Omaha daily bee., 1902-11-23

What happened IN Omaha last week in
the way of entertainment at the theaters
Is easily told. Miss Kennedy's visit at the
close OF the week In Captain links" was
all that saved The seven days from abso-
Lutte dreariness. Musical comedy Of an
ordinary sort and an Irish melodrama Of
the stereotyped kind took up most Of the
time, and received the patronage they mer-
tied. Miss Kennedy came here unknown
and almost unheralded, and won a decided
triumph. She has a not very attractive
piece for the exploitation Of her ability
as a coincidence, but easily proved her
capacity for doing good work. In the Sec
ond act OF the play, in which the real
dramatic situations occur, she showed her
self complete mistress Of the art Of ex-
pressing deep, intense emotion, without
resortlng to the too common trick OF
actresses-that Of hysterical %ranting. In
this act Miss Kennedy is called upon to
run the whole gamut OF human emotion.
the action Of the play requiring a power
fully sustained effort on her part; but
whether she laughs in the exuberance OF
her happiness, or smiles TO hide her break
ing heart, she bears herself with the poise
born OF confidence, and the applause she
won by her acting evinced the interest her
audiences took in her work. Omaha Will
always be glad to see Miss Kennedy, and
will hope that she may come again In a
play more worthy of her efforts than is
captain links"
Al the Orpheum a comedy bill through
and through attracted a most liberal
patronage. Even the most sanguine hopes
Of the managers have been more than
---4a-za - At. bn,,eo tbfa winter Tho
feature Of the week there was the success
OF Miss Lillian Burkhart in her new sklt,
1.-THE Salt Cellar"
Little more than has already been told
can be said Of the outlook for the new
theater. Messrs. Hudson & Judah, the Kan
sas City managers, who are allied with the
Stair e. Havlin combination, have begun
the work Of remodellng the Trocadero
and adapting It to their needs. 1t will be
opened early in the spring, under the name
OF Krug's Emporium. In many respects
this will be most welcome news to the
people Of Omaha. Its greatest effect will
be the removal Of Omaha from the "one
night, wilderness and its restoration to
the list of cities that can entertain a good
company for from three nights to a week.
When actors like Sothern and managers,
like; Henry Clay Barnabee complain that
they cannot get time at Omaha, 1t is evil
dent that relief is needed. Messrs. Wood
ward & Burgess have been to the extremity
of having to care for a large number Of
attractions with only one house to put
them in, and the short engagement has
resulted as a matter Of necessity. Now
that there will be another theater, devoted
exclusively TO the popular price attrac-
tions, the Boyd can give a more generous
welcome to the higher grade companies,
and the public will be much better served,
while the stars will not look upon their
annual visits to the Gate City as a sort
Of penance forced upon them by coming
west. For this relief, much thanks"
Virginia Harmed may be deprived OF the
society Of her accomplished husband dur
ing the theatrical season. but she is always
assured Of his answering support. While
Mr.. Sothern was in Omaha, during a talk
which had for its scope about everything
theatrical, he took occasion to defend
Iris" and he did IL well, too. He does not
believe in the ''dirt' play, but he insists
that Iris" does not belong in that cate
CORY, Mr., William Winter to the contrary
Notwithstanding. with all due Difference
20 Mr.. Winter" said Mr.. Sothern, che is
wrong In his classification Of this play. Mr..
Winter is a very amiable old gentleman,
but he lives in the past, clings to dead
ideals, and in many matters is decidedly
opinionated and quite likely to be wrong.
Iris is a. play quite different from what
he has described 1t. In fact, he had to
distort the situations in order to arrive at
his conclusions. 1t does not contain a line
or a word from first to last that IS immoral
aH pNV..,.Ns.. - -
hear a hint Of evil are those attuned TO
listen for that alone, and even these must
have their suggestion from within and not
nom the stage. Iris is simply a woman
who has allowed herself to be put in a
false position and has not the strength to
extricate herself. even after she discovers
her situation. II is in Pinero's best vein.
and fairly sparkles with bright lines. 1.
ought not TO, be COMPOUNDED or classified
with the plays, that vaunt adultery and
openly glorify c~onJugal infdelity. Those
plays are vicious beyond expression. and I
am, with all decent people, in opposition
TO them. but the plays Of the type Of Iris
are far from failing within that eondem,
nation,
IL was not merely, in the performance OF
his duty as a husband that Mr.. Sothern
evinced his willingness to break a lance
with the critics. for he pursued the topic
10 some extent. debating the general ques-
tion OF morality and the stage with the en-
ergy and eloquence'o of one who has given
the topic much thought. Naturally, he is
an advocate Of the best. Our standard
can never be set too high" he says. at
may be that we will not he able to attain
the mark we have fixed, but the effort ia
achieve il Is always worth the while" He
insists that the moral atmosphere of the
stage is purer and the lives Of the men and
women connected with IT are cleaner thar
they ever were, and he also maintains thai
actors arc u~niustly blamed as a class fol
faults that belong to a few only. His great
est Interest at present is in the revival Of
the classic dramas, the Shakespearear
plays enlisting his best effort. With g
high ideal and a, determination and willing.
ness TO work, he insists that an actor u
bound TO succeed. II is not a question o
public taste, but OF the capability OF tn,
actor. And there are good actors. too. he in
sists, with nothing but the lack OF oppor.
tunity standing between them and the tri
umphs they merit. His season az the Gardei