The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-12-01
THEATRES
Acndcmy-Tucsday and Wednesday,
"Thc Great Divide: Thursday, Mark
sifhmbourg .
tho week.
arhc Circnt DiYidc."

aT'hc Grcnt Divide"
Tho Great Divide. ono OF the most
striking d.amatic successes the Amer
lean stage has seen for d quarter or n
century. will be played ut the Academy
on December Sd and 4th. Perhaps few
dramas of recent years have altracteu
az much attention as 1.-THE Grent d.
vide" For nearly two entire seasons
IL attracted crowded houses III New
York. having been presented there
nearly 500 times. The road tour Is De-
ing directed by Henry Miller, whose
name liz inseparaby linked with the
success of the play The cast was We.
lected BY this famous actor manager
with great care, and the production Is
IN exact duplicate of the New YORK
original. ".ric Great Divide has peeh
pronounced by many cities the long
awaited great American play. NO
other drama has so wen rci,eeleu ~
manhood. the freedom, the honesty ana
the indo,nitable spirit characteristic OF
the people Of our great country.
With the first two acts laid In Arl-
IONA and the third in Massachusetts,
there Is offered in contrast Two Oh the
most vigorous and progressive sections
of the land. The story of the play rep
resents n conflict between the free.
untrammeled spirit OF the West and
traditions and conventionality or the
East. 1T tells the romance of an East
arm woman and Western Than, whose
wooins was strange and whose life
together was dramatic. The Great Dl-
vide" posi- sses literary qualities such
as are very rare in plays that are
satisfactory from an acting stand
point. The story is told In unctuous,
picturesque prose. Illuminated by Il
glowing and virile Imagination.
"a Contcntcd womnn.'
The attraction at the Bijou the COM
ing week, beginning Monday. will be
what Is probably one OF the cleverest
farcical comedies ever written.
The last and what might be termed
the best, of the great line of comedies
written by Charles Hoyt, in Its lines
and situations stands for what Is best
IN the comedy way, and Its interpre-
tation by the clever company placed
IN the cast, which includes Henrietta
Lee and Charles p. Morrison and n
host of other splendid actors and
vaudeville head-liners. can be nothing
but a good production.
The theme of the play deals with
the womans rights GU siion in poll
ties. and the spasm transforms the
happy household of Benton Holme into
Il political hotbed when lie and his
wife. Grace, holly contest the office
of Mayor. he on the re form and she on
the woman's suffrage ticket.
Good music and many speclaltles run
throughout the play, and the bright
lines of the piece have never been eA-
celled in modern comedy.
Henrietta Lee, who plays Grace
Holme, needs no introduction to the
atre goers. With the Bijou Opera
Julia De La Creme in the Beauty
Doctor" she has made for herself a
reputation as an artistic. and as a.
model of all that Is best in that most
bewildering OF things-female finery-
she shows herself past master for
her costumes are the envy of woman
kind and the wonder of man, and the
dresses in "a Contented Woman" are
no exception to those in which she
las been seen. excepting they are per-
faps more bewildering.
Charles =. Morrison, who is the
Cutting Hints" of the play. possibly
Inc cleverest male character Hoyt evei
wrote. will be remembered as Gay
boy" in The Beauty Doctor" and i:
we'll known for the excellent actor he
Gertrude Daniels is the notorio,i.
brings beautiful costumes and grea,
JUNCTION to make the part what the
author intended it to be.
''Jladnm Buttcrffy..
The most gigantic production which
Richmond theatre goers will be af.
forded an opportunity to see this sea.
son, and the one most deserving OF
the heartfelt support of the commun
ty. Will be Puccinis grand opera
Nathan Butterfly" which comes tt
the Academy under the management,
OF Henry w. Savage. on Monday, De
cember sd. for one performance only
Mr. Savage Will bring to Richmon,
the original New York production. in
Guiding four prima donnas, who alter
nate in the title role. none of then
singing more than twice during ont
week. Included in the company viii
be enough contraltos, tenors. baritone.
and BASES to make up three separat,