The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-09-08
MR.. HOLDERS
N@' Sd @'~ 90
THE THEATERS.


At the Theaters To-Day.
misunderstanding, 2:15 and Sis p m.
PARK-"The Night Before Christmas
EMPIRE~The World Beaters Variety.
and p. m.
The opening of the Empire Theater. New
York, which came last week. brought with
IL the first appearance of John Drew and
his company in a play by Isaac Hender-
son, an English-American newspaper man.
entitled 1.-The Mummy and the Humming
Bird" The mummy Is scientist so ao-
sorbed in his research that he neglects his
pretty wife, whose favor is sought by an
italian novelist, whom the young woman
dubs 1.-THE humming bird When the num-
my is about to lose his wife an italian or
gan-grinder enters the complication. He
seeks the humming birds life for the rea-
son that that gay person seduced the or
gan-grinder's wife. The mumy goes to the
humming birds apartments and finds that
his wife, still innocent, Is there. He gets
his wife away without the humming bird
knowing IL, and there Is left for him the
reverse OF consolation in a card bearing the
word vendetta and the name OF the or
gan-grinder. who is valet to the mummy.
So the play Is very conventional; the
New York critics find 1t commonplace. 1t
failed dismally in London when Sir Charles
Wyndam put IL on. Mr.. Drew, of course,
is the interesting. the polished MI; Drew
in any part in any play. And Mr.. Hender-
sons comedy has been the occasion or
Lionel Barrymore's being made very
happy young man. Every critic calls atten-
ton to his fine acting as the organ-grinder.
Miss Margaret Dale. the leading woman.
who was seen here last season with Mr..
Drew IN 1.-The Second in Command" seems
not to be a striking figure in the new play.
q
company.
lionel Barrymore, whose latest hit would
seem to open the way to prominence for
him. represents the fourth generation OF
the Drew-Barrymore stock. He is the son
of Google Drew, who died soon after her
success as Mrs. Hillary with Mr.. Crane In
Drew. lived Ave years after her. The IA
Their OF Mrs. John Drew was an English
provincial actor named Lane. Lionel Bar
rymores father Is Maurice barrymore. SUI
dred III in a sanatorium; his uncle is John
Drew, and his sister Is Miss Ethel Barry
more. put forward as a star year ago
in Fitch's Captain links OF the Horse
Marines"
Though there probably never was a
cruder, sillier play than Alice Of Old
vincennes," and though Miss Virginia Har-
ned made an unqualified failure In IL last
seaso., IL is to be used again. Miss Ger
trude Coghlan. a daughter of the great
Charles. Is to be its principal actress. Last
season she was engaged in a cheap produc-
ton of a dramatization Of Vanity Fair. ~
Miss Coghlan and her company are rehears-
ing in New York and the star" the other
day, according to a press agent, had mar
row escape from injury from the foil of a
drunken or crazy Italian fencing master
This man and the actress were alone or
the stage. While they were fencing Miss
Coghlan noticed that the man was press
taught her by her father" she drsarmed the
Italian and fled to the stage door. There
she met two stage hands and they tool
tbs sor OF sne tha If Miss CONAN be
pable Of delivering secret thrust" thai
disarms a fencing master. why need she
have lessons? Besides Il she does no more MOI
Miss Harmed did In that thrilling scene
where the fiendish British officer tries tC
take advantage Of her being in his pow
er," she will need no skill In sword play.
In regard to the improbability OF there
being cruder. sillier play than "Alce OF
Old Vincennes, there should. perhaps, be
a reservation. This thought comes in read
ing in a New York newspaper an Interview
with Charles Major. when KnighthooG
Was In Flower is, one decides after let.
ting the mind run back to the several per.
formances OF IL that one has seen, as bad
play as alice OF Old Vincennes." Mr.
Major has been in New York to become
acquainted with the arrangements being
made for Miss Effle Ellsler's tour In
"Knighthood' this season. No doubt he 1.
doing something. too, toward placing
dramatization OF Dorothy Vernon of Had
don Hail." But dramatizations of novel.
OF the minute seem to have had, for tn,
time, their day, though, no doubt the,
will come again another day. Miss julia
Marlowe, the profits of whose tour IL
"Knighthood" last season were sl60 900. nov
turns her great. serious eyes toward tn,
classics She may produce Shakespear,
after she begins her season in Queen III
annette" by Catulle Mendes. OF Paris Thi
is an idyllic comedy in which Miss Mar
lowe will exercise those charms of person
and manner that alone constitute he
financially-successful equipment as al
actress
OF Mr.. Major, a New York writer o
theatrical gossip. says: He does not lool
like a literary man. as popularity pictured
He is stout, somewhat ford, wears ligh
clothing and q broad-brimmed straw hi
and Is essentially good natured in appear
ance and manner" The man that wrot
that paragraph should come out TO Indians
and learn that most Hoosier writer's ar
like Mr.. Major. They are stout from goo
eating and fiorid from lots OF sunshine. An
their novels are written for good eater
and lovers of unstrained sunshine. IL a.
Indiana writer shows the least faint O
morbid investigation OF questions OF presen
Importance he incurs the danger of bein
considered q bit out of the way
Too many visits 10 New York ar
bad for an Indiana writer. MI
Major and Mr.. Harrington should bea
In mind the penalty George AIDE brough
on himself He sought the false pleasure
OF metropolitanism and ere long the stor
swept over Indiana as a simeon sweeps tina
this dialogue had occurred In New Yor
club:
New ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS to NEE
you. Mr.. AIDE. Ah-ah-many bright me
are coming from Indiana.
Mr.. Ade-Yes. and the brighter they ar
the sooner they come.
Now. Mr.. AIDE has been put to a grea
deal OF pain and anxiety 10 deny this stor