The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-02-25

PARK.-''The Volunteer Organist," and
EMPIRE.-Burlesque and p. m.
UNIQUE.-Variety, and p. m.
The name of Robertson has been one to
conjure with in theatrical London for many
a year. Luminous among those of that ilk
familiar to this generation rise shining
memories of T. W. Robertson, author of
Caste" and other delightful comedies which
are still vital with heart interest and
alive with laughter, leading a roll call
that by no means ends with Madge Robert
son (Ndrs. KendaD, with Forbes Robertson,
nor with gentle Agnes Robertson.
There isn't a comedy, tragedy or farce
| in theHwhole dramatic literature of England
to-day" grumbled Sir Henry Irving, hu-
morously, in a recent interview, but there
are Robertsons enough, and to spare, to
cast it." And he was right. There are
comedians and tragedians galore in Eng
| land who bear that popular name, but none
| is so well known and so much admired
as Forbes Robertson, the acknowledged
| matinee idol of London who became an OBJ
| ject of unusual interest in America when
| married that beautiful young American
actress, Gertrude Elliott, only sister of the
| peerless Maxine. When Mr.. Robertson and
his brilliant little brown-eyed wife began
their American tour in Kiplngs 1.-The
Light that Failed" they attracted more
attention in New York than any other
| players in the metropolis, and the same
| interest has been shown in them during
| their season on the road. They begin their
| first indianapolis engagement tomorrow
evening, and. unless all signs fail, they
will be greeted at English's by a large and
very fashionable audience.
Mr.. Robertson, besides being a capital
actor, is what the Lambs Club in New
| York terms lone of u.s." Although Lon
don matinee idol, he is more of mans
man than a ladies' favorite, as he possesses
| in the highest degree the sterling and stall
wart qualities that endear a man to his
fellows He is an all-round athlete, handy
with his fists, fine shot, a good golf
player and-strange to say of Briton-he
plays a corking good game of poker. 1t
| was Robertson who posed for the male
| figure in Burne-Joness famous painting,
| 1.-The Vampire'-the man who is being
| wrecker. 1t is odd enough that this cele-
brated picture should have been the sub
| ject of one of Kipling's strongest poems
and the means of bringing poet and player
| into the warm friendship that determined
| Mr.. Robertson to produce a kipllng play
| or die in the attempt. This resolve he has
| Interestingly carried out in 1.-The Light that
| Failed
The Kipling play, dramatized by Con-
| night and at the Saturday matinee; Ham
| let will be presented Saturday night.
| Maxine Elliott is booked for early
| appearance at English's in Clyde Fitch's
new comedy Her Own Way and local
theater-goers will thus have opportun-
| ity to compare the two Elliotts, the younger
sister, Gertrude being here tomorrow and
| Saturday night with Forbes Robertson in
| THE Light That Failed and Hamlet"
| The sisters started out together to win
dramatic honors and both have mounted to
| the top within a few years. Maxine and
Gertrude were companion players in the
| Frawley Stock Company in San Francisco
| about six years ago when Nat G. Goodwin
was playing an engagement in the Paclhc
metropolis before going TO Australia for
tour in that faraway land. The comedian
| witnessed a performance in which the
| Elliotts played the leading feminine parts,
| and Immediately engaged the elder sister
as his leading woman declaring that "she
was his ideal actress The truth of the
matter was that Nat was in love. He lost
| no time in wooing and winning Maxine as
| soon he had booked her for his company.
| The little sister," Gertrude, went along
! to play ingenue parts and when the COM
| pany appeared later on in London Miss
| Elliott (by this time Maxine was Mrs.
| Goodwin) scored as great a success as did
| witnessed Gertrude'S stage work and what
| happened to Goodwin also happened to
/ Robertson.
The German players from Cincinnati will
again hold the boards at English's tonight,
| and the Teutonic playgoers of the city will
be given an opportunity this time to wit
ness tragedy in their own language.
| Until now, the theatrical performances
given under the auspices of the German
| Theater Society of Indianapolis have been
comedes-one of them farce in fact-and
| it would seem that the time is ripe for a
serious dramatic production. The company
/ from Cincinnati is undoubtedly a capable
| organization; its members are well-trained
Il and -nin nj II md hfr9rr
| they have given here has been well acted.
| Fedora will be this evenings bill. 1t
| is one of the earliest of the Sardou ro-
| mantle dramas, and one OF the French
| playwright's strongest works. Paul Lin
| dau is the author of the German transla-
| ton which has been enacted innumerable
! times in Germany with great success. 1t
| has been many years since Fedora" has
| been presented in Indiana polls and its inter-
probation this evening should prove of
| much interest to all playgoers understand
| ing the German language. The leading
| parts will be in the hands of Clairette Clair,
| d. f. Schmidt, Adolf Heine. Alfred Koro-
| wicz. Fritz Handbook, Elra Carly, Glenn
ems Bauer. Marie Szwirschina and Heinrich
| Lowenfeld.
Two st. Bernard dogs figure prominently
in one scene of 1.-The Volunteer Organist,"
which comes to the Park to-day for the
rest of the week. One is known as "Mardo"
and the other and larger one is Mon
arch. Ihey appear In a snoWstorm
scene, when two children are overwhelmed
by the elements The dogs were imported
from Switzerland and are said to have
seen actual service in the Alps. The play
| is a pastoral drama, with its scenes in
a New England village, and it's plot fol-
| lows the efforts of members of a church
| to overthrow the pastor. The play also
! points moral in temperance, the volunteer
| organist being a man whose downfall is
| due to drink, and he wanders into the
| church and finds the organ seat unoccupied.
| shows his talent musician, falls under
| the influences of his surroundings, and is
| led into the path of peace. John Milton,
| John German, George Morton, Rose Bra
| ham, Georgia L. Fox and a number Of
| others appear in the cast.
| There is a young magician at the Empire
this week who would create something of a
sensation if he were appearing in high-class
| vaudeville His name is Lawrence Crane,
and he halls from a small town in Ire
land. He is such thorough Irishman that
he gives his little entertainment with Incl
| dental Irish melodies and loses no chance
to impress upon his audience that he is a
son of old Erin. He does not receive the ap-