The Topeka state journal., 1910-12-23
Later Found Out That Audiences
Here Are "Cold" Ones.
TALKED OF CONDITIONS
Referred to How the Public
Makes Success of a Show.
Support, Also Discouraged
Found Play Well Taken.


title role of "The Fortune Hunter" sat
in his dressing room at the Grand last
night and bemoaned the fact that cold
audiences discourage the actor. He ad-
mitted that he was discouraged himself
and all because he thought the play
was not taking as it should. 1t was the
first visit to Topeka of Niblo. who is
d brother-in-law of George NJ. Cohan
and the star who formerly managed a
show which he owned Jointly with
Cohan couldn't appreciate the fact that
Topeka theater gOerS naturally are cold.
Some of the finer points of straight
humor in the play, which has been
touted as never having had an adverse
criticism, seemed to Niblo to have fail
ed to obtain. There had been no out
ward showing of appreciation and he
could not understand. He knew that
Winchell Smith had written u comedy
perfect almost in it's situations its idea
and its possibilities. Too, he knew that
the cast was a competent one, still 1T
seemed to him that something was
wrong.
That was in the middle of the third
act Niblo was racking his brain in
conscientious thought. His support was
discouraged too. but they kept on try
ing to fathom the question uppermost
in their minds Then change came.
4 Topeka audience had warmed to the
occasion, something that seldom hap
pens. Curtain after curtain was given
as the third act closed.
As they talked following the third
act, =Nib1o and his manager discussed
the condition. The manager understood
better, perhaps, because he had been
out 'front.' could see better the smiles
on the faces of those in the audience
and could hear the spoken word of ap-
probation that passed from one friend
to another. Niblo seemed relieved. He
was conscious that his efforts had not
been in vain.
How Much Depends on Public.
Few people understand" said Niblo
as he turned to a visitor, chow much
depends upon the audience. They may
be friendly and not show it and just
for that reason alone spoil the success
of the play. 1t is an even fifty-fif+y
L think between the audience and the
company when one goes to reckon
with the success of a show"
Niblo, who won his spurs as a mono
logist on the vaudeville stage was in
the role created by Jack Barrymore
in New York and Thomas Rose in Chi
cago. He proved satisfying to Tope-
hans and it is we'll known that Tope-
kans are hard to satisfy.
The play is the one in which Hale
Hamilton of Topeka won his Broadway
spurs last season and was enabled to
become the star this season of the New
York company playing Get Rich Quick
Wallingford." Hamilton played the part
of kellogg in The Fortune Hunter,
the part which in the cast here was
allotted to Robert Lowe.
Bacon. a Pacific Coast Guard.
Frank Bacon, as Sam Graham, the
lovable old druggist and inventor,
probably was the best taken of any
member of the cast, aside from Niblo.
He has has been one of the Pacific
coats guard" and in twenty-Seven
years of stock work has taken part
in more than five hundred plays. I'm
til recently he never came further east
than the Rocky Mountains.
In speaking of his methods of play
ing "rube" characters, Bacon said it
was not art-that he merely was imi-
tating his father.
But he added, 1.-The old man
would be pretty mad if he knew it
Bacon, for one, does not believe that
the art of acting has declined: in fact,
he knows that it has improved Be-
coming serious in his speech he de-
clared that it stands to reason that we
have. today on the American stage
more and better actors than we had
fifty years ago.
Acting has not declined" he reit-
Grated, there simply has been a
change in style. and the modern school
OF repression is the prevailing mode.
In the present day when the public
will not pay to see the Shakespeare
pIdyS, d lew HldHdSeIS present lIlSiII j,
but if there was a demand for them,
be assured that there would be many
actors found to play them and play
them as we'll as in the days of yore,
but in a more quiet vein.''
Story of 1.-THE Fortune Hunter"
In short the story of 1.-The Fortune
Hunter tells of the failure of Dun
can to make good in numerous jobs
that his friend Kellogg has obtained
for him. He refuses to allow the lat
ter to do anything for him again de-
claring that it is but to court failure.
Then g compact is agreed upon. Dun
can is to go to a small town, follow
certain rules of conduct, go to church
regularly and refrain from doing 9TH
er things, that might jeopardize him,
in that way winning for himself a
wealthy wife.
Duncan goes to the small town. He