Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-10-30

! The town hall was crowded Non =
f! day evening when "katctia koo' was
| given its opening performance under
the auspices of the Winthrop Ameri-
can Legion.
| The production was staged by the
John B. Rogers Producing Co. with
| Miss Lenore Gillis. director. and was
! perfect in every detail OF scenery,
Gostuning and lighting.
Special workers have been busy
several days. preparing the stage,
building special footlight arrange
ments and putting up the scenery
for the play.
The opening scene transported the
| audience at once to the Orient, the
! Temple of the Maharajah to Buddha
at RaSputin, India. 4 great figure OF
i Buddha was in the background. rich
oriental draperies and huge urns OF
| flowers completing the scenic setting.
| Incense was rising. and flood of
: soft rosy light suffused the stage,
! with spotlight playing upon three
, immOVabc, katcha-koo &C. PretZ-
! man Gale) and Soleiah and Wrbanah.
| priestesscs OF the temple, played by
| Ethel Hartman and Mabel Bubbell.
! When the priesteSSeS spoke, the aud =
. fence was at once introduced to the
! plot of the play.
! I[atcha- Koo, a fakir Of Hunga, had
! stood for weeks transfiXed before the
/ temple of Buddha, without moving,
without eating, silent !nscrutable
/ figure. The Maharajah had offered
rewards to anyone who could induce
him to move, and had threatened
death to the two priestesses should
they fail to do SO Thty had onerea
| him rich food and jewels but failed
: m Mono dare offer nm
violence, or offend him for all feared
, his curses, even the MaharaJah him.
self A burst of music announced the
| entrance upon the scene OF the Ma :
! haraiah O. Russell Hudson) attended
! by group of Oriental ladies imper-
/ sonatcd by Misses Thelma kneeland,
E,rma Riley, Erma simpson, Mary
| Skouro, Scua Leighton, C-alice Fall-
kenham and Lula House and by his
Phillip Sturtevant. In a song, I'm
waiting Yet" the Maharajah and
| chorus of ladies further acquainted
/ the audience with the situations.
Following this came weird chant
| of invocation to katcha- koo, but the
| silent figure remained immoVable,
| until two American youths, seeking
! adventure came upon the scene,
| were acquainted with the situations.
and after bribing Solejah, who was
| the widow of a wizard, purchased
+, from her magical suit of cloth
| ing. hich her husband had owned
; and which was made up OF the
trousers of Frenchman, full of
! politeness and dancing, the shirt of
/, q vagabond. full of happiness, the
vest of an Italian full of love. and
I the coat of an American, full Of
pep"
These garments they succeeded
in getting out to katcha- koo. and
+! absorbing from them their various
! characteristics. the fakir came to
| life. and informed the audience in
song and dance that "hlottcrs make
| the man.
About this time rich American
widow. Mrs. Chattie Gaddiu (Mrs.
! Eva Marble and her two charming
daughters. Dolly, Miss Dorothy
Marble) and Prudence. Miss Clara
Andrews arrived for a call upon
, ladies Immediately captured the
! hearts of the young Americans,
! Civilian Loon and Donald Pitman.i
Dolly and Dick had pleasing
song and dance number. II never
knew what love could do and fol-
+! lowing this was the most beautiful
and spectacular number on the pro-
gram. the Veil dance by Esther
! Rowell.. Estelle Pottle Alice Spear.
/ beth Maxwell. Matte handler and
Mary Pettengill. with Catherine
! Webb as solo, dancer. In spangled
/ oriental costumes. with colored
lights playing upon them the Young
| ladies moved gracefully through the
! intricate figures and tahleaux az Il
difficult and beautiful dance of wells
in most effective manner.
! Prudence and Harry in. "Thats
! What He Taught Me to Do" We're
! charming in song and dance.
: Meanwhile <atcha Koo with the
: vest of the Italian N(full Of love- was
: enticins the favor of all the ladies
/ in the vicinity, including IT," four
; wives OF the Maharajah Chin Chin
! Foo, the Chinese wife mabel Nor
. ris) Brazillitata, The Brazilian,
| daisy Hodges; Patsya Kildare. the
irish (Jessie Webb.) and La Belle
Elysee. the French (Stella SNOWY
| Much incensed. the Maharajah or
dred the American and the two In
dian girls to find way to return
katcha- Koo to his original ways or
suffer death by poison or be thrown
| to the lions
Mrs. Gaddin invited the whole
company to New York and the act
| closed with a tuneful finale. Were
off to Call on Uncle Sam" with solo
by Miss Thelma KneeIand.
The second act brought the an.
dlence back to America. to Mrs.
Gadden's estate in New York, and
represented a beautiful garden scene.
Miss kneeland opened the act with
a beautiful solo number, "Susaue
hanna Sue and was followed by
| Dick and Harry. Solejah and Urban
tab bemoaning their tales in a song
and dance, IF Things Were Only
Different"
Kathakoo still a favorite with the