The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-04-17

entertainer. though and was in demand.
One of his most intimate friends a
son OF Hepworth Dixon, who aid him sew
eral good turns. He got him into the COM
pany OF a popular actor, but his first APP
pearance was failure. Stage fright and
encouragement got the upper hand of him
ana he tailed completely. He was bounced
IL Oyly Carte had 4 competitive eXamina-
ton for a comic opera company to play the
English provinces in 'Pinafore, and Mans
field tried for the captains part. Gilbert
and Sullivan and several celebrities
present at the examination and when il
came ManShelds turn to sing be said he
would sing duet by himself, and he did
He sang a soprano and baritone duet and
they kept him singing and initiating for
for a friend, but Mansfield made such a
bit that he got the place. IT was worth
SO week and he kept it until he struck
he was fired Then he went TO New York
and L guess everybody knows the rest"
+
Mark Murphy, the Irish comedian. says
that 'suying" is as prevalent on the stage as
ever before and that in some companies it
becomes contagious. infectious and cpl
demic. He says that among the comedians
who are notorious for indulging in this sort
of pastime, Frank Daniels, Willie Collier
and Pete Daley are about the worst and
that Weber and Fields. although managers
themselves, occasionally reduce their COM
panions on the stage TO hysteria by inter-
polatlng some unloOked-for business"
Many actors, said Murphy. in talking
over the subject with an Eastern interview
er, will break the mOnotOny of d perform
ance that has become old story them
by injecting little asides and sOttO-vOce friv
olities into a piece. Booth himself descend
ed at times TO this sort OF thing, serious
minded as he was, and Mccullough
fond of it now and then. Edwin Forrest
was about the only tragedian who never.
under any circumstances, INDUCED in guy
ing. Among the present actors or the
American stage 'guying' often takes place
at matinees when the house is small"
Murphy overlooked the tragedian in dis
cussing this subiect-the greatest 'guyer' of
them all This is Louis James, who in
Indianapolis last Monday evening, appear
ing with Frederick Warde In "Othello.'
James is noted among his professional asso-
ciateS for his ability to whisper the most
ridiculous things into the ears of fellow
players in the midst OF a tragic scene, and
during the performance the other night he
had Norman Hackett biting his lips on two
audience was deeply impressed with the APP
parent earnestness of the star Frank Dan
iels is incorrigible as 'guyer," but his
line of work permits these little Dleasan-
tries. AS usual. he had a good deal of fun
of his own during his engagement here in
'"rhe Office Boy" the last of the week
+ +
The recent portrait of Jessie Bartlett Da-
Wis, which is reproduced on this page,
shows that the famous contralto has
changed but little since the days of her
early success with the Bostonians. After
an absence of several seasons from the
| light opera stage she has returned to that
province OF art in the beautiful revival of
''Erminie" which is to be seen in Indian
| apOliS this week. She has been receiving
extraordinary greetings from audiences all
over the country this season, showing again
the high esteem in which she is held by
American theater-goerS. Mrs. Davis Is far
more fortunately situated in regard to her
work than are the majority of stage folk.
She accepts an engagement only when the
fancy moves her. and the rest Of the time
she spends at her beautiful home in Chi
| cagO. She cOnfesses herself great lover
of home life. and. as all Chicago is her
| anCes in other cities are less frequent than
the public wishes them Mrs. Davis went
into vaudeville for a while. largely because
| of the personal independence that one may
! have in that line of work. She returned
| to light opera this season at the urgent re-
| quest of Francis Wilson and the managers
| interested with him in the present fine pro-
| duction of the charming 'Erminie" Next
| season she will probably divide her time
| once more between her Chicago home and
| the vaudeville stage, as she likes vaude-
| vile immensely.
writer in the New York Telegram says
that women are the mainstay of the metro
| politan theaters and that managers who re-
fuse to recognize them such mist suffer
| disastrous financial consequences For in
| stance, he says. there is a musical comedy
| now in New York, slated To leave within
| three weeks. which might have continued
| throughout the summer, but it's main Incl
| dents turn upon pistol shots which greatly
| disturb the nerves of tho feminine portion
! OF the audience. and this same and most
| important element, subsequent to each per
| Torrance, goes out OF the theater in fright
and Indignation and advises it's numerous
! friends 10 avoid the piece. This musical
| comedy has sufficient merit to remain in
| New York until fail. but the playwright
-fn sc 1le tha load inc Giav1 &c rrr,f-
born and viii not allow the objectiona bic
noise to be left out OF the piece. Hence the
insistence of the theater's managers that he
remove his musical show as soon as posi-
bic The writer in the Telegram does not
mention any names but there is no doubt
that ne alludes to The Tenderfoot'' and
The rehearsals for Woodland" the new
comic opera by Gustav Luders and Frank
Pixley have begun in Boston on the stage
of the fremont Theater where the new
musical work is to have its production, and
two indianapolis young women are now
hard at work learning their parts-Olive
North and Mrs. George T.. Hunt. each OF
whom is 10 have an important role Bird
life is the theme OF the piece which leads
one writer on theatrical topics to suggest
that inasmuch as birds and beasts are en-
joying such singular prominence on the
stage to-day II is wholly unfair to ignore
the bugs. 1t would be so easy matter
he says, 10 prepare play for them--say,
for instance, musical comedy having the
title of The Tangled Centipede'' or THE
Secrets of a Mosquito.
Alice Fischer. the Indiana coincidence
who is at present frolicking through the
role OF Lillian de Montague in the musical
comedy. "Pin. Pan. Poun." at the New
York Casino. regards her engagement in
comic opera as sort of jest. This is her
| first appearance in stage work of this class,
! and it is understood that her debut as
| singer was accomplished for the purpose of
demonstrating to Manager Fred G. Whit
/ ney's satisfaction the versatility of the ac-
| tress from Terre Haute. 1t is understood
| that Mr.. Whitney has engaged her to star
| next season under his management Miss
! Fischer's latest portrait appears on this
page.