The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1909-12-17
DEVILS LAKES MAGNIFICENT OPERA HOUSE
OPENED AMID SURROUNDINGS Of sPLEND0R
Large Crowds From Many Neghborne Cities Were In At
tendance Help the Progressive City Celebrate This Event
Formal Opening Included Ringing Speeches by
President Kelly of the Commercial Club, City
Attorney McClory and President McVey

were provided for the spectators. and
no objections could be made at the
box Office to the kind of seats that
were furnished by the MANAGEMENT.
We read that in 1548 the Paris Con-
fraternity of the Trinity built a the
atre and was licensed to perform pro-
fame pieces of lawful and honest
character. Even in this theatre there
were no seats and no scenery. On the
side of the wall were hung signs
which indicated in. plain language
what 1t was supposed to be, as this
is house," this is the Forest" and
the imagination of the audience sup
piled the deficiency
"The first theatre built in London
was in the year 1876, and twenty
three years later the Globe theatre
was erected by Shakespeare and his
friends. 1t was a hexagonal building,
partly open at the top, and the main
body of the audience stood in the
center. while the gentry sat in the
galleries, and the wits and gallants
of the day were seated on the stage
rsady to interrupt with conversation
or sally the utterances of the actors.
Shakespeare. like his contemporaries,
used no scenery, and it was only in
1860 that movable scenery first came
into the theatre. Numerous abuses
arose from the presence of the COM
pany on the stage, which had increas-
ed until there was practically no
place for the actors, and in self-de-
fence the managers forced the spec
tators on the stage down into the pit.
These simple conditions compared
with the elaborate performances of
today, overladen as they are with
mere spectacle, are refreshing to say
! the least. As the theatre has develop
ed the taboo levelled against It has
been lightened. until today we are
actually willing to concede that it Of
fers recreation which brings moral,
intellectual and spiritual advantage.
/ We have begun to build theatres in
= North- Dakota, and when.we list the
4 facilities for education that have been
Eestabllshed iii this state. the public
Libraries that appear here and there,
only one conclusion can be reached
we are getting on in North Dakota.
The time will come some day when in
this state there will be municipal the
atres, cooperating with the public IL
brary and the public school. You in
Devils Lake. through the far-sighted
and courageous ACTON of men like
valdemar Gram and the friends who
have contributed with him to the erec-
tion of this building, are to be con-
graduated upon this addition to your
municipal enterprises. l hope that it
will not end until other public facili-
ties and opportunities have been ad-
ed, SO that Devils Lake will, in every
!! sense of the term. be a model CITY,"
! Honeymoon Trail
4 Before the curtain rose for the fun
nan. who has labored hard and long
for the success of the opening event,
appeared before the audience and aft
er the warm greeting extended him,
he announced that after January 1,
the Grand opera house would be on the
| Walker circuit and that the theater
patrons of Devils Lake may look for
ward to future events quite as ex-
cellent as Honeymoon Trail"
Honeymoon Trail' is about the
livliest and most clever musical COM
edy that has been in these parts for
some time and the management could
not have selected performance that
could have better filled the occasion
Bert Baker. the comedian who play
ed the part of Dennis Mason, kept the
audience in constant laughter from
start to finish and everybody has the
good word for him when the show
was over. The story is pretty and
interesting one, the chorus large. at
tractive and perfectly trained with
numerous splendid figures, the ma
jor parts all we'll taken and solo
voices of exceptional quality. The
gowns were all of rich material and
fashionable modes and the Brownie
specially numbers were exceedingly
clever.
| The Ball
The guests in merry mood then re-
paired to the large auditorium of the
basement where the grand ball
brought to magnificent close the
grandest social event ever occurring
in Devils Lake. 1t truly was a beau
tdful party and the guests are not
yet through saying complimentary
things about it. 1t is seldom that any
city in the state can boast so large
and splendid a brilliant gathering of
youth, beauty and age as on this oc-
caston. The ladies were regally at
tired In ball gowns and beautiful
opera cloaks and the gentlemen were
indeel strikingly handsome in their
evening attire.
The basement auditorium is admir-
ably finished for such large social
functions as this and in all its festive
Christmas decoration and brilliant H.
Illumination no prettier sight could
be imagined. The walls have a quaint
rough stone finishing and the large
stately pillars and arches splendidly
suited to elaborate decorating. Christ
mas holly In abundance was artisti-
cally used in every conceivable cor
ner and. from large Christmas bell
In the center were strung wreathings
of green to every pillar about which
they were effectively wound. The or
!chestra was placed behind q large