The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-03-22
BY BRUCE cuEsrERMAN.

The Giftan stock Company will open
its shlson at the Academy next Thurs
day, when upon that evening. and for
tile remainder of the week Leah
Kleschna" will be presented. The
company IS very strong organization.
and its membership indicates that Mr..
Giffen will in no way lower the stan
dard TO which he adhered during the
two seasons he gave Richmond theatre
goers productions. which for excellence
OF cast and sumptuous mounting had
seldom been surpassed here, even by
the best of road companies.
The leading man of the company is
Mr.. Emmett Corrigan. who is remem-
hered for his splendid representation of
Ben Hur. He is an actor OF most con-
Nincing methods and is eorcefuI ana
finished in his work. Another promin-
ent member of the company is NJ.
William =. Bonney, whose impersona-
tton of Davis Rossi in The Eternal
City" Is still fresh in the memory of
play-Eoers. Mr.. Bonney has had inl-
portant roles in many other big pro
auctions. mis- representation of the King
in The Palace of the King" and his
Nero in The Sign OF the Cross" be.
ing among his hest characterizations.
The leading lady is Miss Francis
Nordstrom. whose charm of personality
and splendid ability as an actress
should at once place her in high favor
with the patrons of the company. The
others in the company have all been
chosen with due regard for their
capahility in the various lines of work
for which they have been selected the
object being To form a perfect stock
organization They include James T.
galloway, Herman Lieb. Ralph Locke.
Forest Winant, Arthur Hurled. Miss
Millicent Evans, Miss Clara Spanier.
Miss Nelly Angel and Miss Elsie
Granger. The productions this season
VIII be male under the stage direction
OF Mr., George Foster Patt. who has
many splendid achievements TO his
credit in New York. notably among
them being the staging of The Three
of Us, The Man on the Box" 'rrhe
Prince Chap" and Mrs. Temples Tele-
gram"
Leah Illeschna.' the play selected
for the opening bill. is familiar to the
Academy patrons having been produc.
ed last season by the Eawcett Company
The first week of its engagement
1t is a strong drama. and is most
appealing in its interest, commanding
The closest attention of an audience
The presentations of this play will
naturally invite a comparison as 10
the relative merits of the two com
panies and the two productions of the
piece. The management may not have
had this object in view. but one cannot
help thinking il such was its intention
tand Mr.. Giffen is a very shrewd man
aSer) that it was.a master stroke pro-
Niding. of course. that the production
next Thursday Will, be on a par with
everything else this stock manager
has put on in this city. And the very
fact that Leah Kleschna" is to be the
OPENING bill would seem to suggest that
Mr.. Gilfen is wearing a complacent
smile in anticipation OF the result.
The company next week will produce
Ibe Man On the Box
The company opens in Norfolk to-
morrow in Leah kleschna" and viii
present the piece in that city the rr;t
NAH of the week. The piece has been
Tehearsed in New York where Mr.. Gle
Ten has been for some time Mr.. Cir
fen will be in Richmond Tuesday, RIM
ming. up from Norfolk TO give his ner.
sonte attention to matters in connec-
ZION with the opening here
matter of interest in connection
WITH the plans of Mr.. Giffen and Mr.
Wells in regard to the spring and sum-
lner season is the fact that there viii