Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-04-15
Gossip About Plays and Players

OLY week IS no week for the
theatera, as has been amply
proven by experience again and
UyplI{tU again. II Is next 70 the week be-
Nkt1kW fore Christmas as a time when
.- ~Ill not pay to see a performance
1.. tue stage. The last week In Omaha
was no exception to the rule, and bad bust
ness was noted at each Of the houses. The
engagement OF the Richard earle company
In THE Mayor Of Toxic" for the FIRST two
nights at the Boyd saw a fair attendance.
while the Chauncy Olcott engagement on
the next two night was notable for It's
small patronage. The Krug would have
been dark the last half OF the week, but
for the efforts of q small band Of actor
folks, who are temporarily making Omaha
their home. They put on a play Ia emor-
gency order, but failed to excite any
especial interest on part Of the public. The
Burwood had a good bill. but its patronage
was light while the fine bill at the Orpheum
drew about half the usual attendance at
that theater. Now that the days OF Lent
are at an end, and with some OF the best
offerings Of the season to be seen at the
play houses, II Is the hope of the managers
that the public will show more interest in
the theaters. The bookings for the rest
OF the season are good, and those who do
go will be well entertained.
Sarah Bernhardt Is returning 10 Chicago
for her second farewell appearance there
this season, her engagement beginning at the
Auditorium on Monday evening, April To-
She has accumulated since leaving
the Windy City last fall probably the
largest fund Of experience that ever fell
to the lot of an established artist. No
established star was ever exploited In just
the same manner as she has been, and 1t Is
somewhat remarkable that she should
have submitted to the methods adopted by
the shuberts. Behind an ostenslble purpose
to bring to the people the greatest of liv-
ing actresses, despite their differences with
the trust" the Messrs Shubert succeeded
in adding to their Golfers, and incidentally,
to the purse the great Frenchwoman will
carry home with her. such sum of dol
lars as could not have been gained by
purely legitimate methods. At Omaha, for
example, the time tried and nre-tested
play Of Camille" was enacted before what
up to that evening was the largest
audience ever assembled in the west TO sec
n dramatic performance At Kansas City
the next night at the Convention hall a new
record was made and q few weeks later at
Dallas, Tex, in circus tent, a still greater
sum OF money was taken at the door.
Figuring on Omaha's experience as a basis,
several thousand people were disappointed
at each of these places, for the conditions
under which Mime. Bernhard was ex-
hibited were such as could not conduCe to
even a good performance. Two-thirds OF
the great audience assembled at the Audi
forum on the night she appeared here
might as we'll have been in another build
ing, so far the play on the stage was
concerned. The Kansas City Convention
hall affords no better opportunity for see
ing and hearing than does the Auditorium
and the conditions at Dallas are such as tC
make one laugh almost at the gullbility Of
the Texans, who crowded to the circus
tent and paid their dollars for the prlvileg,
of saying they had seen Bernhard under q
big top"