Billboard advertising (Dec 1911)

8 The Billboard DECEMBER 2, 1611. AMUSEMENT EVENTS OF THE LADY OF COVEN TRY FAIR Louis N. Parker's Adaptation of the Famous Romance, Lady Godiva, Not Historically Correct—Viola Allen's Role Not as Good as The White Sister A play is four acts by Louis N. Parker. Daly's Theatre. Dorothea .....Viola Alien Airs jane Ferrell Dim aria Adelaide Robinson Philippe. ...Prances Savage Father Bernard Charles Harbury Malet S. Van Onsen Phillips Nigel « Fred Bock Gilbert George Cooke Leotrlc Henry JColter Waltheof Henry Stanford Samel Lewis Howard Wltgar Frank P. Giles Torfrld W Infield Freeman Crmen - Vincent Sternroyd Oiling Howard Morgan Jenny Elinor Browneil Godlld .Nina Lindsay Joan Jessie Crommette New York. Mot. 21 (Special to The Bill- board).—Viola Allen in her latest vehicle. The Lady of Coventry, began its New York en- gagement at Daly's Theatre last Bight. Lonis N, Parker has adapted the play from the famous - romance of Lady Godiva. bat has not adhered closely to the original story- This digression was a subject of animadvert dis- cussion, among the local newspaper critics who claimed that the omission of the principal epi- sode in the romantic career of the history of the most famous bareback rider would not be condoned by the more educated American play- goer. Miss Allen'B support Is excellent. The cast included Henry Kolker. who recently created the leading role In the Great Name. The Times disparages the play as well as east. Its criticism in epitome is as follows: "In writing a play about the most famous bareback rider in history Mr. Louis X. Par- ker appears to have overlooked at least one very Important fact. In every play there are cer- tain incidents which an audience Insists upon seeing—scenes a fatre—as the French term them, contrasting with those scenes which the characters may properly describe In dlalogue. If the andience does not see these Incidents there Is disappointment. "Bat Miss Viola Allen, who appeared last night in Mr. Parker's dramatization of the Clergymen's Matinee At Weber's Theatre New York. Nov. 24 (Special to The Billboard). —The widespread interest manifested In the new comedy drama. The Wife Decides, which Is the current attraction at Joe Weber's Theatre, Has 'ndnced Manager Donald Wallace to set aside a day known as Clergymen's Matinee. The date Is Wednesday. November 20. . Invi- tations have been sent .to clergymen of all de- nominations and creeds. . Ever since the piece was brought to this city a number of members of the "cloth" have been noticed in the audience and their views of the drama are Interesting. A majority of those who have witnessed the offering have not hesitated to endorse the play as one of the best of its kind presented in New York In some time. The divorce question Is the fundamental theme, but the subject has been handled with skill and adroitness. Mr. McKean the author, in a way points out the fallacy of divorce as being the real solution of mismated or unhappy marriages. In the last act of the play be reconciles the estranged couple through the medium of their little daughter. The child, precocious for her years, shows them the right way. and hus- band and wife are speedily reunited. The part Is admirably played by Edna May Hamel. a talented and pretty youngster. SHE WILL. SHE WONT. From Paris comes the report that Sarah Bernhardt is to marry again, this time to Loo Telegen. a 28-year-old Flemish actor, who has been playing minor parts in her company. Interviews with friends of Mme. Bernhardt ra this country and with former associates. Te- " veal the fact that Mme. Bernhardt showed re- markable attachment far the young man while touring this country. Then from Paris comes another cable to the effect that the "Divine" one denies the re- port of her engsgemeut to her young protege, and recites In detail the hair-breadth escape of the reporter who sought to Interview her on the ■object. Well, the press agent of a Chinese actor mad bis principal elope with the -mother of the boy emperor of China, so It can be seen that press sgents bsve no respect for royalty. Bnt they should have for age, and the "Divine" one Is past 66. A. E. Anson, formerly of the New Theatre Co.. is playing the part with Ethel Barrymore in The Witness For the Defense that was written for George Alexander, of the St. James Theatre. London, where the' play ran all last season. A complete list of attractions at Now York Theatre* page 49. Lady - Godiva myth, has for so long been re- garded as one of our most seemly actresses that Mr. Parker may have felt a handicap at the very outset. If, for instance, be had been writing The Lady of Coventry as a starring vehicle for Gaby—bat, then, why discuss what hasn't happened? "And so we have The Lidy of Coventry as a play on the very antique pattern, crowded with bombast and choked with incident, none of which is dramatic in any genuine sense. There is license, enough for Mr. Parker to make any (Continued on page 52.) THE I RISH PL AYERS Open in New York, but Fail to Create the Sensation that Marked Their Appearance in Other Eastern Cities—" Several Plays Not Suited to Their Talents New York. Nov. 25 (Special to The Billboard i. —Quite an interesting engagement In the present theatrical season In the metropolis is the ap- pearance of The IriBh Players, a splendid or- ganization of actors. Their season opened at the Maxlne Elliott, Monday night, November 20. and presented three plays, namely: Spreading the News The Rising of the Moon and Birth right. The last-named play In two acts was perhaps the most enjoyable, although the play- ers created no great sensation in any of tbelr first-night productions. Although the Irish Players have created a sensation In several Eastern cities, It can not be said that they GEORGIA CAINE. In commenting upon the new production. The Three Romeos, which opened In New York two weeks ago, the critics on the dally papers spoke very kindly of Miss Caioe's work. Last season she appeared In Madam Troubadour, and previous to 1910 appeared In many other plays, the most recent of which are The Pr'nce of Tonight, and The Lady from Lobster Squats. UP AND DOWN BROADWAY Nellie McCoy, who Is in The Enchantress at the New York Theatre, recently discovered a new dance in one of the dance iulls on the lower East Side. She Introduced II Inst night in The Enchantress, calling It the "dat-foot glide." Victor Herbert composed the music for this new dance. Henry B. Harris announces that by arrange- ment with Cohan & Harris and Klaw & Erlanger he will present Elsie Ferguson at the Gaiety Theatre, beginning on Monday, December 4. In Charles XIrdlinger's new comedy. The First La- dy In the I. nd. In Miss Ferguson's support are Rose Coglan. Frederick Perry. Lowell Sherman. Clarence Handyslde and Beatrice Noyes. Mme. Alia Nazlmova will first act The Mar- ionettes before a New York audience on Tues- day, December 5. The cast Includes Frank Gllmore, Arthur Lewis. Edward Fielding, Cbas. Balsar, Grace Carlyle. Kate Meek and Helen Freeman. The play Is a comedy in fonr acta by Pierre Wolff, and was originally done at the Oomedle Franralee in October, 1911. The Eng- lish version was made br Gladys TJnger. Charles Frobman received word by cable that A. B. W. Mason, the author of Ethel Barry- more's new play The Witness for the Defence, will sail from Liverpool in- time for Miss Barry- more's first performance of Bis play at-the Em- pire Theatre on Monday, December 4. Mr. Ma- son is principally known as. the author of The ..-as if Four Feathers and The Broken Road, and oth- er bonks. In the week of December 4 the production of Bunty l'ulls the Strings, now running at Wil- liam Collier's Comedy Theatre, will be given four matinees in one week. In addition to :be three regular matinees on Tuesdays, Thurdsdays and Saturdays, there will be a special benefit performance on Wednesday afternoon Decem- ber 6, In aid of the New York Polyclinic Hos- pital. Slgnor Gattl-Casazza has been poring over the contracts of some of his opera singers in the past few days to see if there is not some means by which he may prevent them from making long and exhaustive concert tours before th-» season begins. He has had some experience In this brief -eason to convince blnftbat it woull be better for the operatic representations at the Metropolitan if .— singers came there before there had been any excursions through the conn- try. So he Intends ir possible to limit their ac- tivity In this direction to tours that may be undertaken .after the opera season has come to an end. ■ Hamilton Revelle. Sheridan Block, Austen Stuart. Bennett Kllpack and Eugene O'Brien have been engaged by Harrison Grey Flake and Klaw & Erlanger f«V roles lh Otis Skinner's new starring play. Kismet, by Edward Knob- lauch. (Contlnned on page 58.) excited more than negligible Interest In N« York. Much of their publicity baa been esinM through opposition to their plays by r°llghn> societies, but this, of course, could not Ten well bappen In New York, hence their oiiscnrlt. The consensus of opinion Is the players are ar- tistic rather than sensational, and that their Visit to New York will be ordinarily successful CAST OF THE SHEWING UP OF BLANCO POSNET. W Babsy Eileen O'Dooertj ff»'le Kathleen Drati Hannah Catbleen NeaMtt Jessie ...........................Una O'Connor I mma Elthoe MjG« Elder Daniels Arthur Sinclair Blanco Pojnet Fred O'Donnvu Strapper Kemp J. &r. Kerrigan Feemy Evans Sara Allgood Sheriff Kemp Sydney J. Morgan Foreman of the Jury J. A. O'Ronrtr Nestor, a Juryman Brlnsley McNamari waggoner Joe M. J. Dola. The Woman Malre Ni Shlubhlalth CAST OF THE WELL OF THE SAINTS. Martin Doul Arthur Sinclair Mary Don! Sara Allgooo Tlmmy Sydney J. Morga D Molly Byrne Cathleen Nesbiti A Bride Eileen O'Dohertj Mat Simon Brlnsley MrNamari A Wandering Friar J. a.' O'Roarfct- On Thursday night the company presented for the first time In New York, two dramaa, oo» by George Bernard Shaw, entitled The Showier Up of Blanco Posnet. and the other by J. :i Synge, entitled The Well of the Saints. Mr. Shaw's play la la one act. and Is a storr of the American West. This Is about the weak- est effort that ever came from the pen of u> brilliant Irishman, due, perhaps, to Ike fact that the play entirely lacks "local color." in aemuch as Mr. Sliaw'a knowledge of the West !■ confined to what he has read about that region Again, the players presenting the play, not b» ing Americans, have not iDe slightest concep- tion of how a Western character should t» (Contlnned on page 40.) Friars Offer $1,000 Prize New York. Nov. 25 (Special to The Blllboardl —The decision of tbe Friars' Club, unofficially announced several months ago, to offer a sub stantlal prize for a thirty minute playlet for use In the annual tour or "frolic" of the or- ganization, which la to be held next -May, ba» taken definite shspe. and tbe committee Is charge of this monster undertaking will an- nounce the conditions In a day or two under which any playwright, provided he be a Friar, may compete for a prize, which has been fixed at J1.000. It was first thought that better results coolo be obtained by opening the contest to every- body, but, lnasmnch as tbe Friars' Club hat upon Its membership list nearly all the Im- portant American playwrights, it has been «- elded that the organization can find what It wants at home, and thus do away with tor necessity of reading hundreds of rvannscrlp'» that might prove unavailable or even worthless Arrangements are slowly taking ahape for the "frolic." which will be held about t'-ir latter part of May. when the big stars wlu> will take part will have closed their regulir season. When It was announced that the Frl ars bad in mind a coast-to-cout tour, the greatest Interest was displayed, especially In the Far West. Letters from managers of the stree in Fresno, San Diego. Reno. Seattle. Port- land, Spokane. Vancouver, . and handredi °r others along the Pacific slope, piled in. asklnj that tbe Friars be good enough io stop and pin; these towns on their trip. Owing to the uncer- tainty of matters theatrical, the exact ron't Is as yet problematical, but this was in w looked for. NOTED AUSTRIAN ACTOR DEAD. New York. Nov. 25 (Special to The BilH'oard). —Ernst Hartmann. the noted Anstrlnn actor, and stage manager of the Hofhurg Theatre in Vienna, recently died at his home near Vienna or heart disease. He was 67 years old. H' bad been since his first association with tw Hnfburg. one of the celebrities of the thesm and had done much to make Its Ister fame. He was born In Hamburg In 1844. «nd >*«" his stage career in Raval. He barnstormed t» Baltic 8ea Provinces and finally came to act w the larger cities. In 1864 lie had attained tte Hofbnrg and had been Identified with the »«■ stre ever since. His roles Included not ew Benedick In Much Ado About Nothing, but Cy- rano de Bergerar and leading roles In the p'«J of Ibsen and Hanptmann. He bail also Mfl success In the modern French comedies. • His wife Helene Schneeberger. whom or married In 1868, was a distinguished «<•<";«» the Hofburg In her day. She died In 1S98. Margaret Illlngton has apparently £° n "S )B J starring vehicle In Charles Kenyon'e Kindiiw that promises to rival The Thief,