Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1900-06-11
STAGE NOTES.


Miss Elita Proctor Otis, who played
the adventures in Sporting Life, has
received an offer to play Zaza in Aus
tralia. She is considering it.
Mrs. James Brown Potter says that
while London society cannot get along
without the professional actress,
American society maintains a snobbish
attitude towards women of the stage,
and she does not recall a single in
stance where an actress in America
has had any social standing. Mrs.
Potter declares that the stage has been
elevated since her going upon it.
Oberammergau is run on most dem
ocratic principles. The householders
elect the burgermeister and the coun-
Gil. These, together with the parish
priest and six men elected by the peo-
pie, form the Passions Comite which
arranges all details connected with
the play and selects the players. The
nominations took place on December
p last. There is a good deal of rival
ry between the different candidates,
but the selection is final In 1890 it
was expected that Peter Rendl, the
John of that year, would have been
Christus in 1900; but Christus must
have a flowing beard, and Mr.. RendPs
beard will not grow. He is acting
John once mOre-almost the only i'm
portant part which is taken by the
same actor who performed it in 1890.
Josef Meyer, the Christus Of 1870, 1871,
| 1880, and 1890, is too old to take the
part again, his grizzled beard making
| 1t quite impossible. In order that he
may have prominent position still,
the part of choragus has been divided.
Gakol Ruiz, the village smith who
acted choragus in 1890, still has the
title, but does not recite the prologue.
Meyer coming on the stage in his
place. Joseph of Armathea was the
part Meyer wished to act, but the
comite did not consider it important
enough; besides, they did not desire to
have the veteran actor of Christus on
the stage at the same time as the nov
ice Anton Lang, who takes the prin-
cipal part this year. He is a potter,
and works with his father, who acts
Herod, in their large white house near
the theater. Opinions differ as to his
performance. He is only twenty-five.
The burgermeister, who in 1890 acted
Kaiphas has also aged too muct to act
the same part, which is taken by Sc
bastian Lang, the heir of Daisenberger,
who wrote the present text of the play.
Mr.. Lang is publishing the official text
for the first time. The dresses worn
are the same, and the tableaux and
scenes are exactly similar every year.
For 20 years of successes and disap-
polntments, in times of fortune and in
times OF illness and sorrow, the late
Mile. Rhea relied for help and sympa-
thy upon her devoted companion, Ma
RE Michailoff. Together they travelled
over half the world, and none who
knew the artist failed to note with
interest and admiration the loyalty of
Marie, nor the tender regard for her
of the actress. Mile. Rhea practically
adopted her lady in waiting, and that
the former made provisions in her will
] that, she thought, would make the fu-
ture secure. But after Mile. Rhea's
! death last year it was found that her
estate was not large enough to cover
her outstanding obligations Indeed.
| there was scarcely enough ready
money to pay the funeral expenses.
| The house in Montmorency, France.
which should have been Marie's home
for life, was sold for the benefit of
creditors. A donation that Mile Rhea,
on her deathbed, made to her friend
was not admitted by the French court
and owing to technicality the life in
( surance in Marie's favor was not paid
| So it came about that this faithful
friend of a generous woman was left
| homeless and penniless in Paris. With
the death of Mile. Rhea she lost fler
means of living. In this condition
some old friends of Mile. Rhea found
her. They rented a fat for her in
Paris and furnished it so that she NAV
rent rooms to visitors to the exposi-
ton. Already some members of the
profession, who knew Mile. Rhea and
Marie in the days of the formers fri
umph, have taken rooms for. part of
the season, and it is likely that Marie's
fiat will become a faYorite stopping
place for players and will provide its
mistress with means of livelihood
until the end of her days.