Arizona republican., 1908-07-17
RAYMOND COMPANY
 ARRIVED YESTERDAY
Short Sketch of the Dramatic Organ ization That Will Open in EastIake Park Monday Night.

I
 The Raymond company, which will open at Eastlake park next Monday night, July 20, arrived here yesterday
 morning from Bakersfield, where it recently closed a very successful twelve weeks engagement. The head
 of the Raymond company is Ray
 mond Whitaker, the leading lady be-
 ing Miss Pitt. Around them are as sembled thirteen other stage people of experience and talent. The com- pany also carries a property man and
 a scenic artist who is recognized as d capable man in his business, and
 in the event of an extra large cast they can do stage stunts also. In
 numbers therefore the company is amply large to present almost any thing of a dramatic nature that one would ever hope to see in sum-
 mer theater. As for the quality of the company's work, MT. Whitaker, who was interviewed last night, said that all he asked was for the people to turn out and give them a chance to make good. Self praise is no praise at all, he remarked, but the company is willing to stand or fall on it's own merits if it can get a hearing. It is self confident and that is worth a great deal more than self praise at this stage of the proceed ngs.
 The opening bir will be "The Christian" one of the most popular
 of the standard plays. MT. Whita
 ker says he wants to assure the
 public that it is "The Christian" and
 not a cut and hacked imitation of it.
 He has the people and the equip
 ment to present 1t and promises a
 good entertainment He said that
 quite a number asked him yesterday
 how he could present "The Christian
 in the old shack at the park. He replied that he could not, as the
 ground lay yesterday, nor any other high class production, but the fact is
 that "The Christian" requires no more
 difficult setting than East Lynne or
 many other of the time-h -honored
 shows presented in barns, school
 houses and any old place, should have, and he proposes to give all
 his productions a proper setting. His scenic artist yesterday began the
 work of preparing five sets of seen
 cry for the production of "The Chris
 tian," just as will be done with other
 plays when it is necessary. There
 are seventeen speaking parts in The
 Christian" and each will be taken
 by an actor or actress for that part
 alone, so the public may be assured of a complete performance.
 And If the company makes good
 Mir Mitchell has promised a new
 theater for the park at an early day,
 something for everybody to look for ward to with pleasure, actors, patrons and park management.
 It is always a little interesting to know Who's Who" even in Phoenix. To that end MT. Whitaker was in terrogated a little about his past which is sometimes considered dan gerous ground in talking to actor folk But in this case everything is all right If MT. Whitaker has done anything to be ashamed of he sue ceeded very well in still keeping it q secret and what was learned about both himself and Miss Pitt is all ] to their credit and worth while. MT ! Whitaker was born in Mare Island !. navy yard, Cal, thirty years ago, his , father being in the government em- ploy. California was his home until . about ten years ago when he went ] from San Francisco to New York | with Frederick Ward. For several | years New York was his headquar- ! ters, though for the past two and a . half years he has had a company of . his own. He has played with Blanche f Walsh and was for a long time with | William A. Grady, and was also lead | ing man for Henrietta CrOssman.
 Of Miss Pitt there is equally as much to say She was born in Eng | land. coming to this country when 4 five years old and from that dis family that traces it's lin | cage back to William the Conqueror, and is proud to boast the notable Il William Pitt, as of the 4 same stock. All that of course IS but merely sentimental and would not make Miss Pitt an ! actress. But she has later facts that mean more professionally. She is the 4 daughter of Harry NJ. Pitt, for many I wears the stage director of the Bos- | ion Museum and who first produced Il the original Lord Fauntleroy m tbis country, as well as shenandoah II and other nOIdDle pldyS. Nii''' i mother. Fannie Anderson Pitt, IS now under a life contract with Charles Frohman and is probably one of the best character artists in New York, which city she seldom leaves.
 A pleasing incident of local interest is the fact that as a little girl she played her first part in Boston and spoke her first lines in response to the lines of Jap Wheelock, of the same company. Jap Wheelock, as he is known in the east, is Joe Wheeolck of this city, a good fellow, well liked by all who know him and an actor of well known talent.
 The supporting members of the Raymond company are Messrs. Robt NcKim, Richard Mcdowell, Benjamin Reynolds. Fiddes M. Page, Adrian Von Plank, Sydney Browning, Harry Earl Hawkins and Misses Beular Benton, Austa Pierce, Ethel Thornton, Nita Thompson and Mo- M piercp Ed Clark is the II