The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-08-02
GOSSIP FROM STAGELAND
OPENING OF THE PARK THEATER
WITH a NEW MELODRAMA.
Some Theatrical offerings of the Near
Future-Interesting News Notes of
Plays and Players.


and with the matinee performance of
When the Bell Tolls" the theatrical sea-
son OF 1904 will be launched-at least so
far this popular playhouse is concerned.
The Park is always the first theater in In
dianapolis to start the theatrical ball "a
rolling, just as it is the last amusement
house TO ring down the final curtain at the
end of season. 1t is one Of the few play
houses in the West that can enjoy a pros
porous season of ten consecutive months
and has come to be recognized among the
managers of what are termed popular
price attractions" most desirable
place to I'LL an engagement. For this rea-
son the Park is never at loss for suitable
attractions and is always booked Solid
as the managers say. long before the OPEN
ing OF a new season. With complete new
stage. which has been built during the last
six weeks and a number of new pieces of
scenery, the theater will be better equipped
for presenting it's entertainments than ever
before. A good system of ventilation and
many electric fans throughout the audi
forum will keep the house from becoming
too warm during the remaining weeks of
the summer
when the Bell Tolls Is an English
melodrama-that is, II was written and pro-
duced in England. but its scenes are laid in
the mountains OF Switzerland. The play is
the work OF Travers Vale. who put it on
originally at the Princess Theater in Lon
don. where il enjoyed quite long rum The
play was afterward taken to Australia and
proved very successful in that country. 1t
is, Of course, as it's title would suggest, an
out-and-out melodrama-ons of the kind
that seldom fails to please Park audiences,
and IL should prove good opening attrac-
ton there. The author, Mr.. Vale, is per-
sonally directing the tour OF the play, and
this fact should insure a careful presenta-
ton. The story is said to be interesting
and the scenic effects especially fine, the
principal scene showing the plateau of st.
bernard. with it's historical monastery.
Handsome st. Bernard dogs play an impor-
tant part In this scene, the climax of which
shows the lighting OF duel in the snow
and the rescue of wounded man from
death by the life-saving animals. The COM
pany, which Is headed by Miss Louise Nc
Ctiilum, Is credited with being a very capa-
bic one.
When the Bell Tolls" will run through
the first part of the week; with the usual
one OF Lincoln j. Carter's strong melo-
dramas. Two Little Waits" a play that
scored hit at the Park when presented
season Playwright Carter, who lived in
Indianapolis before his first theatrical sue
cess took him TO Chicago, has yet to record
failure in the melodramatic line While
his plays are not always new in plot, they
usually contain the right amount of human
interest 10 make them well liked in the pop
niar.priee sneaters. and Two Little Waits.
In the story are twin sisters. who are I'M
known to each other. One of them is per-
suaded by the villain to destroy the domes-
uh nd fhn ttn.
and with this situation as the groundwork
many interesting scenes and thrilling eli
MAKES are evolved. The parts of the waits
are being portrayed this season by Stanley
and Lolita Lamb. two clever Juvenile play
ers, and the supporting company is said to
be a strong one. The scenic effects of the
play are attractive, one scene showing a
home on the Hudson river a change from
twilight to darkness, with the setting sun,
the rise of the moon and the twinkling lights
on the New Jersey shore. and another scene
being reproduction of the celebrated Lit
tie Church Around the Corner"
indianapolis will enjoy some big theatre
cal offerings during the coming season. and
among them will be Mrs. Leslie Carter in
"Du Barry and Blanche Walsh in her
great presentation of Tolstoi's 1.-The Resur-
rection.' Last season several attempts
some of them more or less successful were
made by the cheap stock companies to
make capital out of Miss Walsh's great tri-
umph In the Tolstoi play, and nearly all of
the larger cities in this part of the country
were proved upon. indianapolis escaped
only because this city no longer boasts a
stock company, and theatergoers here will
be all the more DESTROYS of seeing the "reaI
and only version" of the much-talked- of
drama on that account. The managers of
the various stock companies were not en-
tirely honest In announcing their produce
tions as 1.-The dramatic sensation of london
and Paris There Is only one play of this
name that has achieved this distinction.
and that is the masterpiece of Henri Ba-
taille, whose stage version of the powerful
book of the Russian philosopher was orig
inally produced in Paris and brought to
American by Wagenhals g. Kemper FOR the
use OF Miss Walsh. Many uniformed per-
sons were also deluded by cheap limitations
of Belasco's ''Du Barry but the theaters
throughout the country were none the less
crowded to their capacity when Mrs Car
ter appeared. Miss Walsh is assured of n
similar reception on her tour, which is to
begin early in September.
And still the rage for musical comedies
continues. seemingly undated. "Girls Will
BE Girls" the London musical comedy sue
cess, is to be put out by William A. Brady
the later part of this month. Frank DAN
iels Is to have new musical comedy called
The Jockey" adaptation from the
French. the libretto being by Harry b.
Il.
The Sweet Girl ("Das SUISSE MaederO
a musical comedy which has been running
Tor over year at the Royal Opera House.
Vienna. hae been secured by Nixon & Zim-
norman and will be presented at the New
YORK Casino in the near future. Charles
Frederick Nirlinger. the former editor OF
Town Topics. Is at work OH the libretto
Amerlcanizing IL. George w. Lederer is
now preparing for his forthcoming produc-
ton OF the new musical comedyy'My Lady
Lola, which Is said to have been a hit in
he vi
is the title of new musical comedy. words
by Paul West. well-known New York
newspaper man, and music by Jack Brat
ton. the composer OF many popular songs
which Is to be given its first production I'm
Boston In the fall And now prepare for
the greatest blow of all. Ella Wheeler VIII
cox Is writing the libretto for a musical
comedy, the music 70 be furnished bv one
Rolln w. Bond. And there are more TO
come.
alexander the Great" the new play in
which Wagenhals & Kemper will present
Louis James and Frederick Warde next
season, has for its chief motive ambition
versus love. The progress OF the plot shows
him 10 be alternately torn by these con-
ficting emotions. the latter being finally
triumphant He fails To realize the futility
OF ambition lntil he arrives at what he
imagincs 10 be the end of the world. when
there 10 more worlds tO>cOnquer He
then discovers that love, after all is the
greatest Of human emotions and the only
compensation for the struggles of existence.
The dramatic suspense OF the play is pro-
vided by the intrigues and perfdy OF Per-