Los Angeles herald., 1907-08-25
TO GIVE NEW PLAYS
AT THE AUDITORIUM
VTTHEN Dick Ferris returns to the Au
wv ditorium November II he will bring

WV ditorium November IL he will bring
with him new company and
number of new plays. His return will
mark a radical change of managerial pol
icy. Last year Ferris presented plays
which. for the most part, had been seen
in Los Angeles before. This year he in
tends to try out novelties. One of the
pieces to be presented will probably be
''The Lightning Conductor" which the
authenticated actor-manager did recently
in Minneapolis and which is reported to
have made a hit. 1t is a Decentralization
OF the Williamson story of the same
name.
The opening bill will be big revival of
Sardou's cleopatra" and will be the
only Sardou work to be presented during
the season. 1t will be produced with new
and special scenery and with the stage
Jewels, properties and costumes used by
the late Fannie Davenport and which now
are the property Of Florence Stone.
The Ferris engagement is for sixteen
weeks. Ferris will follow the Milan grand
opera company and will be followed by
Henry Russell's grand opera organiza-
tion. 1t is possible that one of the big
eastern light opera organizations will play
a brief season at the house before Ferris
arrival but that has not been definitely
settled as yet.
Ferris closed his Minneapolis season last
night and with Florence Stone, his wife,
leaves the Minnesota city tonight for New
York, where he goes in search of new
plays and players. From New York Mr..
and Mrs. Ferris plan to make brlef
pleasure trip to Porto Rico, after which
they will come to Los Angeles ana re-
open their home here.
In Minneapolis, among other plays IA
miliar to Los Angeles theater goers, they
presented 1.-THE Judge and the Jury ana
1.-THE Halfbreed." They also introduced
..The Undertow" to Minneapolis audi
ences.
In another week the Los Angeles
theater. formerly the Hotchkiss, will be
onened TO the public The first attrac~
ton under the new management, as has
already been announced, will be the san
Francisco opera company in Dolly Var-
den" The Los Angeles Is to pc the
home theater of this organization tnoush
the San Franciscans will be mucn upon
the road, to allow time for travelling
companies. The house will be devoted
largely to the presentation of light opera
and musical comedy at popular prices;
The Los Angeles has been added to the
chain of more than 100 theaters in the
northwest and on the Pacific, coast con-
trolled by the Northwestern Theatrical
association.
Calvin Heilg. president of the asso-
citation, has been in Los Angeles for sew
eral weeks experimenting the renovation
of the house A new lobby has been con-
structed, the theater has been redecorated
and new equipment has been installed on
the stage, making the Los Angeles one
NJ the coolest of local theaters.
Heilig is an important figure in the
theatrical world. 1t is said of him that
he talks in his sleep, and the accusa-
tion probably is true, for most men 40
talk some time or another, ana since MS
arrival here Heilig has shown no symp-
toms of CONSCIOUSNESS during his wax
ing hours. >,
Questions of house policy and future
bookings are things which he will dis
cuss gladly, and about which he Will say
Nothing. He is keeping his plans to him
self. .,,.
In the San Francisco company are Ana
Hemmi, who is said to be peautilui
woman with remarkable soprano voice
Arthur Cunningham, a baritone WHO 10
we'll known all over the coast; Thomas
G. Leary, comedian; George Kunkel'
former San Francisco favorite; Charles
Rates. character comedian; Maude
Beatty contralto Daphne Poilaru' VINO
has now outgrown juvenile roles anu
who will have the soubrette parts Eu-
gene Weiner tenor; Lillian Raymond
Frieda Wisher and many otners' Ine
chorus will be a strong feature OIL the
organization. New costumes ana scenery
are being prepared for the Los Angeles
engagement.
Harry Bell, press agent of the Mason
opera house, has become 1uli-neuseu
theatrical manager. Bell has taken over
the Lowe theater at Pasadena ana al,
ready has signed contracts tor soou
line of attractions. He VIII open ms sea
son September q with THE Man OF the
Hour"
Before that engagement, however, sew
eral much. needed improvements Will De
made in the hause. The most important
will be the installation of a heating pant
something the theater has lacked
1t will be Mr.. Bells policy to give put
one attraction a week In his Pasadena
theater, but that one will be of the pest.
He has booked through Manager wyatt
of the Mason, and his list already IN
cludes, in addition to the opening bill
1.-THE Vanderbilt Cup" Little johnnie
Jones' lyon Yonson,'' 1.-THE Squaw
Man." with William Faversham In the
title role, and the original New York
company, way Down East" "Raffles,
college Widow" Charles B. Hanford;
Buster Brown" "Parsifal." "The Holy
City" 'The Social Whirl" and others.
lIilS thai IdSdQSlid 10 " nav Z
this season the best line of theatrical
attractions in its history.
Since his return from his vacation Man
ager Sparks Berry of the Auditorium has
been busy man. First he completed
Arrangements for the appearance at his
playhouse of the Milan grand opera COM
pany, as announced in The Herald last
week. Then he put corps of decorators
at work freshening up the interior of the
theater. Next he summoned his scene
painters back from their vacation and
had three new scenic sets built and
painted. These settings, Mr.. Berry says.
are the most elaborate ever made for a
Los Angeles theater They will be used
for the first time during the Ferris en-
gagement.