New York Clipper (Jul 1915)

TUB NEW YORK CLIPPER STOa NEWS July 3 BRONX STOCK. ^ronm Theatre. The worm weatlier la beKlnnlne to affect the at- teodaiue, and die mtliiee crowoa are act so gootf aa tbcj ionnerlj were; bat tha eotbustasm abown bj tbe tme patrons baa not abated- On ttm en- traucea of their favorite pertonners the patraoa ap- plauded aatU, alter many, bows, tbe performance H-aa allowed to go on. The oompany Is very well established, harlsK played a ten months' engagement at tbe bouse, au lar, Tbere bB» never been aa orgaolzatlon In tbe tiionx that baa created such Interest and IsUc aa one. Tbe followers can't seem to wait until tbe fol- lowlg week for tbe next show, and If they had :t their mia way tbe membem wuu'd play a new abVH- every day. 'ilie numaicemcnt lias buUt tlua remarkable clientele by giving the public whet It wanted, and by presenting Lue plays In auch a luasner tbnt not even the most critical could And fault. The abowa for the majority have been aplen- dld, and hare Included aome of the latest Broadway releoaes. OAe management also knows tlie art of foUowlng up playa, K. O. Edwarda la an excellent director and. by kdnd worda and gentle suggesuons, be gets a good deal more ont of hla schoiura than by tbe manner usually aasnmed by the average stock di- rector. His compai^ la veiy well balanced, and the artists are each veraed in bis or her depart- ment. When he is compelled to "Job" a character, he selects the pick of the Keith ofllce, thereby keep- ing up standard of the company. "Toe Uoose Next Door" proved to be as ex- cellent play XoT tile Bronx audience week of Juno 21, and was enjoyed thorragbly. Tbe caat gave a "star" performance of this ~""fffly drama. Tbe aucceas of the piece depends upon the snappy way ta which the play Is pat over, and the company gave the production Its full wortn. Tha fallen down, broken, arlatocrat character of Sir John Ootswold was superbly portrayed by KreU C HoDse. It 4s a <^haracter study, and It requires a thorough knowledge of acting to play the role Intelligently Tbe subtle comedy situations are numerous and were capably handled by Mr. House. Ue proved to the aaalence that he is a capaMe actor. Julie Heme played the role of Ulrica with n good deal of seriousness, and her performance was very fine. It Is a most sympathetic role, and she gave It ■'""Tf*' attention to make It a decided hit. Bowden Hall had rather an easy time of It this week, and played Adrian, the Jewish son. Ue was straightfonrard and frank in the role, and gave a most enjoyable lowing. Tbe role of Sir Isaac Jacobaom la a very fine on*, and Mr. Cdwards could not have caat a botter actor for It than Walter UarahalL He gave the character a touch of reserve and tender- ness. Albert Gebhardt gave a very clean-cut pprform- ance of Cecil, the son of iilr Cotswold. Ue baa aome draaiatlc acenes and they were very well played. Gebbardt Is natunii la eTciythlng that he attempts, and in this play his character was one of the pleasures of the perfonnance. The ingecue role Is extremely sweet. Margaret Fielding played It In a charming manner. Uer per- formance was worthy of a iBroadiway audience, iihe dreaaed the rola vety prettily, and she could not bave appeared to a better advantage. Luella Moray was very mdt.'only and meek as the Lady Cotswold. She was excellent, and her make-up was perfect. Walter Lewis Is a good comedy character, eauc- dally when It la played In dialect Chaa. H. £11- wood waa excellent In the role, and he received many laughs. Caroline Morrlscn gave a very good reading of the role of LAdy iBebecca. The social cUmber la an unsympathetic role to portray, and even under the existing conditions, Mbts Mcrrlson got a good deal cut of It. Vinlns, the servant, although a minor role. Is a difficult one to portray. John P. Hewitt was very good, and not at any time did he step ont of the character. Tbe Capt. tbe Hon. Olive Trevor, tbe social boor, waa very well portrayed by Hal Oliver, and he re- ceived a good deal from the quarrel acene In the aeoond act. Buasell iParker was very good as Uax- millfln, the servant. ThlB week, "The Divorce Qoestlen" Uylee. NOW IN UO'VOBS. Tlie many friends of Kathleen Edythe WUlard (MS Williams) win be plea«cd to hear of her now being with the Vltagrapn players. Mus WUlard was formerly playing leads with the Harry Davis Stock Co., of Pmaburgb, and irlnclpal with "The Fatal Wedding" and "The Bace' for Life," 'XTieodore Kraemer's successful drama. She had appeared In vaudeville lately, but the call of tiie "screen" was irresistible. LYNCH AT BRANDEIS'. The Edward Lynch Stock Ce. opened a Summer engagement at the Brandels Theatre, Omaha, Neb., Jane 18, to big baslness. The prospects look bright for a good season. "Where tbe Trail Dl- vldea" la given this week. DODOIiAS H. LITTLE, a member of the Bogers Stock Co.. playing an Indellntte engagement at the COlanihla Theatre. Clinton, Ind.. was married to Pearl Stnltz. who recently made lier debut with aame company at the Columbia Airdome, Jane 22. JOSHPH M. McCOY la with the J. J. Flynn Stock Co.. at Massabesle Lake Theatre, Man- eheater. N. i H. ■n>HE LITTLEST BEBEL" la the offering of tbe stock company In Haimnersteln'a Lexington Avenue Theatre this LELARD DRAMAnC STOCK. One Hundred and Bixteenth Btreet Theotre. >Por no visible reason business has started tn drop off with the Leiand Dramatic Stock' Co. The company continued to do excellent work and tl:e ■weather comUtlona were more than favorable. The prevlooa week the people of iHarlem were loud In tbe praises of their only stock company, bat last week they did sot even know that tney were ahow- Sog at alL ^e patrona of the theatre do not want to see the sweet comedy dxamaa of every day life, but wodid rather sit and listen to some rlsqne drama of the side of life Qiat wonid be better it It were kept dark, ^ey are a peenliar gnttaerlng of people, and they do not seem to care at all for the finer sentiments of life. If they can witness .their leading man or woman dragged down into the many pKlalla that usually befall white slavers or drug flends, tSiey will come and pay their little twenty-^ve cents and feel per- fectly happy. During the week of "The Lure" and "The Butterfly on the Wheel" the patrons Just flocked to the tSieatre, but when the management attempted to play auch a sweet piece as "Tbe House Next Door' the? ubsohitely refused to alt through it. It makes it doubly hard for tbe management and the players to play to them, and it Is a very ensy tiling to make a mistake In the selection of the bill to put before tliem. Tbe company, as a whole, were good, and their performance waa all that coold be expected from a atock organization. There are several characters that are splendid bat they take artists to portray them with any feel- ing, xhe oompeny, with one or two exceptions, are slovenly in thefr dress, and that ahoald.be at once corrected, nie sets of the play were above the average displayed at Oie theatre. Hany BoObe nve a nice performance of tbe cbaraoter of Sir John Cotswold, although at times be played it as a decidedly comedy role, and at other times he crossed the stage like a yonng Juve- nile. He Is a good actor, and it Is not bis niult, probably, but the fault of his director. Several scenes were taken with ease, and bis last scene was very effective. LEXINGTON PUYERS. .ILBISRT GBBHARDT, Juvenile with the Bronx Pla.vcrs. . Prlscllla Enowles was good as Ulrica, his dau^- -ter. She gave a splendid reading; and her acting v;as alnoere. The big scenes were played naturally, and her comedy bits were naively put over. HaTFT Ingram looked 4mmacuiat« ps Cedl, the son. He was excellent, and was one of the most likable characters of the piece. He plnyxJ tbe - role with a good deal of feeling, and at no time did he get out of the character. w. A. Whltecur was very dignified as the Jew, eir Isaac Jocobsoii, 'M. P. tie spoke his lines with (I flnnness that also denoted a gentle and Invloj^ disposition. It is a beautiful character and was weU played. Eimsy Alton gave a spl'in.ltd ehowlng of the mic of Bebecca, his danghter. TTcr love scenes were chanaUv, end she gave the character a t/iuch of the Ingenue that was very accept.iblc Hooper Atchley played tbe role of Adrian only fairly. Uls porfvrmance would not have been so marred if it had not been for bis poor taste In dressing the role. Malic Berls was liked or. Sfargaret Cotswold. Aon Singleton cave a spirted reading of the lines of Lady Bebeeca. Her work daring her scene In be second act was liked. Capt. Tbe Bon. Cllve Trevor was very well played by Frank De Camp, the director, waiter Lewis was played In straight, another bad form of direction. Sam Frlea la capa- ble of giving a role the proper attention, tnit the character In this piece demanded dialect to be able- to get anything out of It. John Dwyer was very good as Vlnlng. tbe servant, bnt looked too yonng to be In the service of the ie<mtly for such a long time. Sam Godfrey was IlVcd an Maximilian. This week, "A Man's Osme." Uylet. 3. 3. FLTNiN'S STOCK COMFANT. under the direction of Peter McGnire, opened a Summer season at the Masaaheelc Lake ^eatre. Man- chester, N. a., Jane 28, presenting "l%e Beat Widow Brown.*' Lrxington Opera lioiue. iMatlneea do not seem to draw very well at the I^exlngton Avenue Opera Hoose, but the nigtai per tormances are very strong and It is seldom that the house Is not packed. Tbe people of the £^t- slde are very fond of the Lexington Playera, and they, are supporting them with sincere Interest. 'X'he company is one of tbe most representatlTO that has api>eared In the Bast for qmte a while, and the management are offering all sorts of In- uuconents to the pateono. Tha plays are put on aimost OS well as they are on Broadway, and the nclshboiliood get a good deal for their money. The theatre Is only a faw blocks from Broadway ond they attract a good many of their audience from that section of the city. When tbe director selecta a aoccesa, it is aimost a safe bet that soiud ut the city's natives have not seen it, and tbey Kill travel a long distance If they are intent uii seeing a favorite play. The atmosphere Is beauti- ful and the theatre and its environments bvlp quite a lot towards billing up the big playhouse. The seleetloa of plays has been very good, uiid plays that have been big runners on the theatre line are seen here at comiiaratlvely Uttle cost. "Bebecca of Snnnybrook Farm" Is an excellent Slay for stock, and the mothers bring their cbll- ren to see IL The fathers accompany them in the evening, enjoying tbe sweet little comedy drama of lue. The company were excellent and they worked very hard. There was not a member that did not show an interest in their work, and tbe result was that the piece waa put over in a beautiful manner. The management secured tbe original "props," but tbe settings were below the average started by the theatre. For a few weeks the sets were the talk of the stock world, hut for the past two they have deteriorated. The audience were very enthoslostlc at the cur- tains of each act and at tbe entrances of their favorite members of the cost, and the Interrup- tions of the pleco were many, niey seem to enjoy the given performances and the subscription lint Isr contlnaally growing. The real lilts of the play were the charming leading lady and J. Irving White. There baa never been a sweeter, more charming, nor prettier Bebecca than little Minna GombeL She acted the role with a sweetness that bubbled out of every one of her motions, and her acenes were taken with absolute ease. The role seemed as though It was made to order (or her, and she read iii-r Hues with perfect understanding. She looked boaii- ulfol In th costumes. It is auresthat this role H'lU bring her an nnusuol'y large amount of fol Icwors and admirers. The role of Adam Ladd Is a bad one for a lend- ing man, as It does not give him & chance to show bis abilities, but Carl j;ricK<.-rt was very handsome ' Iti the ctuiracter, and i-jioke his lines distlncUy- J. Irving White was oue of tbe hits of the dju'1- nee in the character of Jeremiah Cobb. It Is a llkatde character, and it wjs put over with tlic finneste of a real actor. White Is ,an excel'cu: character man. Vlda Croly Sidney was very good in tbe tole of Aunt Miranda Sawyer. Her stem performance was tcrtbcdng in Itself, and ber speeches were read n-lth a great understanding of the character, iilie looked the role and was Eked. Florence Morton was excellent as the gabby neighbor and village gossip, Mrs. Perkins. She had nothing but ionic speeches, and they were put over with a snap. Her performance was lively. Lallva Brownell was very good as Jane Sawjrer, tbe Uluble aunt. . She looked very natural, and was enjoyed. Afaner Simpson waa very well characterized by Geo. Lynhard, and tha Ilnea were well read. It Is a good role, and was not over played. Abijah Flagg la a good Jnvoalle role and was well takm care of 4>y Jack Bo^e. Mrs. Simpson was fairly portrayed by Lydla Wlllmore. She could have been a great deal mora nataral In the charactr. Ehmna Jane Perkins, Bebecca's cham, was sweetly portrayed by Vivian Befvera. She pre- sented a nice eppearance. Lillian Bosewood was very good as Minnie Smellle. Her performance waa very clean cut. Clara Belle Simpson was well taken care of, Edna May was liked as Aiace Robinson. This week. 'The Littlest Bebel." Uvlei. MABGUERITE STARR, Leads.