The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-10-25

Torrance, and all the extra seats that
could be placed in the house were taken.
A bench in a window went for So The
sale OF standing room was stopped as
the house was crowded. A man with
two tickets he wished to dispose of had
no trouble in exchanging them for IS.
The reason Of the record breaking au-
dience was that Frank Daniels and his
principals are all fayoFites in Topeka,
combined with the fact that Howard s.
Lawrence was to sing the leading tenor
part Of Captain Ralph Winston" of the
British guards. His first appearance be-
fore the audience brought him a round
of applause that would have pleased a
veteran actor. but during the second act
he received an ovation AS captain Of
the guards he sang the solo part to
Soldiers All" and the chorus as the
guards marched and counterTnarched in
a series Of we'll executed movements
At the clese of the song he marched
away with his fair soldiers The ap-
plause came from every corner of the
house. The guards marched across the
stage again. singing the refrain, but
Lawrence did not appear There was
even more applause. The army marched
across the stage a half dozen times. The
applause did not subside. Then Mr..
Lawrence stepped to the stage. dofIed
his white helmet and disappeared. The
audience was determined. Again he
stepped forward and bowed All this
time a young man was standing by the
front of the stage holding wreath or
roses He shook them at Mr.. Lawrence
several times, laid them on the stage,
and then picked them up and held them
again. He finally became tired of the
Job and tumbled them onto the stage in
q heap and retired. The encore con-
tinued.
.HOD" I4AWRENCE'S SPEECH.
Mr.. Lawrence was forced TO 90 some
thing to quell the upFoar. He stepped
to the center of the stage for speech
His friends in the audience knew that
it must be a trying moment to him
They hoped that he would be equal TO
the occasion. This is the happleSL
moment Of my life" said the young
actor in a clear voice that showed no
sign of embarrassment 7 wish could
reach out over the footlights and shake
YOU all BY the hand" He was getting
along first rate 7 feel much better
coming back to Topeka than when
went away For when ! left l thought
YOU did not appreciate my budding
genius'' Such a frank confession was
good to hear. and the audience laughed
Then in a very neat manner ne an
nounced that he Was not as yet a full-
fiedEed principal. and that by the kind
ness Of the management and Nj. How
ard, the tenor. he had been allowed to
appear before his Topeka friends IN the
tenor part Then. just like star who
had been making curtain speeches for
years, he passed a little compliment over
the footlights by saying that I am
known in the company as Topeka =
that is my nickname. / received It be-
cause everywhere we go We meet To
peka people and the members Of the
company have often remarked that To-
f3eka people are so intelligent" Mr..
Lawrence pleaded for Topekans to en-
courage any other budding genius
they might find.
Mr.. Daniels should start a ''eorrespond-
eHce school of acting" He probably
can not quit the part Of life Khan,
Amer of Afghanistan,3 TO open sta
tionary school. but he could travel
around the country and keep in touch
with his pupils by means of the mails.
He has proven himself a competent in
structor ssHod'' Lawrence IS an ex-
ample He has been with Daniels but
about year. but in that time ne has
improved in voice and acquired stage
appearance that is pleasing. As the
captain of the English guards he ap-
reared as il the part had been written
for him He sang his first solo, When
Love is True In a very pleasing man
ner and with excellent expression. Mr..
Lawrence and Miss Helen Redmond, in
the duet Cupid viii Guide we're we'll
received The opinion of the audience
was that il Mr. Lawrence is not a full
tinues in Mr.. Daniels school for Miss
Norma. Kopp and Miss Helen Redmond,
two Of the principals started in the
chorus with Mr.. Daniels
There was another IOpekan in the
company. Miss Mabel Day, a member
Of the chorus Another Kansan with
the company is Miss Julia McInerney,
from Abilene, whose stage name is Julia
Francis Several Abilene people attend
ed the performance.
Mr. DANIELS PLAY
Daniels productions have each beer
superior to its predecessor and The