The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-10-06
HY 3. puucE cuEsrEI,,lAN.

The Academy Will not3.be dark any
night this week, unless some company
Should cancel its date here between
now and saturday. One can never
tell these days, The season has only
Just begun, yet four companies have
failed 10 I'LL time booked at the Acad-
cnlS. Manager jake Wells preolcted
railroads of the South have abolished
the party rate so that theatrical
4 companies now have to pay the full
fare. This has caused many compa-
MES to cancel their Southern time, and
:. the dates have been Cancelled at very
short notice. n condition of affairs
which has caused the Academy man
ngement some little annoyance and in
convenience. In one instance. that Of
the enlargement of ..The Highway man."
the money had to be refunded to the
purchasers of tickets. There is moth
ing that hurts the feelings OF the
treasurer of q theatre so much as to
have to give back money after II has
once passed into his hands, and the
feelings of the Academy treasurer
were hurt last week.
The week Mt the Academy opens
with Sherlock Holiness a play which
William Gillette, by the exercise of
8s.agecrGft. elevated to n position
drama Had some of the other play
wrights who belong to the order of
thrillers, gotten their hands upon CO.
ma Doyle's story. Sherlock Holmes"
wouil have been different creation.
Gillette. however had the ingenuity
to devise certain mechanical effects.
and to so stage the piece that 1t had
little appearance of a n1elodrama, ac-
cording to the definition OF the ma
iority of theatregoers.
Sherlock Holmes. as n character.
has certain amount OF fascination
for an audience. There is perhaps no
trait that so inspires the spectator to
Z admiration as the possession of nerve
{ in an unusual degree. The crowd
looks up to the man who never loses
his self-control or presence of mind.
The exercise OF necessary caution is no
doubt the better part of wisdom and
is, a safe plan to follow, hut it doesn't
cause unusual comment. 1t is a char
acteristic which too many of us pos
sess. To keep your head" while ap-
parently the inast natural thing In the
world to do. Is Vet .ohs of the most DIFF
ficult. Sherlock Holmes always keeps
his head. He moves about with an
easy unconccrn as to consequences
I that is sometimes eSasperatinE. It is
true. he has a habit of diffusing In his
SleIil IL Cettdln amount OIL COCsLlne,
and. therefore, he is not altogether re-
Il sponsible. This habit. however, makes
him all tho more interesting to the
spectator.
Sherlock Holmes" will be presented
at the Academy tomorrow night, with
all of the mechanical effects which
II have contributed SO largely to the
Kuccess of the play
Otis Slxinner's New Play.
Otis Skinner comes to the Academy
Tuesday night in new play, Which
Is an adaptation OF Balzac's 'Menage
& de Garcon." It has been done IN
France, and Charles Frohman secured
the alien rights to the play, and In
trusted the adaptation to Paul NJ. Pot
ter. Such alterations were made as
would make the piece effective with
the American public. Mr.. Frohman
chose as5jthe& title of the play, '.rhe
Honor of the Family" The action OF
Z the piece transpires in n quaint French
town. during the Bourbon regime. i'm
mediately after the fall OF Napoleon
Z In an old mansion lives Rouget, Il sex
asenarian celibate. who has for his