The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-02-04

arrive from the wedding; soon after
joe and 'sMateeI'' arrive. Then Bar
kerr arrives and the Unfair supper be-
gins. I thought all this was smooth
and pretty good: it really seemed TO
please the audience. Then the guests
depart, and Joe discovers the trou-
blesome letter. Here didn't know Gas
the Texas legislator said) where / was
at. But this scene was short, and soon
the curtain went down on the first act.
The actors were called before the cur
tain several times, and the crowd seem
ed in excellent humor. although the
hour was very late. Then some mis-
chievous person called: Hover. Inc
call was taken up; the orchestra stop
ped playing, and a timid man arose IN
his seat, edged his way past those IN
the same row, and started down the
aisle toward the steps leading to the
stage. 1t was the author. Reaching
the stage, Mr.. Blylock, one OF the play
ers, appeared at the side of the cur
tain, and asked in pantomime, II the
author wanted the curtain raised. The
author replied, also in pantomime' tnat
he did not; that he desired that the
curtain be pulled back to give him more
room. Then the author faced Inc au-
dfence; and it was sea OF faces. the
author said he intended to do what
Governor Stubs had promised to do at
the Commercial club banquet: make
! one minute speech. The speech was
about that long. Then there was
~-~--@
| on the second act.
big Adam" opens the second act,
and he is an excellent actor. The sec
I was able to judge. big Adams
little wife made one short, speech
which was greeted with three separate
roars of laughter. big Adam" was
as we'll received as any actor ! have
seen lately: the Topeka Capital the
ne aVsy7i NO sci a
of comedy as had been seen there in
years. I saw the same actor play
"Puddenhead Wilson, at the same
theater last week. This play was
written by Mark Twain, and staged by
Frank Mayo. It is a favorite. Yet it
is no more than the truth to say that
big Adam caused more merriment
than ''Puddenhead Wilson" Spcrt
North himself says so; the other actors
say so. Then there is a ring at
the door bell. big Adam goes to
the door. Enter Clinton Bragg" the
villain, who has no business there.
| (Note.-Let me here tell briefly the
motive of the domestic tragedy Early
in the first act, while big Adam" and
"Margie'' are waiting for the guests to
arrive for the Unfair supper, "Cnnton
Bragg passes the house, rings the bell
and leaves a letter for ''Je." AT the
close of the first act. after the depar-
ture of the guests, Zoe" picks up this
letter ana READS IT, II Is IeItef VIII
ten by "Mateel' to "Clinton Brag,"
years before. when she lived in the
east, and was the promised wife of
Bragg" The letter is Intense. After
Joe has finished reading the letter,
"MateeP' comes down the stairway
and asks Zoe" why he remains up so
late. He replies that he has been read
| ing a letter. sent him rs Christmas
present by "Clinton Bragg 'Mateep'
| explains that the letter was written
when she was a foolish school girl;
| that she didn't mean it: that 1t was
written in a passionate way as love
| letters were written in the books she
read. But Joe is moved deeply by
| the letter; remember he received it
on his wedding night, en- Christmas
| eve, following pleasant evening sur
rounded by his friends.) In the sec
ond act, the letter comes up again
| in a conversation between "Joe" and
Mattel "Joe" says he once made
| up his mind to forget the letter. and
went to his wife's room. to express his
regret that he had been so rude.
1 But he says, IT will swear that by
the light of the lamp I carried, saw
you smile in your sleep, as though you
didn't care. And I was so unhappy;
so in need of sleep! And 1 will swear
that as L stood by your bedside, to
ask you on my knees to forgive me for
| your fault, you murmured the name OF
| sClinton! - Il is about this time that
There is q ring at the door bell, and
/ "Clinton Bragg enters. ] explain this
at rather tiresome length because here
is where the trouble for the play will
develop.)
| The third act is all gloomy. But
the great audience was very attentive,
although the play did not begin until
five minutes after 8. I thought this
lattention might have been politeness.
] III civ IF IN q
audience were invited guests-mem-
bers of the legislature and members
of the Kansas Editorial association. So
I went to my room at the hotel and
tossed and thought, when I should
have been asleep.
But the secon5 night, there was an
! entirely different audience. It was made
| up of Topeka people. The audience was
fully as large as the night before. Ev-
cry seat was taken. The play began on
time: at 500. And it went much bet
ter than the night before. I was really
pleased with the play the second night.
Much of my gloom of the first night
disappeared. The attention on the part
of the audience was splendid. The ap-
probation of the comedy lines C'SpOrt
North told me afterwdrdS) was the best
he had ever received; and he is an old
actor / sat in a box. There was call
for ''Howe!" / replied briefly from the
box; | do not know much. but know
people don't like long speeches. After
! the last curtain, several people in the
: audience introduced themselves to me
| and said they liked the play.
1 spent that night in being hopeful
When am in disgrace, can't sleeT
because of the disgrace, and when an
hopeful, can't sleep because of hope
After the curtain went down on the
second act, Sport" North appeared al
the side of the stage, pushed the cur
: tain aside, and motioned to me.
1--WE didn't do a thing to The Wolf
) he said 1--WE had twice as many people
: as the Grand had"
The successful play known as Thu
Wolf was played at the Grand the sam'
night.
The actors seemed to be feeling good
} they all admitted that the play haC
2 gone much smoother than the frs
| night. In every way, it was a hundred
per cent better than the night before