The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1912-07-31
BY ESTHER GRIFFIN WHITE.

AIu "AeH.
Nor what it may be or may not be
when it gets here.
ure, as dramatic editor of the Palladi-
UNI, in handing out some advance in
formation
The regular theatrical season at the
Gennett will open on September TWEEN
tieth with a concert by Sousa's band.
This is sufficient unto itself las it
were
He, or she, who is not acquainted
with the career of John Philip Sousa,
at one time leader of the Marine Band
and since touring the world with his
own Incompatible organization, must
have vegetated in the cellar for the
last half century or so.
And no one can say that we are
getting the cold end of it with a sec
ond or third or half-and-half company.
There is only one Sousa's band and
it will be here.
Last winter, by the way, when the
celebrated Irish Players We're in Rich
mond some one asked, which COM
pany is this?"
| This was something like asking
which side of the sky the sun rises
| on.
| We are not to have the Irish Players
in Richmond here this season, for the
reason that we had them on their one
and only American tour.
But we are to have another aggre-
cation of foreign players in "Bunty
Pulls the Strings"
This play with it's original Scotch
cast made one of the record runs last
season in New York. And such was
its hold on the public theatrical af-
| fections that a second company of
i Scotch Players was organized and
put on at Chicago where they appear
ed for months.
1t is the latter company which will
appear in Richmond.
For the reason that, so far as the
writer now knows, the New York COM
pany will hold the boards in that city
for another season.
This play is simple, homely one of
Scotch life and played by natives of
the country in way no foreigners
could emulate. For dialect is hard to
assume.
Especially that of the Scotch.
While insular in it's setting, how
ever, the drama is one of universal
human appeal. And this accounts for
! its long runs in the two largest cities
of this country.
THE Passing of the Third Floor
Back" will also be seen here the COM
ing winter.
This is the play made famous by
the celebrated English actor, John
stone Forbes Robertson, who has ap-
peared in this country for the past
two seasons with this delightful We
hicle for his incompatible stage art.
The company which appears in Rich
mond, however, will be headed by his
brother, Ian Forbes-Robertson, an ex-
cellent actor, who gives a fine presen-
tation of the leading role.
While many persons in Richmond
have seen this play in Indianapolis,
Cincinnati, Chicago and other nearby
cities through the medium of the more
celebrated Forbes-Robertson, there are
many here who have not had that priv
ilege.
And, after all, if you're consistent,
the plays the thing.
But you're not apt to be consistent
Some very good plays have been
put on by the stock company at the
Murray, in instance, but those very
ones who f1aunt this slogan the loud
est weren't so awfully sure they were
good plays because masquerading un-
der another name.
The significance of THE Passing OF
the Third Floor Back" lies not in it's
superior dramatic construction, how.
ever, but in it's ethical appeal.
It's moral, in other words, dominates
every other phase of it's presentation
And its moral is that preached by
the Sermon on the Mount"
Therefore, if the theatre-going pub
lie or those only interested in the lat
ter for it's moral phases don't embrace
this tabled opportunity, let there be
no howl that nothing good ever
comes to Richmond"
For there will be something good
artistically and morally.
Whatever may or may not be
thought of George Cohan as represen
tative of dramatic art in its more
superlative aspects, one cannot deny
his popularity, both as producer and
actor, with the general theatre-g going
public which acclaimed him as the
atrical success with his ~Forty-five
Minutes from Broadway"
Therefore, two of his productions
for Cohan's output could scarcely be
called dramas, plays Or musical come
dies, being rather undesirable
which are to come here should NEE,
with patronage, one of these Officer
$685. the other, The Little Million
aire"
Certainly no one can say they never
heard of either since every ten CEN
magazine has recorded their activities
and every paper from those who ex
pEoit theatrical news in their boiler
plate" to the ones paying heavy sal
aries to dramatic critics these latter
not published in Indiana, let us say)
have had cuts" of The Little Million
aire" and Officer 666."
Richmond will also see THE Sprins
Maid" Christie McDonald's last sea