The Indianapolis journal., 1903-03-11

bus. Cincinnati. ST. Louis, Indianapolis.
,1 ShicasS Milwaukee % ,n and severa1 Ydr for
short summer run at one of the leading
Broadway theaters. Kyrle Bellew will ap-
pear as Romeo. Eleanor Robson ~ as 1, juliet.
son as Friar Laurence. John +. Kellerd
as Tybal, Edwin Arden as Paris. Forrest
Robinson as Benvolio. George Clarke as
Capulet, W. j. Ferguson as Peter. F. c.
Bangs Montague. Edmund Breese as
Escalus. Miss Ada Swyer as Lady Capulet
and Mrs. w. G. Jones as the nurse. 1t
was hoped at first that Clara Morris would
play the nurse, but the veteran had TO give
up the part on account OF continued Ill
health.
Thomas w. Ryley. of the managerial
firm of Fisher & Ryley. owners of the
several "Florodora" companies. including
the one now playing at English's, will sail
for Europe to-day on the Oceanic. Mr.:
Ryley will endeavor 10 see all the musical
comedies that are now running in Eng
land and the continent, and hopes to
purchase outright the one he fancies will
stand the best chance of making good in
America.
1t was at the request of Paul Heyse that
his play. Mary of Magdala.' was brought
to the attention of Mrs. Fiske. When the
presentation OF the drama in English was
under consideration Heyes expressed to his
representative in this country that 1t should
be submitted to Mrs. Fiske first. whom of
all American actresses he believed best
qualified TO interpret the part of the Mag
dalen as he had drawn II. Heyse has fol-
lowed Mrs. Fiske's production of the play
with great interest. When he received
the news of its success the venerable Ger
man dramatist sent the American actress
a large portrait of himself inscribed thus:
ITO Mrs. Fiske. my first Mary of Magdala
on the English stage. with sincerest con,
Heyse." Mrs. Fiske thinks a great deal
of that photograph.
Pretty Peggy" which Grace George will
play in this city at Englishs next Friday
and Saturday nights and at Saturdays
matinee. will receive its first New York
production a week from next Monday night
at the Herald-square Theater. There is
scene in this play that is sure to create
good deal of interest when 1t is witnessed
In New York-a setting which probably
does more than all others TO establish the
atmosphere of the stage in the period of
George III. This setting is a perfect repro
duction of the greenroom of the Theater
Royal, Covent Garden, the playhouse in
which Peg Wellington won her first Lon
don success and which is utilized even to
this day during the grand opera season.
The last act of Pretty Peggy transpires
in this apartment, where the young favor
lite has gathered the wits and the beauties
of the capital to dine with her after per-
room has long since ceased to be a factor
In theatrical architecture, but in the
''palmy days when gatherings such as
that which takes place In the new play
were of nightly occurrence it was consid-
cred as important as any portion of the
building. With it's vanishing has disap-
peared much of the cordiality, hospitality
and bon cameradie" which once charac-
terized the playhouse. There are no more
greenrooms in America; those still parti-
toned off I'm old theaters are now used for
ar I'M rrn nr 20 n
supers. England maintains a few in de-
caying places of amusement, but they are
not frequented as Of yore, and meetings in
them have lost significance.
The role which Mrs. Langtry plays in
1.-The Crossways.' the new piece in which
she will be seen tomorrow night at Eng
lishs. is a sort of up-to-date, smart-set
Lady Teazle, who has married duke much
older than herself She pretends to be
deeply interested in a younger man, who
turns out to be a scoundrel, apd Is saved
from real folly and also from serious diff
culties with her husband by a combination
of pretty sentiment and fraternal scruples.
The story is said to be very interesting
one. charmingly told. and Mrs. Langtry, in
presenting the character of that doubted
and doubling wife, is said to show herself
more convincingly than ever before to be a
feeling and accomplished actress. 'The
CrOSsWayS' Is understood to be an impress
sive production, aside from the great dis
play of beautiful gowns by Mrs. Langtry
and other women of the cast From pres
ent indications there will be a fine audi
ence present at English's tomorrow night.
xxx
The advance sale for the Elks' Minstrels
will begin tomorrow morning at English S
box Office The show will take place next
Monday and Tuesday nights. and it prom
| ises to be one of the best the Elks have
| ever presented at their annual benefit per-
| formance-
The Empire had the biggest Tuesday
matinee of the season yesterday. The en-
| tertainment that is being given by the
| Robie Burlesquers this week Is the best
taken a whole, seen at the Empire in
some time. There is a pretty good olio of
specialties and several of the musical num-
bers in the two burlesQues are sung in
pleasing style.
Adelaide Hermann, the conjurer on the
current vaudeville bill at the Grand, is
even more clever in sleight-of-hand work
with billiard balls than her nephew, Leon
Hermann, who was seen at English's about
| six weeks ago. The billiard ball trick is
conceded to be the hardest one to accom-
plish in a magician's repertoire. Even those
who understand the method of performing
the "sleight" are mystiied in watching
Madame Hermann's graceful hands while
main. When IL comes to holding four of
these slippery spheres between the fingers
and I'm plain view of the audience MAX
ing them vanish one at time until there
is nothing at all in the hands this woman
conjurer Is just little better than any of
her contemporaries. She has learned her
art in a good school. The Grands pro-
gramme Is well worth seeing this week.
| There Is not a dull act in the entertain
ment-
XXX
"The Bandit King is playing to large
audiences at the Park. and is more than
| fulfilling all promises made for 1t in ad-
vance. The old border drama is being
| put on the stage this season in more elab-
crate style than ever before, and the COM
pany selected by Manager James Wallick
| is the best one that has ever appeared
In the piece. The play appeals to the low
ers OF ultra-sensauonal in meiodrama, and
when viewed I'm this manner ii is entitled to
| first prize. The race-track scene is one of
the best ever seen the stage rivaling
the similar scene In Jacob Lifts play, THE
Suburban" The play will be presented at
| the matinee and evening performances to-
day. and beginning with the matinee to-
| morrow afternoon The Cattle King" will
| take its place. THE Cattle King Is con-
sidered by Manager Wallick the better NAV
| of the two.
Manager Ziegler has secured as a special
| lenten attraction at the Grand Opera House
| for Sunday afternoon and evening, March
| %. Harry Ellsworth Feicht who will give
his entertaining lecture, The Passion
| Play" 1t will be given with twenty-three
| colored slides, many new, with appropriate
orchestra and vocal music and chimes
nNF . A--. l..