The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1911-04-18
Theatres.


1t is curious thing how quickly words
and expressions will find their way into
even literary English, and then gradually
lose their foothold. A few days ago, it
was announced that play called ssThe
Fourth Estate" would receive production
at the Chestnut Street Theatre, Philadel-
phia, commencing Easter Monday,
Matinee April I7th. 1t is safe to say that
forty or fifty years ago no one would have
been in doubt as to the meaning of the
title. To-day however, one man in ten
may be familiar with the origin and ap
plication of that title. Messrs Liebler
and Company, producers of the play, have
found this to be the case, consequently,
an explanation seems due the public
The Fourth Estate" is a phrase used to
denote the press. Had the phrase been
coined by less eminent lips it might have
passed into the category of slang, but, as
it is, it has survived for over a century.
In the olden times, when the germs of
constitutional government had begun to
bear fruit, it was customary to make
legislative bodies representative of three
classes, the first, second and third estates,
viz: The Mobiles, the Clergy, and the
Masses, or, as in England, the Lord Tenn
poral and Spiritual, and the Commons
w ACA Tic press OCSd4 " WlClQ power
commensurate with that of the three
original estates it began to be jocularly
known as 1.-THE Fourth Estate" Edmund
Burke (the man whose Speech on Con-
Citation" Is read in every high school) is
generally given credit for the authorship
of the expression.
FORREST THEATRE, PHILADELPHIA
"a Fool THERE WAS
Robert billiard is creating a profound
impression in "a Fool There Was" at the
Forrest Theatre, Philadelphia, where he
remains one more week before taking his
annual vacation abroad. Great and enthus-
iastic audiences are aroused to a high
pitch Of nervous tension. In this SPLEEN
did play house, which bears the name of
one of America most distinguished native
players, he is the first dramatic star to ap-
pear. Mr.. billiards. vital and yirile i'm
PRESERVATION of the fool who goes down to
disaster, through infatuation for the vam-
pire woman pictured in Kipling's famous
poem, is entitled to prominent place In
the wonderful dramatic portrait gallery of
our local stage. 1t is the finest example
this period affords of the tense and power
full in acting. Mr.. billiard gives noble
strength to the portrayal of the distin-
guished man who is burned to cinder in
the furnace of temptation. "a Fool
There Was is play with intensely hui
man appeal that drives home a big truth.
1t flashlights real life conditions that are
daily recorded in the public prints. Its
moral lessons of constancy, temperance
and clean living are clear and luminous.
1t has been aptly described as "a drama
like no other" and has been one of the
most successful offerings of the past CEN
fury 1t is play of symbolism and sharp
contrasts; blend of comedy, melodrama
and real tragedy. Mr. billiards. support
is admirable, from curtain to curtain The
production is on big scale, full of beauti-
full pictures. One of impressiveness
shows the deck of a huge ocean liner,
crowded with passengers, amid the joyous
confusion of the sailing hour. During the
final week, beginning April 24th, there
will be Wednesday and Saturday matinees.
At the Wednesday matinee the best seats
are scaled at $I.oo.
CHESTNUT STREET OPERA HOUSE.
The Spring season of the Aborn Eng
lish Grand Opera company at the Chest
nut Street Opera House, to which Phila-
delphia music lovers have been looking
forward with much pleasure, will open
Monday, April 24th. This will be the
first series of grand opera presentations
Philadelphia has had at popular prices in
number of years, and consequently there
is tremendous subscription list for the
entire engagement, and an equally en-
couraging advance sale of seats for indi-
vidua1 performances. Mail orders have
been coming in for several weeks, not
only from residents of the city, but from
cities and towns all over eastern Pennsy1-
vania, western New Jersey and northern
Delaware. The offering for the eight
performances of the initial week will be
Puccini's famous opera, Madam Butter
fly" founded on the equally famous Jap
anese tragedy by David Belasco and John
Luther Long. This work has not been
presented in English for several years,
and has never been given before at the
popular scale of prices ranging from rs
cents to $I.oo, which is being maintained
at the Chestnut Street Opera House dur
ing the Aborn engagement, with Wednes-
day matinees at rs, so and rs cents. The
cast for the Madam Butterfly week
will include five artists who appeared in
the same roles in Henry W. Savage's
memorable production of this opera; Dora
De Philippe. soprano, Henry Taylor, tenor,
Ellen James, contra1to, Rudolph Kock,
buffo, and Saul Roselle, basso. Another
noted soprano, Regina Vicarino, will di-
vide the eight performances in the title
role With Miss De Fillipee, each appear
ing at alternate performances. Louis
kreidler, baritone, will be the Consul,
Frederick Chapman, the commissioner,
Hugo Resented, the conductor, and Ed
ward P. Temple the stage director. III
Trovatore" will be the offering for the
second week, "Thais'' for the third and
La Boheme" for the fourth.