The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-12-14
AT The THEATER
esGlitterfng Gloria" Didn't Fool
Topeka People.
Only q Few People Paid the
Inflated Prices.
WAS BAD AS EXPECTED
Not Only Atmosphere But the
Actors Were Awful.
Some OF the Other Coming
Events In Topeka.
AS BAD AS EXPECTED

An audience of just 46 persons were
present on the first floor of the Craw-
ford theater when the curtain went up
for the performance of "Glittering
Gloria last night. In addition to the
40 there were also half a dozen ushers,
the orchestra of six member and three
or four house attaches. During the
progress of the first act Sc persons en-
tered the theater and took seats on the
first floor.
During the intermission between the
first and second acts a count of the at
tendance in the balcony revealed the
fact that there were % persons in the
section of seats which sold for rs cents
each. There were Sc persons in the
front two rows of the balcony where
the seats sold for 81 each.
On the lower floor of the house there
were IL persons in the section of 81
seats. In the parquet there were just
"a persons. 1t is no doubt a safe esti-
mate to place the number of those who
attended on free tickets or passes at
two-thirds of the total number of peo-
pie in the parquet. If this was the case
there would have been about 20 persons
who paid $1.50 to see the play.
The following table will show at a
glance the number of people who were
present:
Parquet. $3.50 seats. GA persons On
Dress circle 81 seats, Is persons
Balcony, 81 seats, Sc persons.
Balcony, 10 cent seats, % persons.
Total, 141.
ing $3.50 seats in the parquet were there
on passes.
The State Journal was the only To-
peka paper which told the truth about
this play before it was presented. The
play was altogether bad, and the State
Journal is satisfied in the knowledge
that in telling the truth about the pro-
duction it saved fits readers the painful
experience of sitting through the per-
Torrance of the play after paying hold
up prices for the privilege.
The moral atmosphere of the play
was bad,-very bad, and as the critic
of the Denver News said, There is
nothing in its reading and nothing in
the conception of its characters that en-
titles it to the slightest consideration.
There isn't a humorous line in it. 1t
depends for its success entirely on sit
uations so -awfully and boisterously
concOcted that I believe AIcNally would
have thrown them out of his farces if
suggested to him.
It would be hard to state the case in
more comprehensive language than has
the Denver man. The play exploits the
district. And when this is attempted
and the Interpretation of the various
parts is entrusted to players of inferior
ability the result is too vulgar to be
witnessed by self-respecting people. So
for this reason the less said about
'Glittering Gloria the better.
The impression was sought to be ere
ated that it was a pretentious musical
comedy. As a matter of fact it was
rough and tumble slap stick comedy.
The cast made it appear that 13 persons
were required to present the piece, but
part of the players doubled up in two
or-fe nd 1xrr rod
about nine people to put on the show.
Dorothy Morton was easily superior to
the other women in the cast, which isn't
saying much. OF the three women, To-
peka theatergoers have frequently seen
betters players in ten, twenty and
thirty cent repertoire companies than
were two of the women of "Glittering
Gloria"
act was perhaps the best actor Of the
lot.
Edwin NJ. Favor as third assistant
of luggage at the Eus
ton station, London, really deserves
mention. Although he doubled and was
the senior member of the jewelry firm
in the first act, it does not necessarily
follow that he cannot "get a hand" AS
sang a solo in the third act, and sang
it well. The people who We're there
woke up and gave him an encore.
If the play had been offered under
true colors and for so and 70 cent prices,
it would be only fair to say that George
Parsons as Jack James, William Hertot
as Archie Toddelby and ]. Gum Davis
as Zebedee Poskett were tolerable. In
view of the fact that hold-up prices of
81. so were charged, they were absolutely
of mention. Bert G.. Clark
as Col. Pesquale Gallagher from FL
Paso, Texas, was overdrawn and was
an impossible character.
In a recent paid reply to the State
Journal Crawford and Kane, over their
own signatures, made the following
statement: 'Glittering Gloria was
imported from a high class London the
alter to Days, the most exclusive New
York theater, 81 house. Verdict,
Offering Gloria is high class and
truly desirable.'' The few who wit
messed the play know better, and such
coming from Crawford and
Kane will only serve to weaken the
public confidence in their statements.
"Glittering Gloria" was a dismal fail
ure in New York city.
The state Journal is in receipt of a
letter from Burns l.. Williams, a the |
atergoer of Topeka In his letter he
voices the sentiment of many amuse-
ment loving people of Topeka. 1t is to |
the point. and the idea suggested is |
simply what the State Journal has an
nounced to be the best and quickest |
method to be employed to force the |
local magnGtes to open the Grand the |
alter for the higher class of productions, |
and to make additional improvements |
for the safety of their patrons if they |
desire to continue to use the Crawford |
theater for the cheap melo-dramatic |
productions. Me. Williams says;
ITO the Editor of the Topeka State |
Journal
''Why must the people of Topeka |
submit to this theater outrage when /
the citizens of New York city, a city |
Of over three million inhabitants,
have compelled the theatrical trust /
to come down in their
prices? For years now the people of |
New York have patiently or i'm
patiently borne this yoke, but the |
worm has turned at last; it is our turn