The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-12-19
Selma Herman to star.


man. the young emotional actress who is
appearing at the Park this week as the
leading woman of 1.-The Charity Nurse"
production, and for a while the young
actress was undecided as TO which one of
several contracts she would sign. She final
ly made w her mind TO remain with the
Cincinnati managers, Heuck * Fennessy,
however and has signed a contract 10 tour
the country under their management
throughout this season and for two addl-
tional seasons.
Miss Herman Is considered the best OF
melodramatic heroines now playing on the
popular-price circuits and might easily Sc
cure an engagement In the higher class
of theatrical attractions IL she but chose
to do So Although scarcely twenty-five,
she has had wide experience on the stage
characterizations. While with the stock
company in Cincinnati last spring, she es-
sayed the role of Maslova in Toistois
great success by Blanche Walsh) and her
work in this extremely difficult character
attracted much attention. Last season
she played the part OF the , heroine "a sot .as
and at the close of the tour. was imme-
diately secureu by Heuck Fennessy TO
enact the leading role In their production OF
managers announce that she will make her
debut as a star next season, under their
direction. She is being featured at pres
u.
ference between starring" and "peing
featured"
Miss Herman is the best dressed actress
who has ever appeared at the PARK ana tne
gowns that she wears in The CHARITY
Nurse cause the women In the audience
to open their eyes. She carries seven trunks
about the country with her and each trunk
is filled with dresses OF the most expeh-
sive kind. She says that she could wear a
different gown each evening for month
without exhausting her supply.
Agnes Cain Brown, the new prima donna
of the Bostonians, who come to English
as the Christmas attraction, has never sung
in indianapolis. She is said to have beau
tiful voice Grace Van Studdiford, the In
diana prima donna, who was the leading
soprano with the Bostonians last season,
is now the star in Reginald De koven new
opera, Red Feather which is running IN
New York. Miss Van Studdiford told
New York interviewer the other day tnat,
while she retained many pleasant memories
of her tour with the famous old operauc
organization, she was mighty glad THAT she
would be able to spend Christmas in the
metropolis this year. 1t happened that Miss
Van Studdiford had never Travelled over the
California territory, and as the train puiled
into Sacramento last Christmas eve she did
NOT look forward to friendly greetings. She
found a cheerless, unheated room at the
hotel, and as the company arrived late
at night there was no performance 10 tenn
pofarily relieve the inconsistencies mat over
II awoke the next morning" she said.
in telling the story, ito hear the BarnaDees
and McDonalds receiving the friends they
had met before in Sacramento. Those good
old chaps have friends In every town IN
the United States. believe. Well, they
and far and having grand celebration:
My box from home did not reach me until
a week later. May ] he delivered from
another Christmas on the road!
Although theatrical business is notorious
ly dull the week before Christmas, the
Grand has not suffered to any appreciable
extent this week from a falling off in pat
ronage. Next weeks programme at this
amusement house promises to be In keep
ing with the merry holidays, as most OF
the specialties on the bill will be of the
comedy kind. Charles Aldrich, the parody
| illusionist," will be the chief entertainer,
| and others on the bill will be: Sam Ed
wards and his company, in a farce entitled
"A Pass for Two" Binns, Binns and Binns
| in a grotesque musical act; the three Ne
varros. acrobats and gymnasts of world
wide reputation; Charles Leonard Fletcher
| the impersonator and mimic, who scored
< a success at the Grand last season: Miss
| Wynne Winslow, the sweet-voiced sopranoi
| Mile. Alice Captain, the aerial performer
of the better class. There will be a brand
new assortment of bioscope pictures, with
several Christmas pictures.
When Mrs. Wigs of the Cabbage
Patch" which comes to English's mex,
week for q second engagement, is put or
| for a run I'm New York, later on, the odd
| ing against daughter. Macge Carr Cook
who portrays the character of the optimis-
| tic Mrs. Wigs, will be entertaining audi
| ences at one theater while Eleanor Robson
H. h. yfrr tfron Ion, HI
ZangwiH play, MERELY Mary Ann which
was seen in this city a few weeks ago
atization of Mrs. Humphrey Wards, Aga.
tina" during her New York engagement.
| Charles Klein, who wrote the book of the
| merry comic opera. "Mr. Pickwick," which
| De Wolf Hopper will present in this city
| at English's on New Years day, has just
announced his intention of devoting him
self to serious dramatic writing in the fu-
| ture. and will write no more comic opera
| librettos. His last two operate efforts
| have not met with the success anticipated
| from his earlier works-"El Captain and
Mr.. Pickwick'-and he feels that he car
do better work as serious dramatist He
| has just signed a contract to write play
| for David Belasco.
The engagement Of the Imperial Bur
| lesque Company at the Empire will come
| to an end with two performances to-day
| The week has proved fairly successful
| one The Empires Christmas week attrac.
1 ton will be the Merry Maidens" musical
| travesty organization, company that was
| we'll liked when seen at the Empire las,
4 winter II is headed this season by Nellie
HanIey, the soprano singer, and the other
| leading people with the show are Sam
1 Rice, the comedian; Alice Leslie, the SOU
| trette; the Mats, musical artists; the
| Johnson trio, farcical players, and the ia
nous Duffin-Redcay troupe of European
| acrobats.