The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-10-29
AT THE THEATERS.


This play cat the Old Cross Roads. I"
which depicts a most unfortunate con-
d1t1on that maintained in the house,
nold or many of wealthy southern
planters during the days of slavery,
and which was produced at the Grand
last night, has been on the stage con-
tinuously for seven years. No one has
ever yet heard Of any company start
ing out with it that had to walk home
So 1t can be classed as successful
play. But it is a play that appeals to
only a certain class of theatergoers
St1ll this class of theatergoers is enti-
tied to its likes as we'll as any other
class. And the fair sized audience
which saw the play last night. seemed
to be pleased with it, If their applause,
their laughter and also their tears can
be taken as a indication of their feel
ingS about the piece
Certainly the play tells a powerful if
distressing story until a second before
the end of the last act. 1t is so DOW
erful in one scene that it verges on
brutality. This is when the father. in
bestoWfng the hand of his beautiful
daughter to the young man who has
sought it, announces before an assem-
blage that she is Niger" the daugh-
ter OF an octoroon who has been the
years. The old man receives all that is
coming to him in the form Of a bullet
from a revolver in the hands of the
girls mother. A gambler in love with
that her blood is not tainted with a ne
gro strain but that she is the offspring
of Spanish grandee and a noble
American woman. This makes every
thing come out lovely.
There was nothing particularly bril-
liant about the presentation of the
piece by the cast seen at the Grand
last night In fact the work of the
great majority of the players was not
even mediocre. Beatrice Thorne, as
Parepa, the supposed octoroon; Flora
Byam, as Annabe1 Thornton, her daugh-
ter; Florence Brennan, as Mississippi,
a little negro boy servant, and Florence
Ockerman as Old Aunt Liza, did far
and away the best work of any of the
company. H. L. Dunkinson as Tom
Smith, tramp and afterwards as a
bogus count, and William Brummel, as
Doc Kerr, the gambler, were head
and shoulders above the other men in
the cast in the way of acting but their
efforts were nothing to brag over.
There was pleasing innovation in
the love scene between the ingenue,
Conner. In protesting his love Mr.. |
Conner, without taking seconds stop
for a fresh breath, broke into the song
Dreaming Love of You" and through |
Mr.. Conner has a fine voice and is a |
much better singer than he is an actor |
BY far the best act seen in local |
vaudeville this season is that of Gill
roy, Haynes and Montgomery in their |
Lee which is the headline at the
Majestic this week. Gilroy is a cabin
boy, Haynes the captain and Miss
Kitty Montgomery is first class pas
senger. The lines of their little play
let and the jokes which are inter-
spersed do not amount to much.
Their singing, however, is what cap
tivates the audience. Miss Montgom-
has a tenor Of unusual quality and
Gilroy possesses pleasing baritone
voice. The three blend well and their
singing makes great hit
The other acts of the Majestic bill
his week are up to the usual stand
ard. Baker and Gormley have a
comic acrobatic turn which is so
that the audience is kept in
aughter all through their perform
ince. Tom and Leo Hannahar, who
ook enough alike to be twin brothers,
nave a comedy sketch which contains I
some good lines and good singing as I
we'll. Miss Gladys Carlton does a
inging and dancing turn which is
nan, a magician, does a great many I
tunts which battle the audience. Miss I
Tessica Cree is whistler of unusual
merit and she does a few stunts in
inging which are also of unusually
Ugh order. ID
The bill this week is known as the !
Majestic road show and is one of the
,est balanced bills which has been
cen at the house this season.
Meredith Nicholson, author of 1.-THE
House of a Thousand Candles, the 3
version of which e. H.
Holland will present for its initial 4
reduction in this city at the Grand )
n Thursday evening, is still young
nan being considerably below forty. ;
In that comparatively short space I
( years he has had a varied expert