The Savannah morning news., 1902-02-06
AT THE THeATER.


The Una Clayton Company presented
..Nell Gwynn'' yesterday as a matinee
hiu and THE Dangers of New York.
last night. The matinee audience was
mo of the largest of the season and
.ha MAY was one of the best. The two
hest pieces. however. in which Miss
CLAYTON appears are yet to come. They
ora Under Two Flags" which will be
seen tomorrow night, and Little Miss
Military" which will be the bill Sat
,,rdav matinee. She has great oppor-
+,,nity in each. The specialties con-
tinue to improve and the audience gets
genuine surprise at each perform
orce The Prentice Trio continue to de-
light the audience. Mr.. Whittier's i'm
oTomptu speeches and comic songs and
Tiuie Myers buck and wing dancing
ore particularly interesting features.
Miss Claytons songs, sung as nobody
except she can sing them, win the au-
dence at once.
"Arizona," which will be presented
for the first time in Savannah tonight,
ie receiving fiattering notices through
ont its Southern tour. The following
i what the Constitution had to say of
the performance the other night in At
Ianta: THE presentation of Arizona
last evening was unquestionably the
hest. most evenly balanced and-the
ruth told-the most artistic Atlantans
have ever patronized and applauded.
The play itself, an idyl of rough West
ern natures, but true, human hearts
and pretty and graphic situations, is
too we'll known to demand description.
II is a page of life, of human interest,
nj truth that comes brighter and more
golden for having gone through the cru
oial test of self-sacrifice. Arizona has
already made good here-it is of the
east the criticism should more strictly
deal. There is not weak spot in the
splendid galaxy of players that essayed
the roles last evening. 1t is pains
taking, conscientious and thoroughly
competent cast-one that would make
much of even a smaller play than this
splendid one they have"
Miss Elsie Esmond, who assumes
the character of Bonita in Arizona"
tells of a rather amusing instance of
her first appearance with a profess
sional company. Miss Esmond had
played a number of prominent parts in
a local amateur dramatic society in her
own CITY, anu was dCCI6ulICQ Win w.
ing particularly clever.
On the occasion of a prominent COM
pany playing in her city, the manager
had the misfortune of having a young
lady member taken suddenly ill. 1t
was found that it would be utterly
impossible for her to appear that even
ing The manager was in a quandary,
and there was no understudy and, un-
less a substitute could be found, it
would be impossible to give the per-
Torrance. In this emergency, some
body made the suggestion that they try
and induce Miss Esmond to assume the
role for that evening. She was ac-
cOrdingly sent for, and after being told
the circumstances, agreed to help them
out The part was given her, and
after going over it several times during
the afternoon. she went home to per-
feet herself in as many of the details
as possible; and when evening came
she felt confident that she had it all
by heart. The character was
that of O maid by meme
Lena Gunstad, and it was down on the
programme as a German serving maid.
Of curse, all the company were on
watch when she made her first APP
pearance. Judge of their surprise,
when the mistress called from the
stage, Lena, Lena, where are you?
That Is lHG uull6SI ever
saw" Hereupon, Lena enters. The
lady says rather sharply, 30, here you
are at last!" Miss Esmond responded
with a particularly good boarding
school French accent, "Oui. Madame;
Oui, Madame" For a mement the
lady who assumed the part of the
mistress was nonplussed. The audience
was silent until the righteousness of
the answer and situation daWned up
them WhprAIiTnn Qra1t shout 0f
laughter and applause went through
the entire theater. Miss Esmond, al
though a trife setback by her mis-
take, did not lose her self-control ana
continued the character in French dur
ing the entire evening, and played it
so cleverly that she made a lasting
hit with both the audience and the
manager of the company. The next
day he engaged her to sustain the role
for the rest of the season. This was
Miss Esmonds debut as a professional.
Archie H. Ellis of "The Four Co
hans" is in the cityf. He was at the
Atlantic Hotel Norfolk, Va, which
was destroyed by fire last Friday
pulled his trunk down the stairs and
slipping hurt his back. the effects of
which he is not over yet.
Mr.. Frank Gerth was in the city
yesterday making arrangements for
the appearance of Sousa here next
Tuesday matinee and night.
Usually when an important theatre
cal venture is about to be launched
there is much preliminary pronounce
ment and many promises. In the case
of the starring tour of that talented
family of comedians the four Cohans
in The Governors Son. a different
course has been pursued. The prepa-
rations while elaborate, have been
made modestly and quietly. Many
thousands of dollars have been ex-
pended and important engagements