The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-01-07
JANE OAKER'S SUCCESS
WITH WILTON LACKAYE.

If a member of the st. Louis High
School class Of '5 had CHANGED to en-.
ter the Garrick Theater. Chicago, any
evening during the last few weeks, he OF
she would would have been surprised and
pleased to see a former classmate appear
ing as leading support to Wilton Lackaye
in THE PIT"
Upon the programme this young woman
| appears as Miss JAM Oaker. The name
was resurrected from somewhere in her
family tree. having been her great-grand-
mothers. I believe; but, as Miss Minnie
PEPPER, she had a wide circle Of friends
and a~cquaintances in st. Louis. Now.
when away from the footlights, she Is
| Mrs. Clad Hamilton, her husband also be-
ing a Thespian.
Miss Peper's advent into the dramatic
field, the ransacking of the family stock
and store for a suitably interesting name,
| and other matters relevant and irrelevant,
have been duly chronicled concerning her.
But heavy is the percentage Of our So
\ called local talent" which essays to reap
fame upon the boards and which winds
up in a sweet n certainly secure OBJ
security. A debut Of itself, heralded though
it be, Is of nc great consequence. Even
the discovery of such a thoroughly proper
designation as JAM Oaker is not neces-
sarily a guarantee of success. For these
reasons surprise may be confessed to
agreeable surprise-at finding the former
her claim to dramatic attachments. AS
Laura Dearborn In the dramatization Of
the Norris novel, she has contributed ma
teria!iy to efecting Chieago's laconic YER
Her acting exhibits an understanding of
proportions that seems to assure her a
great future. Her Interpretation, in the
hve acts through which It runs. Is nicely
balanced. She adequately pictures the
growth and change which take place with
h Laura Dearborn of the story. She is
wild pastures n the loud voice. More
over. she almost entirely eliminates the
time-honored practice Of conveying the
arms overhead and manipulating them as
If pulling a bell cord. InconseQuential
scenes and lines are subdued that she may
m ressfye h fe s fSafe M yGs the bsk smo n1sn ve eliv
nearly up to the standard of Mr.. Lackaye,
which is saying much.
pd Rpsssle se m sss ..s f; L eit9. t h-ssS + Is
brought to St. Louis. All who ave not
read the novel had best not do SO until
after seeing the play; The latter is good
fication In the book will be more enjoy
able If taken after instead Of before.
s
Charles Hawtrey will come to the
Olympic after Viola Aliens engagement
in THE Man From Rlankley's." The
comedy is the odd story of a noble guest
who stumbles upon a strange dinner party
given at the mansion adjoining the one
to which he has been invited. The stran-
gers are lacking in etiquette and loud in
taste.
His lordship does not realize the error
for some time, nor do the strangers sus-
pect that his presence was q blunder, but
they accept him as the extra guest they
had ordered from Blanlley.s. an estab-
lishment that furnishes almost everything.
The principal scene OF the play is the
newly found ac~quaintances exchange COM
ptments, the former easily trfumphing
e the ilhteracy and vulgarisms.
"Fiorodora" d to be seen again, his
time at the Century. 4 great many