The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-11-04

THEATR|CALS
A Brilliant Season
of the NeiII
Drama.
TO OPEN IN
BARBARA FRIETCHIE
Company Will Leave Here for
a Tour of the Orient
and Australia.

Charles Aston Parker, manager OF the
NELL Company. that is to give Honolulu
brilliant season of drama for twelve
performances beginning next Saturday
evening. in speaking of the prospects of
the Neill season here. said yesterday:
we have been looking forward to our
engagement in Honolulu with much
pleasant anticipation for some time. In
our touring of the states we have had
the pleasure of meeting dozens of people
from Honolulu in all parts of the country
and during our engagement of nearly
four months in San Francisco we enjoy
ed visits from them most every week.
The coming to Honolulu is something
of a vacation for us. II is about the
only rest we get. You would hardly call
1t rest to be prepared to present twelve
different plays in as many performances.
but they are all plays in our regular
repertoire. plays that we have but re-
Gently presented in San Francisco, and
all members of the company are perfect
in their various parts, so that we VIII
have time to do considerable visiting
with our Honolulu friends between per
formances. The week each way on the
ocean is also most delightful, and in rest
full contrast with the hard work that we
have to undergo during what we call
our regular season. AT the close of our
engagement here we return at once to
Los Angeles. Calf. there to begin an en-
gagement of six weeks, after which we
start on a tour embracing nearly all of
the states and return to San Francisco
for three months next summer. Next
year we will have three companies on
the road. one of which Will have Miss
Julia Dean. the ingenue of the present
NELL company. as the star. Mr.. NELL
and the newspapers of the states regard
her as the best insenue on the American
stage and we have secured a fine play
for her and will star her next season
and see if the public will bear out these
opinions in showing their appreciation of
Miss Deans art. 1t is possible also that
another member of our company will be
starred next season by another manager
So you see that it seems that the Neill
is a sort of incubator for
dramatic stars. Blanche Bates began
with our company. So did Julia Arthur
and the Frawley company sprang from
the Nell company in 1895
company management to never exhibit
the same scenery or stage effects twice
in the same city, and for that reason
none of the elaborate stage equipment
to be shown during the coming engage
ment of Mr.. James Neil at tho Hawaiian
Opera House is old, it all having been
made new during the companY's recent
extended enga cement in California. Some
of the stage settings are said TO be
among the most elaborate ever shown in
plays and the authors of the
many fine plays IL Mr. Neilfs present
repertoire demand very high royalties for
the rights to present their plays. Among
these plays are: THE Royal Box" ''Ihe
Case of Reoellious Susan, Rosemary
THE Lottery of Love- Tine District
IAN Ideal Husband a spe-
ciaI version OF Under Two Flags "A
Gilded Fool" and others.
Among the members of the famous
this season, aside from the dis
tinguished star are: Miss Edythe Chap
w Burton. Louise Brownell. Donald
Bowles. Mary Elizabeth Forbes, George
Bloomquest, Lillian Andrews Scott Sea
ton. Robert Morris, Arthur Croswell. +.
Gardner-Jones. w. b. Jarrett and others.
BARBARA FRIETCHIE
What will probably rank as the most
pronounced success OF the present dra-
matte season is the beautiful drama of
the war. Barbara Frietchie." as pre-
scented by Mr.. James Neil and his re-
markable company. The piece not only
received the warmest approval of the
presidential party in San Francisco when
first produced by Mr.. Neill at that time.
but ii was also witnessed during its run
there by the governors of three states
and their staff officers. Its quaint south
ern atmosphere and the powerful, stir
ring situations proved fascination that
San Francisco thea ter-goers found inn
possible 10 resist, and thousands were
turned away unable to gain admittance.
Commencing next winter, Barbara
Frietchie" will be revived Arrangements
have just been completed whereby Mr..
NELL and the Neill company expect to
leave for q tour of the Orient at the
conclusion Of the present season. This
viii constitute the longest and most eN-
tensive journey ever attempted by dra-
matte organization. and will embrace
Honolulu. Manila, Hongkong. Yokohama,
Toxic. New Zealand and an indefinite
season in Australia. For this reason it
has been deemed advisable to accede 10
the demands of the theater-going public
for a special tour to witness Barbara
Eripfcbie