The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-05-10

THB WEEKS PLAY BILLS.
CONCLUDED FROM PAGE 4. PART 81
Club. IL the course of their conversation
Mr.. Lackaye said: do you consider Mans
field a better actor than MYSELF"
II don't know" replied the volatile Nc
Connell; II never saw Mansfield play Incle
Tom" l. may be remembered that Lack
aye appeared in a big revival OF Oncie
Toms Cabin several years ago, ana mas
been sorry for it ever since: Il under
stand" added Mcconnell quite seriously.
that you are to play another coon part
Brady; So ! understand has engaged you
Tor Othel.o."
Mile James, who portrayed little Sarah
Crewe so delightfully."- in THE Little Prin-
cess" which closed its engagement at En-
glish's last night, says that she will not
continue to play child's parts in the future.
THAT is exactly what / desire to avoid,
she said the other day. II object to becOm-
ing identified with one distinct line of stage
work / shink II is dreadful TO fall into the
nut Of ore type OF character. 1t restricts
ones capabilities If one has them. never
was stagt-struck. I adopted my profession
because IL was necessary for me to do so.
When considering what was the best meth
cd of earning my living selected acting
bee ause felt that / might be successful in
that. / never possessed that all-absorbing
fever which causes many young girls TO
leaves luxurious homes for the crosses and
hardships of life behind the scenes"
Grace Georges engagement in pretty
Peggy at the Herald Square Theater,
New York, will terminate at the end of
next week. Miss George has enjoyed so
large business that there is little doubt
of the run being resumed in September
The play is so beautifully staged that even
David Belasco. the prince of stage direc-
tors, waxed enthusiastic when he first wit
messed the performance. This delightful
comedy played to wretched business in In
dianapOli& when given at English's-prob-
ably because it did not come here stamped
with New Yorks approval The Journal
called attention at the time Of its local en-
gagement TO the unusual brightness and
general 2ttractiveness of the entertain
ment. A play does not have to be New
York success TO be a good play, but it
seems that II must needs have New York s
trademark on it before the people of the
smaller cities will go TO witness its pre-
sentation.
The arrangements are about complete for
the grea. out-of-door production OF "As
You Like IT. at South Field. Columbia
University, next Tuesday afternoon for the
benefit of the university settlement kinder
garten. The company will be entirely pro-
fessional and will be under the direction of
the famous English stage director Ben
Greet, who for number of years has
staged cpen-air performances of Shak-
spearean plays in London. Miss Edith
"ynne NlattnlSOn, VINO mas ceen playing
the title role In the unique morality play
"Everyman'' all season with great success,
Will appear as Rosalind, and there is a
great deal OF curiosity among the Eastern
dramatic critics to witness her interpreted
ticn of this favorite Shakspearean heroine
Robert Lorraine will be the Orlando, Mr..
Greet will play Jaques and the other parts
will be taken by the members of the
"Everyman" company. South. Field lends
itself nicely to the enterprise. The seats
will be arranged In six sections, the boxes
sic 10 at will feh fha
scenery End the stage cloth will be real
grass, the proscenium arches being formed
by trees. Nearly all of the boxes have
been taken and the sale of seats has been
very large. IL will be the first open-air
Shakspearean performance ever given in
New York city and will be well worth going
miles to see.
Joseph Jefferson delivered his well-known
lecture Oft the drama in Birmingham, Ala,
one afternoon last week, and varied his
usual discourse by introducing some re-
marks on the subject of a national theater.
He said that he expected to bring down
criticism on his head from his profession.
but that he was opposed to the national
theater project. He said the difficulties
were those of location and management.
and vouchsafed the opinion that a subsi-
died theater In this country could not be
operated successfully. Harrison Grey Fiske.
In the Dramatic Mirror is the first critic
to get after the veteran comedian These
views" writes Mr.. Fiske, "are Just what
might have been expected from Mr.. Jeffer-
against progress. No doubt there are many
difficulties besetting those who are en-
Enthusiastically striving TO establish a ma
uonal theater, but IL would be more gra-
cious foy Mr. Jefferson to endeavor to as
sist in solving these difficulties than to
decry the plan. If the dean of the Ameri-
can profession does not feel qualified TO give
that sort of aid IL would not be out of
place for him TO lend a helping hand by
pledging moderate subscription. Mr.. JEFF
ferson has done little or nothing for the
American drama 1 doubt If he has ever
paid a dollar in royalty to an American
dramatic author In the whole course Of his
cradle 'J0e." but when one comes to think
of Il. there is some soundness in Mr.. Fiske' 5
little rebuike-
According to the Paris correspondent Of
the Pail Mall Gazette. the new play at the
Coincide Franchise = Octave Mirabeau's
Business Is Business"-is a most extraor-
binary study. THE play is so true to the
cruelties OF this twentieth century lfe,'
writes the correspondent, that there must
have been men In the audience who shud-
dered as the iron-tipped points went home
The piece is written by a master hand and
acted as no other actors I'm the world but
those or the Coincide Franchise could act
II Inc play Is practically the life of Isdore
Iechat, a nnancier and nouveau richie polit-
zeal asplrant and millionaire, vulgar, self
made man, To whom such words as mercy
honor. human kindness. and the like are
meaningless, and who knows but one motive
power In life, the power of money He has
son and daughter The son is a cub his
Iathers idol, who wastes whatever cash
his father gives him In the fastest of fas
living: the daughter is a highly strung i'm
aginative- and warm-hearted girl who has
become enbittered by her comprehension of
the horribly immoral methods by which her
father has enriched himself and Tapped her
HE In lu5iury The play, in three long acts
describes the downfall of the millionaire $
dissatisfaction. His daughter leaves her
home with a young protege, whom Isidore
Lechat had thought he had complete power
over; the son Is killed in an automobile ac-
cident. and even the miliionaire's wife a
simple. lovable old soul. tells him TO his
face at last that she would leave him too
were not, her sense OF duty stronger than
her love. The rich man is left alone-alone
with his riches"