The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1909-02-18
Opera House Has Busy Week.

Opcid houce las busy VCChs
The new Skowhegan Opera House
has had very busy week since its
opening on the third instant. The
ceremony of opening night was fol-
lowed on Friday by the program car
ried out in commemoration Of the one
hundredth anniversary of the birth of
Abraham Lincoln, and on Saturday
evening by the presentation of Eu-
gene Walters great drama, 1.-THE
Wolfe.u On Tuesday evening of the
present week, a company Of fifty peo
pie gave the widely known musical
production, "45 Minutes from Broad
way"
"The Wolfe" is probable the first
theatrical production of any kind to
be given here, the scene of which is
laid in the far northern Canadian ter
ritory and this is but one of it's uni
que features. 1t had a great run in
New York City last season and on
this, its second tour through Maine,
1t is being produced in Bangor, Au-
gusta, Lewiston and Portland. Hill.
da McTavish, the only feminine char
acter in the cast, is taken by Mabelle
Estelle, who was member OF the
company at Lakewood in the summer
Of 1901. She is now Mrs. Severine
DeDyn, the wife of the leading man
in "rhe Wolfe" company. The char
acter of Jules Beaubien, assumed by
Mr.. DeDyne, calls for the accent
which Frenchman always gives to
our English words, throughout the
entire play and in this as in every
other feature of his work, he was per-
lection itself. 1t is of interest to
know that Mr.. Chaillie, B'tiste La
Grande in "The Wolfe" company, is
of French descent and one of the few
Of his race, at present In this country,
who have reached the top level in the
theatrical profession.
The entertainment of Tuesday
evening, "Forty Five Minutes from
Broadway, was in sharp contrast to
the drama of opening night, but not
the less pleasing. The large number
in the cast, the scenic effects, the sue
cession of brilliant situations and
bright songs, both solos and Choir
uses-everything full of life and ac-
ton to the very limit, made it appar-
ent that the evening belonged to
new era in local theatrical affairs.
This company requires one passenger
car and two scenery cars for its trans
portation and this added iolling stock
nearly doubled the length of Skowhe-
gan's outgoing passenger train at 7.65
yesterday morning.
Much depends upon the start off in
any enterprise and especially SO as
regards all things in the theatrical
line. Its therefore matter for
mutual congratulation that Skowhe-
gan's new opera house should have
had such an suspicious succession of
events during the first week OF its
history.
One eminently necessary feature of
the new play house, the orchestra,
was ready to hand and did not have
to be planned for with the other de-
tails. Kendall's musical organization.
which has played in about every i'm
portant town and city in Maine, dur
ing the past fifteen years, was pre-
pared to meet every requirement for
the accomplishments, which are de-
manded i'll variety without end i'll
theatrical work, and for overtures
and intermezzos that would satisfy
the most fastidious. This should be
counted among the other fortunate
circumstances attending the opening
and future conduct of the new Opera
House.
The municipal officers were I'M
doubtedly fortunate in securing Her
gentleman could bring to bear upon
the matter just the kind of expert
ence needed, gained through conduct
Of the theatrical business for the past
S6Veu years db 1dhSNOOd. ~ W do
Mr.. Swett's evident determination
that Skowhegan's fine new playhouse
should commence it's career on a
high level of excellence and all de-
tails, trivirl or important, were at
tended to to secure this result.
Among the conveniences placed at
the service of the public may be mem
toned the card folder, bearing on its
face the picture of the municipal
building and on the inner pages the
diagram of the hall, SO arranged that
by its use seats may be selected and
and ordered by mail or telephone
with as much satisfaction as could be
obtained by a personal visit to the
box office. Everything connected
with the productions we have had thus
far has been carried out with we'll
nigh faultless precision and it is to be
doubted if the service offered the
patrons of any New England theater
can be in any particular superior to
that to be found at the Skowhegan
Opera House under Mr. Swett's man
agement.