Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1907-12-26

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stage Two French experts with the
hour-glass like the devil did all
sorts of wonderful stunts at the New
Hlppodrome last week The act is
described as on a par with clubswing-
ing so far as entertaining qualities are
concerned.
Old Homestead Origin.
During several seasons Mr.. Thomp-
Son played in variety theaters because
Street Railway Commission. He is 4
OF the better salaries paid, and in
January Of 1875 he began playing in
| Harry Martins Varieties in Pittsburg,
Pa While filling this engagement ne
was stricken with rheumatism and
obliged to give up his work Realiz-
ing that this disease was a menace to
mis- future work along the old lines, he
| knew that future success must come
through other channels, and it was
while confined to his bed and suffer
ing acutely that he decided to attempt
the portrayal of Yankee character of
the homely, everyday type, and he
worked out the first sketch in which.
In February, 1875, at Harry Martins
Varieties, Uncle Joshua made his first
appearance. The play required less
than half an hour for its presentation,
but had markedly successful run of
two weeks. By constant work on the
sketch he was ready to add several
characters when it was produced in
Rochester, n. Y. few months later.
From Rochester he took his company
to Chicago, and there added to the
play until, in the spring of 1877, it
was performed at Haverley's as a
three-act play.
The venture was not financial sue
cess, but, with all faith in the play, Mr..
Thompson and J. M. Hill, who had be-
come his manager, organized COM
pany to tour the New England states.
This plan, too, fell short of success
and was given up. Starting from
Buffalo, N. Y, a western trip was
made, but 1t was discouraging one
until, of sudden, fate smiled when
Denver was reached, and fairly
laughed aloud in San Francisco. After
the wonderful success gained in San
Francisco the play was brought back
t. New York, where it had a success
full six months run in the Lycedm
theater. AS Uncle Joshua" made
his way, deeper and deeper, into the
hearts of the people, the call for an.
other pay became so insistent that
Mr.. Thompson decided to furnish It in
form that would continue some Of
the characters and the general theme
of the first one. Securing the ser.
vices of George W. Ryer he took him
with the Joshua Whitcomb company
on the road; after the play, at night,
at any and every odd moment while
doing "one-night stands" through
Pennsylvania, the two men worked
until 'The Old Homestead" was COM
plete. The first presentation of the
new play was given in the Boston
theater, April, l~o6, and was a success
from the very start, though it was
afterwards slightly changed by the
addition OF new characters.
Flashes.
Minnie Seligman and Gillian Bran
well are two of the latest to leave the
legitimate for vaudeville. Their mi
tial appearance, in Denver, was a pro.
nounced success.
Clifton Crawford, is now playing at
the New York in New York
Denman Thompson is an ODD man
and he has a beautiful farm near
Swansea. New Hampshire, and he has
more money than he could use If ne
lived twice as long as it is likely that
he will live, yet he is back on the
stage this year playing The Ola
Homestead. And although there are
plenty of society dramas and modern
plays that cannot get time in the
theaters throughout the country in
which audiences most do congregate,
nobody has heard William A. Brady or
Joseph Grismer complain tnat they
cannot get time for Way Down East.
Wilton Lackaye's new play. The
Bondman, is a rural play. the scenos
of which are laid in the Isle of Man.
with which the author, Hall Game, is
familiar
Otis Skinner, who played The Har-
vester. a play entirely distinct from
The Harvest, discovered that the
French do not always make good rural
players. In his case they did not
make good one, although Carrots,
that little rural sketch in which Ethel
Barrymore appeared so gracefully, was
in reality French made rural play.
Lester Lonergan and Adelaide No
wax will head the second company
to play The Great Divide on tour.
Lena Asp'nwelI has obtained the
rights for England Of Eugene Walters
latest play, Paid in Full, and will pr =
duce it in London tomorrow at the
same time the American production
Is made in Washington.
Julia Marlowe has begun rehearsals
Of the new comedy. in which she is TO
make her temperance as an indiv.d-
nal star. The present title Of the play
A. -