The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-11-11
Richmond audience next Wednesday even


ing.
In The Honest Blacksmith. which has
been written for Eitzsimmons. Manager
Percy Williams has succeeded in putting
on the stage the worlds greatest tighter
with his wife, Mrs. tjtzsiinmons, ana
their son, Robbie, Jr., in the atmosphere
Of their home life. SO true to nature that
in witnessing it it is almost incredible
that the scenes are being enacted in a
theatre It is a. story Of home and sport
ing lite, giving the lanky Cornishman
full chance TO display before the public
| just what ne does at home, place SO
dear 10 him, as we'll as in the preparation
for a fight, with the SparrinS contest
wit1, his trainer.
Besides being a good fighter. t!tzsim-
! mons has displayed the fact that he is
more than had been expected of him as
an actor. Titz explains this by the fact
that The has only to be natural, and this
is SO true that it can readily be taken as
the correct reason. The Honest Black
smith is q comedy melodrama, arranged
SO carefully that the usual impossible
situations are done away with, though
every act is SO full OF stirring situations
that interest in tie play itself does not
lag for a moment
The SCIENCES III the play arc laid in the
blacksmith shop, in Fits training quar-
tiers, the apartments Of a man-about-
town and the home Of the fighter. In
this last scene Mrs. Fitzsimmons is told
that her husband has lost the battle. she
.aints, but is revived by q vision. made
possible by the moving pictures. of the
FitZsimmons-Ruhln fight at Madison
Square Garden. The pictures are Wea-
derfully realistic, and after the knockout
blow is delivered Fitz returns to his nome
in full ring costume.
THE NIGHT on THE FOURTH.
Manager Leatl, takes pleasure III an
nouncing the engagement of the Mat
t:lews & Bulger Co. It is seldom that an
aggregation of such clever artists are to
be found III one company as the following
star cast, which was especially engaged
for a season of ten weeks in San Fran
cisco, will attest. The company has just
finished q, most remarkable, artistic and
successful engagement at the California
Theatre in San Francisco. ard IS now
en- route east, and Richmond IS to be
favored with one performance.
They viii appear at the Academy On
Friday evening, November 18TH. and Will
present lheir new musical comedy by
George Ade the well-l1lown humorous
writer of the Chicago Record-''The Night
of the Forthwith the entire cast. The
company numbers forty people and in
ciudes such popular stars as Matthews and
Bulser, whose success Starring with fheir
own plays during the past four years has
been phenomenal; that clever artistic and
musician, Josie Dewitt: that faVorlte
New York comedian, Walter Jones, VINO
is under special engagement, and the Ia
nous English beauty, Norma WhaileS.
Other talented artists in the cast are:
Bessie. Tannehill, Philip II. Ryley. Tony
Hart. Ethel Ilirwin, Marion Cunning and
-AdlSn Estee.
Prominent among the special features are
ballet and chorus. The engagement should
be q red letter event in tie history OF our
local playhouse.
The Night OF the Fourth has been
written especially for Matthews 6 Bull
ger, and they Will star in this piece the
coming season. Ar. Bulser VIII play the
part of the retired ice-man. who has moth
ing to do but go to- the country where he
desires absolute 7,epose. His advent into
tbs siest;l of quiet, peace ana ira nquii-
ity occurs on the eve of the Fourth of
July He is disturbed by the patriotic
habitues of the hotel. and finally decides
to buy up all the fireworks in the town
and stores them in the cellar OF the
Summer Rest Hotel. where he Is a
guest He hides in the cellar TO escape
the noise, and issrewarded by having the
only irecrackers remaining IN the town
thrown in ON top of h M. The conse-
aucnt explosion ends the first act and
starts the ball rolling Tor the remaining
two acts.
Keenan, Swift. lawyer. Who forces
damage suits against every one on ac-
count OF the explosion. and successfully
acts for all the litgants, VIII be played
by j. Sherfie Matthews. Tier Jones,
the fasorife New York comedian OF many
a casino production. will be seen rs Az
thur Strong looking for work, a. part
written e5f,eciafiy ft3iss hi1u: Daisy GV&SUD