The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-01-31

IN looking backward II he were equally
good at looking forward he would be
millionaire, which he is not
Il know why people are thronging TO see
Rehan," said this hiudsIght prophet. "A
new generation of play-goers has grown
up since she was in her prime. The faith
ers and mothers read the advertisements Of
her reappearance and remarked 10 their
sons and daughters. Ada Reban was
great and glorious actress. Oh. my, but
there's nothing Ike her nowadays. You
shouldn't miss this possibly last chance to
see her. ] guess we'd better all go. So
whole families hurry TO the theater where,
with the faded costumes and worn scenery
which DAILY bequeathed TO her. she is shin
ing with real rCfulgence in the rekindled
light OF other days"
Augusta DAILY was genius for develop
ing talent ia actresses. Ada Rehan. Clara
Morris, Agnes Ethel and Fanny Daven-
port were results Of his processes. He was
not similarly proficient In cooking actors
from raw 10 well-dOne: nor is David Belas-
CO. and DAILY failed to find any value for his
purposes In such fixed and unalterable
women as May Irwin and Annie Yeamans,
whom he took into his company; but in
molding younger and mare plastic feminine
material. he was an adept He sdid not
Office, but from newspaper writing, ana
profit was smaller in his eyes than pride.
As a business man ne was unpolttic, enemy
making ana rulnOuSly extravaganza. AS
professional man he was aesthetic progress
give. and. I said. n marvellous developer
Of the artistic in actresses.
An example Of Days tuition is this week
on the same stage where he operated dur
ing the last dozen years CT his life. When
his vogue with the public had fallen away
from him, his credit had been exhausted
and his doors had to be guarded against
his creditors, he took up London extrava-
ganzas as we'll as London melodramas in
a desperate endeavor to retain his theater.
He utilized Miss Rehan in howlers from the
Drury Lane. but found that with all her
versatility, she couldn't sing and dance In
nonsense from the Gaiety. So he looked
about for a Waiting warbler for THE
Geisha" and decided on Virginia Earl.
winsome but none too cultured Casino bur
lesauer. She improved markedly while in
his employ. Now she is making good use
OF what he taught her. She is the central
thing in Sergeant Kitty The play by
Burnside and Sloane Is old in design and
execution, and there is not much freshening
Of the familiar materials. yet blase Broad
way consents to be pleased by Miss Earl.
To my thinking she is particularly nice
when, as girl perplexed and eXasperated
by her love affairs. she sings and acts
boo-hoo ballad. At that juncture her
numerous changes of costume have brought
her into a military hat and coat. but the
poor hing doesn't feel brave and she
breaks down-Or out-in song which
makes her sob refrain Of What is a poor
girl 10 dOE one feels ike cnucklnB neF
under the chin, patting her on the back
and possibly hugging her-all In the way
OF comforting her. of course. But she re-
bounds from her depression without help,
throws off the envelOping cloak and stands
forth, saucy and smiling, in Hussar uni
form Of baby blue, TO lead In a martial
chorus and march.
The theatrical laugh of Broadway this
week is on Edward II. Sothern-nOt as an
actor, OF course. but as an author. THE
Light That Lies in Woman's Eyes" is all
his own composition. except the title. which
is a line from an old poem, and some pas
sages from "As You Like It." which are
interpolated in a serio-comic rehearsal The
eyes are those of Virginia Harmed Sothern,
as the goo-goo gazer OF the piece and their
light lies when it beams lovingly on her
wooer before she really feels that way Mr..
Sothern undertook TO write a comedy that
should be fantastic and brilliant. 1t has
more faults OF crudity than have the space
here TO describe and more than any man Of
Sothern's stage experience ought to be
guilty OF. 1 hope he shall have forgotten
them when again we see the merits of his
Hamlet. or view the Romeo which he prom
Uses for next season with Julia Marlows
Juliet. FRANKLIN FYLES.