The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-04-30

 summer stock here that is second to none, for MT. Bruce comes direct from
 the Empire theatre, New York, where he has just completed engagement as leading man with William Gillette in a revival of Secret Service" and other great plays that MT. Gillette cre- ated.
 Theatregoers are to be congratulated on the fact that MT. Bruce is so thor oughly familiar with the part of Cap tain Thorne, which fact will assure its
 being presented here with a complete | ness and eiaborateness equal to the | New York production.
 MT. Bruce arrived IF Birmingham | Saturday afternoon, after closing the season with MT. Gillette on Friday. Rehearsals with the company were held immediately and everything was in per-
 feet order for the production tomor- | row night. During the past season he has appeared as Dr. Watson In "Sher- lock Holmes," the other great play of MT. Gillette; the leading part in Held by the Enemy" a companion play to Secret Service," and in "The Private Secretary all of which Mr. Gillette
 revived this season at the Empire. Pre- vious to that MT. Bruce was leading
 man in the great road production of "The Thief" which played all the prin- cipal cities of the north and east. He
 has been leading man under the Frohman forces for the past three years "a fact that in itself stamps him as a man of wonderful ability.
 In appearance Mir. Bruce is a tall, handsome man-as typical a matinee idol as ever walked the stage. He is sterling actor, capable of playing any one of 40 or 50 parts in a season, and having had previous stock expe- rience as leading man. He Is par ticularly capable in such part as that of Captain Thorne, the federal officer who is caught in Confederate uniform within the federal lines and who fails to send an important telegram to the union army until loo late to effect a battle on account of his love for Edith
 Varney, the part played by Miss Nora Shelby, the leading woman of the classy Schiller players.
 The story of Secret Service" is well known to all theatregoers. It is a stir ring war story and deals with the ad- ventures of two brothers, union men. who play the part of secret service men within the Confederate lines
 While there Captain Tnorne, as he is known. falls in love with a southern girl Miss Varney.
 Captain Thorne gets possession of some important news whict he must get to the federal soldiers before a certain fight. In order to do so he seizes the telegraph office, but love gets the better of him and he post pones sending the telegrams until too late to effect the result of the battle In the meantime he is discovered, given a drumhead courtmartial and con- demned to die. At the last minute a reprieve comes for him and he Is sen tenced to close confinement instead of death.
 The great scene of Secret Service is the third act in which Captain Thorne. seizes the telegraph office and desperately wounded and Is surround. ed by dangers of all kinds. It is con- sidered one of the greatest and most dramatic scenes that was ever writ ten for a drama and Is the basis of the great success of Secret Service"
 This is the third of the great pro- auctions of the classy Schiller players and 1t will be the greatest in every respect. In the first place it will afford more members of the company the op- portunity to appear in better parts; 1t will permit of a different class of act ing from that of any of the other pieces and will display the versatile abilities of the members of the com pany The staging Is more elaborate than in any of the others and the management is building the greatest stage settings that have ever been seen in summer stock engagement in the south. Each act will be complete and elaborate. The scenery Is being built by the special scenic artists which are here at the Bijou.
 In the cast MT. Bruce will play the part of Captain Thorne. the hero; Miss Shelby will be seen as beautiful southern girl. who Is in love with Cap tain Thorne, and yet who Is loyal to the south and its cause, part whi ich affords her great opportunity and in which she is expected to score the biggest hit of her stay in Birming- ham; Miss Grayber will be Caroline, a winsome southern miss, pretty and sweet and contrary, in love with soldier, as all southern girls were Miss Scott will appear as Mrs. Varney the mother; Miss Thomas as Martha. q clever bit of character acting; Miss Lewis will be Miss Kittridge; MT. Todd will appear as Arrelsford, the heavy part of the ~play, which part he plays to perfectioA MT, Lloyd will be Wilfred;