clev-
er work of Maclyn Arbuckle, Fred w
Peters, Dan Mason, NJ. B. Snyder, Hans
Robert, Miss Brandon Douglas, Mrs. E.
A. Eberle, Rose Snyder, Gertrude Roos-
evelt, Blanche Carlisle and Mrs. Annie
Yeamans, all tried actors with repu-
tations to sustain.
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-12-31
At The Park

What promises to be one of the
strongest vaudeville bills of the season
will be seen at the Park theatre this
week. No less than three head liners
are offered, first of whom is the former
character comedian, Eugene O'Rouke,
who first came to Worcester with the
Isle of Champagne" playing the Irish
sailor, a part written especially for
him. Then he starred in the "Wicked
Postwar" and was last seen in Wor-
cester with Della Fox in THE Little
Host" Mr.. O'Rouke will appear in
conjunction with Miss Katherine Lin
gard, presenting Mckee Rankin's new
one-act comedy, 1.-THE French Ball. -
Miss Lingard has been one of the we'll
known comic opera singers in the coun-
try and made her first big hit in the
star part of The Little Tycoon" She
was seen in Worcester last season play
ing the actress in The Girl from New
York" Another head liner will be
the three wen known 'rubes," Dixon.
Bowers and Dixon, presenting one of
the most laughabe skits in vaudeville
The third big feature is Missions ia
nous flying ballet, spectacular now
city ~The Human Butterflies" introduce
ing ten pretty girls floating and dane
in mid-air, in dazzling costumes and
startling electrical effects. The clever
juvenile impersonators, Cogan and Ba-
con, will appear in a new act and the
we'll known entertainers, Johnny and
Eunice Patten' will have something
novel Mr.. and Mrs. Gene Hughes will
present new one-act comedy, "A
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-12-31
Ministries at Lothrop's

This is to be week of minstrelsy
at Lothrop's opera house when Dia-
mond Bros big double white Ministries
will have the stage. This company has
been meeting with success for several
seasons past and the management pro-
mise it to be bigger and better than ev-
er this year. There are fifty white
burnt cork artists in the cast and many
of them are well known soloists and
funny men. The staging of the pro-
duction is to be magnificent and every
number presented by people who know
the business. A grand street parade
will be given each day, in which will
be seen the two full brass bands with
which the company is supplied.
Among the people on the bill are the
following: soloists, Lawrence Diamond,
William Chamberlain, W. r. Pattie, J.
j. Bevan, Thomas c. Howell, Charles
Close; comedians, Lew Diamond, Hor-
ace Knox, Charles Casad, Charles Dec
ker, Fred Russell A j. Rasch, George
Knox and j., Seifert Specialties will
be given by Richards, the foot juggler;
male quintet; Frutcheey, trick
cyclist; and the Brothers Martin.
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-12-31

smith company Travelled 1000 miles to fill
a Christmas engagement at Philadelphia
theatre.
Israel Zangwips latest Decentralization of
his own nov Is is entitled "The Mantle of
Elijah" 1t will be produced next season
by Leibler G. Co.
Ethel Barrymore is receiving great at
tention socially in Washington. Her So
cial attractions must be greater than her
dramatic abilities.
Thomas Seabrooke's play, ITO Kill
Cock-Robin," was a failure. Mr.. Sea-
brooke will start in with a new and diff
ferent play.
"Thelma' has been dramatized by Clay
ton l. gge, and will soon be produced in
London
Recently a manager of one of the New
York extravaganzas wrote supper invita-
lions to his chorus girls. and every one
who accepted he discharged.
ID LA Fox is having a new opera written
for her, called THE Tomboy."
Emma Nevada sang at the Detroit
opera house to an immense audience
Thursday afternoon.
Mary Hampton is leading woman Of the
Frawley stock company in San Francisco
Mildred Holland, a clever actress, who
Is now appearing in 1.-TWO Little Va
grants" will star next season in a mtisi-
cal play called Aria. the Musicians
Daughter" Edward C. White will be her
manager.
Paul Leicester Ford, author of Hon.
Peter Sterling" assisted by Miss Mildred
bowling, is at work upon dramatization
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-12-31
How to See the PLAY

In an interesting article in Werner's
for December Mr.. Charles Barnard
writing on How to see the play gives
the following valuable hints that are
sure to meet with the commendation of
the managers: 1.-THE best way to see q
play is to observe both play and play
ers. 1t is well to study the art of act
ing, it is well to know who is contri-
buting to our pleasure by their fine in
depreciation of the story, but it is a
mistake to think that the acting is ev
erythlng, If we are wholly absorbed
IN watching the actor we NAV ullitf
miss the play. Then too, we must OBJ
serve that each individual actor is only
a part of the story, and that the play
includes all the characters. Our best
plan is, therefore, to pay some atten-
tion TO the actorsN,at first, to recall
them with pleasure, if we have seen
them before, and then to listen to the
story. In the stronger scene Of every
good play we often completely forget
the performer. 1t is no longer Mr.. Jef
ferson playing Rip Van Winkle' but
dear old Rip himself who lives before
US. The art of the actor is to make
US forget, and forgetting is the great
est compliment to his art. The best
way to see play is to go twice The
flrst time we go to see the play, to hear
the story Our plan should be to pay
very little attention to the acting, and
to give our whole attention to the play.
The second time, being now somewhat
familiar with the story, we may pay
attention to the acting and listen to
the play from that point of view. Very
likely we shall discover that the sec
ond hearing of the play is so interest
ing that we quite forget the actors and
how they play their parts 1t is always
an advantage to hear a play twice. as.
many Of the points are apt to pass un-
noticed the first time we see it, The
point now is that it is always best to
see every play twice--once for the play,
once for the acting"
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-12-31

that some fine day 1 might be big and
glorious, and people all over the coun-
try would wish me merry Christmas.
At my lodgings L bethought me of my
toothache-and 10! it had disappeared
entirely,
There was retrospective look in his
eyes, a smile on his lips. Then he sigh
ed happily: eyes, I think L recollect
that Christmas more than any of the
others. 1t gave my ambition a some
thing TO pin to tia word of encour-
agement-and a merry Christmas from
stranger
"Of course, 1 recollect a certain Christ
mas, said William Fl. Crane-"got my
first chance then. And oldest of all, it
was in opera. I had a deep bass voice
when a lad and my ambition was to go
on the stage. When Mrs. Holman, who
acknowledgements children who
gave operas, farces and pantomimes,
came to Boston, l applied to her for a
place, and was apprenticed to her for
two years, l to receive board and tu-
ition III lieu of my services. Little was
expected of me, and so l fulfilled ex-
pectations by sitting in the first en-
trance night after night. In that way
1 memorized words and music of near
ly every part in every opera. felt that
some day my opportunity would come
and it did. Christmas night La Son
nambula' was to be given, and whether
it was too much Christmas dinner or
something else, the comedian of the
company was taken i'll and couldn't go
on. I'm play the part 1 shouted to
Mrs. Holman. 'Pshaw, boy, she said,
you haven't had a rehearsal and you
don't know note Of the music Try
me-, said-and she did. That was my
first appearance on the stage-and as
it was on Christmas night, 1 naturally
remember that Christmas more than
any other"
Ellen Terry paused Saturday after
noon as she was about to get into her
carriage: ''To me Christmas always
seems sad, because it accentuates the
bondage of our profession" she said.
"Other people can beg off for the day
can be excused. But for us of the
stage there is no excuse. And though
it is very beautiful thought to know
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-12-31
Wonderful Fight Pictures

Boston people have been crowding
Music hall to see the wonderful pic
lures of the Jeffries-sharkey fight, as
taken by the American Mutoscope and
Biograph company, and now they are
to be seen here at Worcester theatre,
Thursday. Friday and Saturday, Jan.
4, and 6, matinee Friday and Satur-
day.
AS for the pictures themselves, they
are the best reproductions of their kind
ever made These pictures are ex-
ceedingly clear. That sudden jump
from one position to another of the
figures is done away with, and details
are depicted with fidelity. The pictures
tell the story WELL The fight is shown
complete in every detail through the
rs rounds. They are the only ones that
werd taken of the fight, and are the
same as now exhibited with such great
success by w, A. Brady and Thomas
O'Rourke in New York. Seats on sale
Tuesday.
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-12-31
Boston Museum

The New Year card at the Boston
Museum, commencing Monday even
ing, Jan. /, will be 1.-THE Rogers Bros
in Wall Street" John ]. McNally's lat
est and most successful vaudeville
farce Klaw & Erlanger, who are the
managers of these popular German
comedians, have made a beautiful pro-
duction of this skit No one knows
better how to do this, or has greater
| resources than these remarkably sue
cessful. managers. The Rogers brothers
will cGRne to the Boston Museum direct
from the Victoria Theatre, New York
where they have been playing to the
capacity of the house for over four
months. AS the New York Herald
critic aptly said, all you have to do
when the Rogers brothers come on the
stage, is to Just sit back in your chair
and get ready to laugh" Their abil-
ity to create laughter has called forth
the highest praise from every source,
and has made them one of the best
paying attractions in America. They
are always surrounded with the clev-
crest speciality people in the profession,
and in the new piece which Mr.. Nc
Nally, the critic of the Boston Herald,
has prepared for them, they have
scored the greatest hit of the current
New York season.
Besides Gus and Max Rogers, the fun
making ingredients of this jolly piece
are kept brewing, steaming and sput-
tering by such skilful specially artists
as Maude Raymond, Georgia Game,
Ada Lewis, Jeanette Bageard, Edith
st. Clair, John G. Sparks, Ross Snow,
Lee Harrison, John Barr and Peter
Curley. The chorus numbers over six
ty, and, as is the case with all of Klaw
& Erlangers big shows, they are care
fully chosen for their youth looks, fig
ure and ability to sing. The first act
Of I'm Wall Street" takes place at
Manhattan Beach; the second act in
brokers' office on Wall street, over
which there is an athletic school for
Young women; and the last transpires
ut Hollywood Hotel, Long Branch The
Engagement of so highly successful an
attraction for the beginning OF the new
century at the historic Boston Museum
will be glad news for the great follow
'ng of this theatre, and insures the
highest measure of success and happi-
ness for everybody concerned.
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-12-31

that by your work on Christmas day
you are making many people the hap
pier, yet-well, yet it is sad when you
think OF it. Isn't it now-truly and hon
estly?"
ITO me" said Viola Allen, zone
Christmas stands out wildly. 1t was
about ten years ago and the company
with which l was then connected, was
to play q matinee performance in a
town twenty miles from the one i was
in. The rest of the company had caught
the midnight train, but l had just man.
aged to miss it, so had to. wait over
until morning.
My train would not go until Ills,
but | was up and about the quaint little
town on the Mexican border, as early
las O'Clock. Everybody in the town had
on their best bib and tucker and the
crowd was bound toward a little church
at the corner of the street, and about
half q block from the railroad sta
ton, | asked one of the men if there
was anything particular going on in
the church that morning.
Why, today's Christmas ne said.
g I know that, / said but is it a
special Christmas sermon?'
No, he answered, but on Christ
mas morning we unyeil our great paint
ing of "The child" Once a year we un-
veil it, and then only for five minutes.
1t is grand, lady. Won't you Gomez?
Il followed the crowd into bare lit
tie church which was quite full when !
arrived. Right in the centre of the al
tar was an easel, on that a frame and
over the frame a deep blue satin cloth.
Nobody spoke. In about five minutes
priest came forward solemnly, and
without one word he reverently re-
moved the cloth. Then there were Obs
and Abs and deep breath takings and
Glory to Gods Then once more a still
ness fell on the assembled multitude
and they gazed and gazed with all their
hearts and souls in their eyes,
THE picture was a danub, a misera-
BILE, cheap, inartistic blotch of color.
But it was what the picture stood for
that made it beautiful in the eyes of
those simple folk. And when the man
who told me to see it clutched my arm
outside the church door and said, Was
it not grand?' 1 answered truthfully
and simply, Tt was Godlike.'"
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-12-31

fremont, Mrs. Fiske in Becky
Sharpe" Park, James A. Herne in "Sag
Harbor;" Columbia, "A Greek Slave"
New York. Hammerstein's Victoria,
Chris and the Wonderful Lamp
American, die Fledermous" Tin Eng
lish); New York, MAN in the Moon
Jr.;" Empire, my Lady's Lord" Gar
rick William Gillette in Sherlock
Holiness" Madison theatre, 'Wheels
Within Wheels" Criterion, Julia Mar
lowe in Barbara Frietchie;" Garden,
Richard Mansfield in THE First Vio-
lin; Knickerbocker, Nat Goodwin and
Maxine Elliott in THE Cowboy and the
Lady" Grand, Because She Loved
Him So" Fifth avenue, Three Little
Lambs" Broadway, ben Hur;" Her
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-12-31

Christmas to the actor folk is not
freighted with the pleasant thoughts
that the holiday brings to the lay mind.
To the actor, Christmas is merely a
term that means an extra matinee
more work than usual, so other people
can have more pleasure than usual. 1t
means e rising earlier, a hurried snack,
rush to The theatre, go through the af-
ternoor performance, back to the hotel
for another quick bite, then to the the
atre again, another performance and
then home, tired, tagged out, utterly,
completely eXhausted-then to bed.
And that is the Christmas day of the
average actor.
DO you remember any particular
Christmas, Sir Henry that you single
out from the others?" was asked the
actor-kaight Henry Irving.
He remained silent, knitting his
brows. Then, with a smile: They're all
so much alike to US, he said, that it's
hard to differentiate. But" he added,
there was one Christmas that recol-
lect, because l was struggling then, and
words of praise were new things, in
deed. | was playing in some odd con-
coctio1 at a Christmas matinee in one
of the provinces of England. | had a
comic role, and 1 had tried my level
best to be funny. 1t was the first time
/ had played the role, and, to add to
my nervous ills, I had a toothache that
was something wonderful in the list of
pains. Immediately after
the performance 1 made my way in
stanter out of the stage door and start
ed to find a dentist. Two blocks away
[ saw a dentists sign and started to go
up the steps, Just at this juncture, a
roughly dressed man came up to me:
You're the actor named Irving, aren't
your ne asked. I am L answered.
Well, I just stopped to wish yer a mer-
ry Christmas, sir. You made me laff
fit to kill, this afternoon, an l wants to
wish yer a very merry Christmas He
wrung my hand, and walked down the
street.-the while stood there all a.
tremble with the first words of outside
praise I had ever heard tingling and
echoing and re-echoing in my ears.
Then, l came down from the dentists
steps and walked homeward thinking
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-12-31
Tenth Week of Sag Harbor

Sag Harbor' opened the tenth week
of its enormously successful run at the
Park Theatre Christmas, and the house
was packed as usual with enthusiastic
audiences both at the holiday matinee
and at the evening performances. The
evening performance yesterday, by the
way, was the seventy fifth consecutive
presentation of Sag Harbor' in Bos-
ton.
Mr.. Herne's management are now
obliged to announce the last weeks of
Sag Harbor' in Boston Every effort
has been put forth to prolong the en-
gagement OF this great success in. Bos-
ton, but finding it impossible to further
stave off the demands of theatres in
other cities who now hold contracts
for the appearance Of Mr.. Herne in
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-12-31

Sag Harbor." the management is now
forced to take this step.
This is regrettable, for Mr. Herne's
new play has made really great re-
cord for itself in Boston. Mr. Herne
has already appeared for nearly ten
consecutive weeks at the Park Theatre
and to the largest average weekly re-
ceipts in the history of the playhouse.
'"Sag Harbor's" popularity continues
undimmed while it's patronage shows
no sign of lessening, despite this extra
ordinary run.
Sag Harbor' is one of the very fin
est examples of modern play making;
it is an always artistic blend of irres-
isible comedy and touching pathos.
This romance of Martha Reese and
1.-The Turner boys" has won hosts of
admirers. The management estimates
that over 100000 of our citizens have al
ready seen this play. Sag Harbor"
is to be heartily commended for it's evil
dent purpose as well as for its enter
tanning purpose. Those who wish to
keep in touch with the best things in
current theatredom should not fail to
witness this quaint and singularly
charmirg play.
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-12-31
Gossip of
The Stage
g . y . . . 8 3 YS9SS

Among the relics of the late Augustin
DAILY. soon to be sold in New York are
scales used by Kan as Shylock. The
sword used in Richard the III'' and four
of Shaksperes folios.
sells. He recently took a trip to Austria
with Sarah Bernhardt to procure the
proper stage coloring for his new play.
old.
Stuart Robson and his "oliver Gold
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-12-31
Out of Town Theatres

Boston and New York theatres this
week.
Boston. Hollis street, Mrs. Leslie
Carter in "zaza;" Boston theatre. Mo-
jeska in marie Antoinette," Much
Ado About Nothing and Macbeth"
Doston Museum, Rogers brothers in
Wall Street; Grand Vests minstrels;
Castle square, with Flying lColors;'
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-12-31

aid square, Prim ~ose and Dockstader's
MINISTRIES; Academy of Music, Way
Down East" Wallack's, Frank Daniels
in 1.-THE Ameer;" Bijou, May Irwin in
Sister Mary" Manhattan, Anna Held
in "Papa's Wife,; Days, "Maneuvers
of jane" Casino. Alice Nielsen in ''The
Singing Girl
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-12-31

Matrimonial Substitute" the six
Olympians will give a novel dancing
speciality and Cadieux, the king of the
bounding wire, promises some new fea-
lures
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-12-31
MADGE LESSING

Ethel Jackson. Kitty Mitchell, Marion
Bate. Mayme Gehrue, Hallen Mostyn
o Brien and HaveL, Midgely and Carlisle
Grand chorus of 60 people. The prettiest
girls on record. Magnificent scenery and
costumes. Brilliant specialties. New and
sparkling music. The universal verdict;
Better than Jack and the Beanstalk -
Matinee prices: 25c, soc, 75c, 81. Evening
prices: Pee. SOC, 75c, 81, $3.50.
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-12-31
New Years Attraction !
Monday, Jan. |
Matinee and Evening, Broadhurst's
Gleeful Plentitude,
WHY
SMITH
LEFT,
HOME

By Geo. H Broadhurst. author of what
Happened to JONES'" The Wrong Mr..
Wright" etc. with the original company.
Prices Evening, Csc SOC, 75c, 81, s1,5O.
Matinee 25c. soc, 75c, 81.