San Francisco dramatic review (1899)

2 THE SAN FRANCISCO DRAMATIC REVIEW October 3, 1908. Discovery of New Leading Man Emrey Pottle, an American writer whose novel. Handicapped, appeared last spring, lias just been selected by Bootb Tarkington and Harry Wilson for the leading role in their latest play, Foreign Exchange, which George Tyler is to produce in December. Mr. Pottle has long been well known as a writer of brief fiction, and some of his work appears in three August magazines, but this will be his first appearance on the professional stage. He made several appearances in amateur theatricals in smart New York houses and lately has often expressed the desire to adopt the stage as a profession and leave off writing for a time. When Booth Tarkington heard this he exclaimed. "You're just the man 1 want. It is a fact." Mr. Tarkington said. "I have made an arrangement with Mr. Pottle to appear in this new play which Wilson and 1 have written. Mr. Tyler when he sees Mr. Pottle will not make any objection. I am sure. In appearance Mr. Pottle is perfectly suited to the role, young, over six feet tall and blonde — a perfect Eastern American type. I am also very certain that he can act. The new play, which is in four acts, deals with the question of international marriage, and the authors' attempt to prove that the American girl cannot be happy with the foreign husband she has paid for. The scenes are all laid in a chateau near Paris. An American girl married to a foreign nobleman has two men in love with her. One is an American artist, the other is a Frenchman. The latter makes open love to her. but the American respects the girl's husband and although the two are very much in love with each other, they never speak of it. He goes away in the end and the impression is conveyed that the girl will get a divorce and return to America to marry him. It is for the part of the young artist that Mr. Tarkington has selected Mr. Pottle. Sidelights Henry W. Savage and Harrison (irey Fiske have recently carried their "Devil'' rivalry down to Philadelphia, and Savage won out. It became known to the latter that Fiske had a company in Philadelphia secretly rehearsing The Devil and due to open at the beginning of the past week. To throw Fiske off his guard. Savage announced that his road company, at the conclusion of its run in Rochester, would open in Pittsburg, and the latter town was thoroughly billed. Fven the company thought it was going there. After the last performance in Rochester, Savage had a special train waiting, whisked the entire show to Philadelphia, and billing the town like a circus, opened there that night to a crowded house. Fiske disbanded his company without giving a performance. To make good in Pittsburg. Savage rushed a Pennsylvania road company to that city and opened as advertised. Rose Stahl and her entire New York Company will come here in the comedy. The Chorus Lady, which is accounted one of the most substantial successes of the past few seasons. It will be the first appearance here of this star. She is a clever comedienne, who is immensely popular in the East. The Black Patti Troubadours opened their 13th season at Boonton, N. J., to a capacity house. Sisseretta Jones, the original Black Patti, was the stellar attraction and was in excellent voice throughout. The comedians and dancers were clever, and the singing was most enjoyable. Personals Kkrnan Crii'ps has been signed by Ed Redmond to head his stock company when it opens at the Novelty Theatre in Fresno under the management of A. C. Hotchkiss. J, Anthony Smith closed with the Central last Suday night, and left for the East immediately to open in vaudeville with Fnid Cray and company. Ai. II. Woods, the melodramatic manager, is in Los Angeles from New York, to look over The Test, the new play by Jules Fckert Goodman, that the Blackwood company is presenting for the first times on any stage in Los Angeles this week. Mr. Woods will star Blanche W alsh in this play after the election. "Governor" John Robinson, aged 75 years, the millionaire circus proprietor, was married Sept. 22 at Clarksville, Tenn., where his show is exhibiting, to Miss Maud Logan, aged 30. a handsome trained nurse who has been traveling with and nursing Robinson during a protracted illness. The ceremony took place in Robinson's private car of the circus train. Monday Robinson was refused a license to marry at Hopkinsville. Ky.. on the statement of relatives that he was very ill. Members of the Robinson family left Cincinnati on Monday morning on a fast special train for Clarksville to attempt to prevent the marriage. That Anna Held has a daughter, 13 years old. has become known. No mention of the daughter has ever been made in the press-agent descriptions of Miss Held which have been published throughout this country in the last decade. Anna field's husband. Florenz Ziegfeld, Jr.. is manager of her company. Both have kept the fact of the existence of the daughter from their theatrical friends. The little girl was first brought to New York a few weeks ago from Paris, although .Anna Held has been living in the I nited States most of the time since 1899. The child during Miss 1 [eld's present absence from this city is cared for by a French maid in the actress' suit at the Ansonia Hotel. The maid arrived from Paris with the girl and remains with her constantly. There is talk now in New York of a possible reconciliation between Mary Manncring and her husband. James K. Hackett. whom she recently sued for divorce. Their little child, Elise, may be the means of bringing these two stage celebrities together again. Miss Mannering is playing at the Lyric Theatre on Forty-second Street in Glorious Betsy. Across the street, in a theatre bearing his name, Hackett this week began a revival of The Prisoner of Zenda. On the opening night Miss Mannering, who has the custody of Elise, sent the child over to Hackett's theatre, accompanied by her nurse, and gave Elise a pleasant message of good wishes to bear to Hackett. The little girl repeated her mother's words to her actor father when she was taken behind the scenes, and expressed also her own love for him. She remained with him until nearly the close of the performance at the two theatres, when the nurse took her back to Miss Mannering. to whom she brought an equally kind message from Hackett. 'Tin-: filing of a suit for $100,000 damages on an allegation of a breach of promise to marry Louise Lonsdale, a New York actress, against Blaine Klkins. youngest son of Senator Stephen B. Elkins of West Virginia, has caused a sensation. The young man is a brother of Katherine Elkins. who is reported engaged to marry the Duke of Abruzzi. A summons was served on young Flkins at his country home at Elkins to appear before the Federal Court to answer the charge. In a talk over the long-distance telephone. Senator Elkins said: "My son never promised to marry this young woman and there is nothing in it. He denies the whole charge absolutely." In her deposition, which was made three weeks ago, 'Miss Lonsdale sets forth her grounds for suing Flkins, who. she says, promised on many occasions to marry her. and even publicly placed a wedding ring on her finger in the presence of a third person, at the same time declaring she was his wife. Miss Lonsdale first came to public notice when she married Leonidas Scoofy, from whom she was soon divorced. Miss Lonsdale, during her acquaintance with Klkins. staved at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City, and her bill there remained partly unpaid at the time of his marriage. To Foster Operatic Taste in America Carlsbad, Austria, Sept. 21. — ( iatti-Casazza, Dippel and Kahn met in* conference last week to discuss measures for increasing the influence and scope of the Metropolitan Opera of New York City in fostering operatic art and culture. A plan was adopted for making the Metropolitan the center of a national movement for extending opera throughout the I 'nited States. 'The plan is modeled after the university extension idea. One general object is to create a universal interest in operatic chorus singing. Hitherto in the I 'nited States choral effort has confined itself exclusively to oratorio. Local musical societies are to be induced to study operas suggested by an advisory council composed of competent authorities. Preparations for the performance of an opera may be carried as far as local talent and enthusiasm will permit, As far as possible the Metropolitan Opera will, whenever requested, lend its co-operation by sending efficient soloists and furnishing whatever else may be requisite to enable a satisfactory performance. Communities that are favorably situated may want a whole cast, including scenery, the visiting cast comprising a small stock chorus of experts to act as leaders of the local choruses with which it is combined. A National League of Metropolitan Opera Clubs will carry the plan into operation. Lectures, illustrated by photographic records and stereopticon slides picturing scenes from the operas, will be supplied to promote the organization of the local clubs. A graded list of operas recommended for study will be issued. Advice will be furnished as to where and how reliable vocal scores of these operas may be obtained. Plans for suitable production of opera will be suggested, whether with or without scenic representations, performances varying according to the financial ability and willingness of localities, from operatic concert or opera in concert form to the staging of the whole acts and the giving of an entire opera. A museum and library is to be developed, possibly in connection with the New 'Theatre, for the collection of books, manuscripts, photographs, costume and whatever elsemay be helpful to the fullest obtainable information. With it will be connected a bureau of information for the use of members of the National League of Metropolitan < )pera Clubs. Some of the beneficial purposes which the managers of the Metropolitan Opera exited to accomplish through the work-_ ing of the educational enterprise are. these: Creater number of people may become acquainted with the delights <M opera, to the enrichment of their lives. A stimulus will be afforded to the idea of public and private endowment of opera in many localities. A widespread interest in opera will bring out original effort along operatic lines, sdi that the numbers of American writers of libretto and composers of music will grow and American artists may increasingly compete with the artists of other countries in winning honors in the field of operatic creation and interpretation. Incidentally, the Metropolitan ( ipera hopes to solve that troublesome problem of recruiting an intelligent chorus without having to depend upon going abroad in search of desirable material. The headquarters of the League will be the Metropolitan ( )pera in New York. Active membership is limited to local clubs, life directors and the permanent officers of tin league, associate and sustaining memberships are open to individuals and organizations. Wanted J Want a Manager— Will Sell Half Interest in Lyric Theatre of Vancouver, B. C. Lease has five years to run; leather upholstered chairs; will also sell outright. Geo. B. Howard Lyric Theatre, Yancouver, II. C. Wanted at Once-MflM for JllVCllileS and General Business Must do pleasing: specialties, change frequently, lie experienced in stock and repertoire, have good modern wardrobe. Name lowest, send photos and tell all first letter. _^ SIM ALLEN, MGR. ROSABELLE LESLIE CO. Care Orpheum Theatre. Bisbee, Arizona.