The Billboard 1906-04-28: Vol 18 Iss 17 (1906-04-28)

APRIL 28, 1906. The Billboard EXEMPLARY Innovation Instituted by Daily Paper Special Edition Issued on Occasion of Opening of New_Playhouse Proves Success. HBP Moline (Tl.) Evening Mall made a big bit with a special Theatre Edition on Dec. 19, in celebration of the opening of a fine new opera house in that city, says the National Printer Journalist. Eight pages of the issue were devoted largely to the theatre. Letters and telegrams of congratulations from prominent professionals, including Sara Bernhardt, Fay Templeton, Leslie Carter, Richard Mansfield, John Drew, Wm. Faversham, George Ade and scores of others, made a most interesting feature. ‘he following quotations show what excellent matter was obtained. Francis Wilson wrote: “Life is full of care and sorrow, and the man or woman who banishes or even modifies them is a public benefactor. A theatre in a community is but a just recognition of the vital necessity of its inhabitants. After the schoolhouse and the court of justice there should come the theatre. It brings the community into closer social relationship, it fos ters good taste in manners and dress, it informs us of the feelings and opinions of our citizens and neighbors on questions of patriotism, duty and a thousand other such matters not dealt with in other places or in other books. A wave of applause at the sacrifice of a mimic character upon the stage reveals to us in a flash what long years of association with a friend or acquaintance might never have shown.”’ W. H. Crane wrote: “There are many perverse natures which you can net reach by preaching. Moral suasion as it is known in the household and from the pulpit often falls on unheeding ears. The same lessons skillfully handled in a_ well acted play, however, will strike home and carry their moral deep to the heart of the onlooker on the mimic scenes. “A celebrated minister once told me that he honestly believed that a really fine play with a strong moral could accomplish more good than he could ever hope of doing. And this man was a gifted orator. ‘The theatre should be a public educator. In holding the mirror up to nature it should teach many salutary things. The unfortunate thing is that there are many salacious minds and that there are managers who are willing to eater to these minds. These men are the worst enemies of the theatre and do it great harm. The betterment of the theatre should be the alm of all of us, the actor fg presenting nothing but good, clean and healthy plays and the public in supporting that which tfs clean, instructive and artistic. Whenever possible encourage the efforts of the American playwright Spur him on to persevere wherever possible. Let us have a drama that will be distinctly native, but at the same time will contain those things which will make it, like words of Shakespeare, for all people. The Stage represents the taste of the people, or ought to.’ Here is a field for conscientious work and usefolness for the newspapers Let the press point out and praise all that is worthy and ennobling, and excoriate all that is degrad ing or immoral in plays presented, and much will be accomplished toward needed reform. Newspapers are much to be blamed for good matured, undiscriminating praise. They could very easily, with wise discretion and earnest ness, create a public sentiment that woukl re fuse to countenance or to patronize the bad. the trifling and demoralizing plays, which v tiate the taste, give false views of life, and pander to the depraved Following these let ters are the names of noted lecturers, actors and musicians who have appeared in Moline and an illustrated article as to entertainments next to appear. The whole fs an {fllustration of a suecessful method of featuring an im portant lecal event and using the same for a special issue Many letters, of congratulation and commendation of the spectal Issue, were printed in the issue of Dec. 21. We commend the enterprise shown, and only have one crit! cism to offer, and that is as to the quality eidmes ¥ se iadedsmau stq codn yoo, prnogs soqsTiqnd yY “yiom-sseazd puw saded ‘yuy aqi jo of art. and should be as careful of its makeup and mechanical appearance as would be a theatre manager of the make-up, dress and costumes of his actors and the staging of his play Certainly, particular care in these re ecards should be taken with a special issue that is to go ont Into the whole country as a spect men of what is demanded by the refined, cul tivated tastes of the Inhabitants of his city. \ bright. clean, well printed, newspaper ts « thing of beauty and a joy to every reader. LESLIE PRESTON (See Front Page.) (n the front page of this issue appears a plendid Hkeness of Miss LesMe Preston, who ‘Ss just concluded her second seasen under ’ Management of David Belasco When the World's Fair engagement of The Darling of ‘he Gods began in St. Louls, Miss Preston opened with the company as Rosy Sky She rtmained in the support of Blanche Bates dur ‘ne that season, and was re-engaged last Au cust to continue {In the role of Rosy Sky in “"pport of Perey Haswell durjng the season just closing. Miss Preston was prominent Svclety In her native city Torongo, Canada ore she adopted the stage as a° professton first attracted attention as an amateur tress in Toronto, and began her stage es ‘va company which Ralph Cummings presented n that elty Subsequently she was seen with several road attractions and gained valuable dramatic experience in stock companies, ap pearing at various times in New York, Wash ington, Cincinnat! and Chicago with stock or Kanizations She bas a natural dramatic tal ent in a marked degree and has the farther advantage of being an exceedingly handsome young hady Her two seasons under the man agement of David Belasco is) giver er the prestige while her nan friends prediet will lead to further sChievements i ‘ chosen calling AMONG THE AMATEURS The sernard Shaw's the ad vanced 4 School of Acting Miss Lil lian 1 and de talled reusing even the and long columned players It was stnoothest the clever ever eiven ty a DITeh not a pau on and speech, “* depth of the li remark able It would be good policy for managers to | Wate the graduation of George Phelps, a mere lad of eighteen, who took the exacting character of Marchbanks, the love-mad poet. His interpretation of the poet bespoke a generously gifted dramatic instinct which brought the audience to their feet more than once. Cecil THE ORIGIN OF THE PLAY DEVELOPMENT OF DRAMA Brief Review of Melod Facts Culled From the History of All Ages Indicate the Gradations Through Which the Theatre As An Institution Rose to Its Present Position of lafluence and Prestige. RAMA signifies action. and as employed WM. B. WATSON (Wn.B. WATSON ~ COMEDIAN & MANAGER | Owen, principal character actor of The Wood ward Stock Co said of Mr. Phelps: “He has one of the finest voices I have ever heard.” A lecal critic proclaimed that Mr. Phelps’ interpretation was far ahead of Mr. Lester Lonergan’s (professional) being very near the deal Miss Augusta Schmidt was superb as TProssey the stenographer, giving an intelli; gent conception of the part and eliciting de served applause It was a professional per formance by amateurs “SECOND AGENT” DIDN’T LAST LONG A man giving a fictitious name and repre senting himself to be an agent of Fred); Wright's Reauty Deetor Co., succeeded In get ting inte the confidence of the landlord of the Seventh Avenue Hotel, Manager Hananuer of the Lyceum Theatre and several firms of Reaver Falls, Pa Upon learning of the affair Manager Vance of The Beauty Dector wired towns in advance to look out for the Iiniru det WORTMAN GETS THE CASINO This summer the patrons of the theatre at Albuquerque, N. Mex will be given a treat by W M. Wortman, the well-known manager, who has secured the Casino, and will give his personal ntien to its management this sum mer The season opens May 15 with a steck company which will remain but a short time Following this engagement for the balance of the suommer there will be high-class vande ville on the boards Proprietor and Manager of Watscn’s Pcpular Bu: lesquers. s the indispensable adjunct the aid of all other in dramatic composi as the fifth century unpremeditated manner; the first from the lead those who led off the phallic songs This table is the predeces rama and Minstrelsy By TOM NORTH. which first was applied to the opera by its inventor, Ottavio Rinuccini, has come to desig ; hate a romantic play depending mainly on sen| sational incidents, thrilling situations and an effective denouement. Great sums are spent in the staging of such pieces. The melodrama, according to one of our present-day great tragedians, ‘‘holds a place all its own in the history of the stage. It will continue to hold its own as long as the hearts of the people respond to the unfolding of the love story and the tale of adventures presented in their most stirring forms. The Shakespearean play does not pretend to compete in popularity, and I may add, box-office receipts with a melodrama of the right sort, a musical comedy with enough pretty girls and passable jingles, nor even with an up-to-date drama, where the star tears passion to tatters in the centre of the stage with a mediocre and properly awe-struck company as a setting.’’ The Minstrels, according to Bishop Percy, ‘were an order of men in the middle ages who united the arts of poetry and music, and sang verses to the harp of their own composing, who appear to have accompanied their songs with mimicry and action, and to have practiced such various means of diverting as were much admired in those times, and supplied the wants of more refined entertainments.’ There were first the lowest class, the Bufos, who strolled among the common people singing ribald songs, playing on instruments, showing feats of skill and strength, exhibiting trained dogs and goats and so forth; then the joglars or Joculatores who played, sang, recited, conjured, men of versatile power of entertainment who performed at the houses of nobility, and were liberally remunerated; then the Trobodors of Inventores, whose distinction it was to compose verses, whether or not they had sufficient executive faculty to sing or recite them. If we compare these distinctions with Percy's definition of the minstrel, we see that his minstrel would have corresponded with the Joclar, who also wrote his own songs and recitations. The Provincial jogler, traveling from coast to coast, combined our modern functions of poet, society journalist, entertainer and musician. But about the time the werd ‘*Minstrel’’ came to be applied to him the English jogler was rapidly sinking, or had already sunk, to the social position of the modern strolling mountebank, traveling showmen or music hail singer. The word minstrel is derived froni the low Latin Minstralis, and was originally applied to those retainers whose business it was to play upon musical instruments for the entertainments of their Lords. TOM NORTH. WHERE ARE YOU FROM? “Where do all the actors come from,”’ is an often heard query from those who sit in front of the footlights and enjoy theatrical refreshments as a means of diversion. “From Broadway,’" may be suggested by one, who considers himself somewhat next to the theatrical game, but he often is quite wrong. ‘That street they call Broadway should not always be given credit as being the home of all those who tread the beards no more than should Washington be considered the birthplace of all our statesmen. Of course, every actor is “from’’ New York, but down deep in his heart he helds in sacred memory some other city that afforded his childheod joys and witnessed his early trials. Many cities have claimed distinction because of a well-founded belief that they have furnished the profession with more artists than any other city Several have made their claims amd submitted their proof, and now comes Youngstown, Ohio, with Henrietta Crosman as he headliner, claiming to have outdistauced all other cities of its size, in this line. The sentiment that an acto ris net without praise save in his own city, does not apply to Youngstown In that city all local actors are invariably given a reception which amounts to a regular ‘‘welecome home,’ and which sends them again on the road with the spirit that makes of them the greatest of boosters for the little metropolis. Every year the Youngstown Telegram tells its readers of the plans of the local favorites and gives them notices that smacks of the press agent’s art, but which are eagerly devoured by the Youngstown laity. Youngstewn’s contributions include performers in nearly every line of amusements. The list which affords that Buckeye city much pride is as follows Henrietta Crosman, comedienne; Harrison J. Wolfe, actor; Thos. T. Rook, actor; John Price, Irish comedian; Howard Hayes, comedian; ‘“‘Si’’ Broughton, vocalist; Herman Hirshberg, comic opera comedian; Frank Kackey, of Murray and Mackey; Eddie Mazier, minstrel; Wade Christy, minstrel; Conley and Greely, vaudeville performers: the Four Dancing Harrises, vaudeville performers; Edwards and Glenwood, comedy acrobats; Bert Durand, known in _ private life as Wm. Borts, who began in variety and is now in stock; Mr. and Mrs. Frank lierney, of the Sultan of Sulu Co David Arrel. of the Sherlock Holmes Co.;: Harry Richards, of Hoity Toity; Clyde Rigby, who holds a financial position with the Shuberts: ine Gassman, vaudeville performer; Sullivan, vaudeville performer; > Brothers, c knewn in str man, who does a high diving Davis, Arthur : 1 gictans and Nellie, is the