The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-01-03

I London's leading managers. has just let the
public into some OF the secrets OF theallcal
management-more especially touching the
matter OF forced runs He explains that
IL is often worth a managers while 10 con-
tinue performances of a piece with actual
loss at a London theater. IL IS no unusuaI
thing. he says. for him to be dropping over
$1,Oe0 a week on a production which has al
the appearances of a big success, and Wnlch
he cannot afford to withdraw. rms Is
explained by the striking Importance, from
a financial standpoint. Of the English prov
inces and America; and the fact may also
account for the long runs ana tremendous
successes Of ordinary plays which, ON their
first nights. did not appear likely to ENJOY
a protracted career. The London run, IL
seems, is chiefly valuable as an advertise
ment OF the article for provincial and
transatlantic customers. Many people must
have wondered that so many musical plays
could have found profitable patronage In
London at the same time. The explanation
is that some Of them are being kept on the
boards at a loss. so that the manager may
recoup himself by disposing of the provin-
cial and American rights. There is some
thing in this which must be delightfully."-
/ satisfactory, at least, to London ~playgoers.
The rich variety of entertainments Wnlch
they enjoy in the British metropolis Is Kept
up chiefly by the help of their brethren In
the English country towns and the Amerl-
can cities. The modern London manager
does indeed call on the new world to re-
dress the balance of the old"
Martin Harvey, the English actor. seems
to have scored a great hit in London in a
tempestuous melodrama, The Breed of the
Treshams," a stage story of the days of the
roundheads and cavaliers. The hero is a
miracle of audacity. wickedness and stanch
fidelity, who performs prodigies of valor
and treachery and undergoes frightful tor
lures to win for another man the woman
he loves himself. Seemingly the play is
utterly preposterous. but ii catches the Lon
don crowds with it's rapid action and con-
tinuouS excitement.
T 7 +
A transitory star is Miss Bertha Galland,
for with her successful play, Dorothy Yer
non of Hadden Hail." this talented artist is
preparing to move from the New York
Theater, where both she and the play
scored one of the greatest successes of the
metropolitan theatrical season, to the
Lyric Theater. Miss Galland's engagement
expires at the theater of her first success
on Saturday evening, Jan. 2, and on Mon
day, Jan. :, she will begin her engagement
at the Lyric Theater. The winsome, yet
J petulant, tempestuous, yet loving Doll of
Haddon' has so endeared herself to New
York playgoers that at this time the end of
her New York run is not in sight and out
side time is being Cancelled.
Frederick Thompson, of the firm of
Thompson & Dundy, proprietors of Luna
Park, the great amusement enterprise at
New York's Coney island. sailed from Bos-
ton for Gibraltar yesterday. Mr.. Thompson
was accompanied by Hassan Ben Ali, the
manager of all the Oriental attractions at
Luna Park. They will be gone forty days.
Mr.. Thompson's trip is made solely for the
purpose of securing novel amusement fea-
lures of all kinds for the coming summer.
In his quest he will go from Africa to the
North sea. From Gibraltar he will visit
Morocco, Tangiers and the ancient city of
Fee. When warm weather comes again
Luna Park will present an even more as
tonishing appearance than it did last sum-
mer.
There is a favorite saying among news
paper writers on theatrical topics in New
York that "any old press-agent story is
good to work off on the small towns of the
COMMUNICATING, of course, stories de-
s%criptive of the stars or companies which
the agents represent. Now, here's a little
joke on the New York papers. Lew Dock
stader's Minstrel Company opens an en-
gagement in New York tomorrow, and
among other advance notices of the show
most of the New York papers are printing
this one:
"A yOdeler, who ii is predicted by those
who have heard him, will take the place
left vacant by the last j. X. Emmett. is
Matt Keefe, who will make his New York
debut with Lew Dockstader's Ministries at
the Victoria Theater Jan. 4. He was a
bell boy in the Brown Palace Hotel in Den
N0A OOisf anu hhlOC IL a QIdCllCG W NOQtl
outside the doors of theatrical stars when
called upon to answer their bells in the
hope that some one of them would be at
tracted by his voice and give him an en-
gagement. Lew Dockstader was struck by
his voice and engaged him at a large sal
ary." This is delicious Matt Keefe has
been touring the West and South with AL
G.. Fields Minstrels for the last two seasons
and previous to that time he was a singer
for many years in the little music halls
Of San Francisco.
7
Max Beerbohn, the London critic, raises
his voice in protest concerning Gorki's
weird play. The Lower Depth performed
in London the week before last for the
first time in England. He says:
The line must be drawn somewhere.
and drawn a long way before we come
down to The Lower Depths of Cork.
unity either Of story or of idea. There
must be a story, though it need not be
stuck to like grim death; or there must be,
with similar reservation, an idea. Cork
has neither asset. At any rate he does
nothing with either asset. Enough that he
gives us, honestly and fearlessly, "a slice
of life Enough, certainly, If he did any
thing of the kind. But he doesn't. The
Lower Depths is no slice 1t is chunks,
hunks, shreds, and gobblets. clawed off
anyhow, chucked at us anyhow. mo,
thank YOU is the only possible reception
for such work. We are not at all squeam-
ish. But we demand of the playwright
WHO Q6dIS Will ugly IUlnSS, just as we
demand of the playwright who deals with
pretty things. something more than the
sight of his subject matter"
+
Few American actresses have attempted
or had opportunity to assume such a
gamut Of characters as Ada Rehan played
under the rutelage and direction of Angus
tin DAILY, but of all the roles in her long
preparatory none showed her to better ad-
vantage than did Lady Teazle i'm School
for Scandal" and Portia I'm 1.-THE Merchant
of Venice" To the impersonation of these
two widely different women, she brought
natural qualities, which made her the very
embodiment of the poets creations, and in
some respects they may be said to mark
the very highest points in her artistic de-
? velopment- 1t is a great pleasure that she
is TO reappear here in 9TH School fol-
Scandal" She is fortunate, indeed, TO have
as associate star that sterling actor, Otis
Skinner, who, like herself. received his
{ early training in the DAILY Stock Company
Mr.. Skinner left the famous organization
long before Mr.. Days death. but he has
never forgotten the artistic principles there
inculcated and which have served to make
him one of the most successful of Ameri.
can actors. His ShylOck has been praised
by critics and his Charles Surface. said by
everyone TO be an ideal embodiment of the
character. has been highly commended anC
apDrOved.