Variety (February 1914)

VARIETY Mi <X1NCY" STOCK CLOSES. Cincinnati, Feb. 11. Cincinnati now baa no legitimate stock company. The Orpheum goes back to pictures Sunday, with Andy Hettesheimer, former treasurer of the Walnut, managing. Thuman will probably resume his old job as dramatic critic of the Enquirer. The crowds will not go to the Orpheum, which is on Walnut Hills. Vaudeville and stock previously failed there. LOWELL SHERMAK LEAVES. Baltimore, Feb. 18. Lowell Sherman has severed all re- lations with the Poli stock, and has returned to New York. Thurlow Bergen is playing the prin- cipal role in "The Thief" this week while Harrison Ford becomes the reg- ular leading man next week. DUQUESNE COMING DOWN. Pittsburgh, Feb. 11. Confirmation has been made of the report exclusively printed in VARiBxy n.any weeks ago, that the Duquesne theatre (Harry Davis' stock house) is to be torn down this summer and the ground used by a department store, and the new theatre to be built in Smithiield street will house the Davis Players. The Schenley theatre, owned by Davis and J. P. Harris, may not be used for theatrical purposes continu- ally as planned. The Davis-Harris en- terprises are said to be considering using the building for recitals, con- certs, and the like, after the manner of Aeolian Hall. AT MAJESTIC, ERIE. Erie, Pa., Feb. 11. Zach Harris is the new manager of the Majestic and stock company. He arrived here Saturday from New York. Raymond Capp, stage director, has resigned, and is succeeded by Willard Dashiell, of New York. RETURNING TO TROY. Troy, N. Y., Feb. 11. The Lytell-Vaughan stock company returned for its annual engagement here, opening at Rand's Opera House Saturday night. SOCOLA ENGAGED. Milwaukee, Feb. 11. Giunio Socola was engaged last week to take up the stage directorate of the Siiubert Theatre stock here within a fortnight, as H. Percy Meldon is leav- ing for his annual migration to Ber- muda. PLAYING TWO WEEKLY. Shrevcport, La., Feb. 11. The Louis Dean company, which moved into town last week, announces it will play two bills a week. The opening plays were "The Vil- lage Parson" and "Lena Rivers." BUSINESS PICKED UP. Memphis, Feb. 11. Katherine Francis arrived from New York this week to play ingenue roles with the Emma Bunting company. Miss Bunting, after a week's absence from the organization, rejoined last week and business immediately took a rise. STOCK STOCK IN PITTSBURGH. Pittsburgh, Feb. 11. Stock theatre changes continue, and more will be announced soon. Edmund Breese, who, Harry Davis declared, would be permanent leading man of the Duquesne theatre, will stay only two weeks. This week "The Master Mind" and next week "The Lion and the Mouse" will be featured by him; then he goes into the picture busi- ness. Frederick Esmelton Bryant, who, under the first two names, was stage director of the Pitt theatre, is suing William Moore Patch for his entire season's salary. Director Patch re- cently let Bryant go. Frank Wright returned last week to the Duquesne stock company. He spent several weeks in a company in Halifax, N. S. Mr. Patch has entered into an agree- ment with David Belasco for produc- ing the latter's plays here, beginning March 9. Molineaux's "The Man In- side" will be given, followed by "The Temperamental Journey," "The Easi- est Way" and "Is Matrimony a Failure." Hal Denton, publicity man for the Duquesne, is the proud father of a girl. Thurston Hall was given a reception by the Pittsburgh Press Club Satur- day night, when he completed his six weeks' engagement as leading mrvn of the Duquesne. Crowds filled the the- atre all week, and it is rumored that when Hall has recovered his health he will be asked to come back. So far, Breese's successor has not been named. The injunction which Al Rich ob- tained against Wcrba & Luescher in the New York Supreme Court, restrain- ing the firm from playing "The Master Mind" with stock companies, was ig- nored by Harry Davis, manager of the Duquesne. Mr. Davis takes the posi- tion that the New York court has no standing in Pennsylvania. Edmund Breese, in a letter to Paul Scott this week, agreed to play a spe- cial stock engagement in Vancouver, B. C, at the $750 weekly stipend of- fered, and will report there as soon as he has finished the camera posing in "The Master Mind," on the Pacific Coast. "NIGHT OUT" RELEASED. Lynn, Mass., I'>b. 11. May Robson's "A Night Out," will be given its premiere presentation by a stock company at the Auditorium Feb. 16. NEW SHOW DRAWS. "A Yankee Doodle Detective," dra- matic, by Kyrle MacCurdy, was pro- duced for the first time by the Mac- Curdy Players last week at the Goth- am, lirooklyn, and registered the big- gest week of the season. If /ou don't adverllae Id VABIBTY, TRYING NEW SCALE. Providence, Feb. 11. Spitz & Nathanson have inaugurated a new scale of prices at the Empire, where the stock company has been playing to fair business since early in the fall. Hereafter there will be no 75-cent seats, and only a few of the best seats will be listed at 50 cents, the majority selling for 10-20-30. The new scale was in operation last week, and business took a jump. Homer Barton and Marion Ruckert are still playing the leads with the company. STOCK IN FOW TOWNS. Feiber & Shea will play stock in four of their towns commencing April 13. The cities are Youngstown, Akron, Canton (all in Ohio), and Erie, Pa., where stock is now being presented by the firm at the Majestic. Youngstown and Akron will close the vaudeville season in each place to take on the stock policy. FORCED OUT OF TAUNTON. Taunton, Mass., Feb. 11. The Malley-Denison stock company winds up its stock stay Saturday. Wil- liam Malley's lease runs out, and he is forced to take his company elsewhere, notwithstanding business has been very satisfactory. The Taunton company will be trans- ferred to Newport, R. I., where it is expected to remain through the sum- mer. * STARTED WITH ''THE ESCAPL" Manchester, N. H., Feb. 11. "The Escape" was the opening bill in which the Rose King stock, under W. H. O'Neill's management, oflfered at the Park last week. This week, •The Great Divide." With Miss King are Edwin Dudley, stage manager; Joseph Creahan, La- vinia Shannon, Blanche Brin, Herbert Heyes, George L. Kennedy, Daniel Grant, Everett Munroe, Marcia A. Wil- liams, S. H. Norris, Grant Irving. ''MAN INSIDE," FIRST TIME. "The Man Inside," which recently went on a short road tour after open- ing at the Criterion, New York, and closed Saturday night at the Grand opera house, had its first stock pres- entation last week at the Crescent, Brooklyn. Jerome Kennedy, of the original company, was specially engaged for his role of the District Attorney for the Crescent production. GIRLS WANT FAVORITE. Reading, Pa., Feb. 11. Some 500 or more of local high school girls have signed a petition ask- ing that Virginia Mann be returned to the Orpheum Players. Miss Mannis booked to return but not to the Orpheum stock. With sev- eral others she will play a two weeks' engagement at the Hip. opening Feb. 16 in "A Stormy Hour" and playing "An All Night Session" the following week. EDWARD LYNCH CO. Woonsocket, R. I., Feb. U. The Edward Lynch stock company came to town for an anticipated perma- nent stay at the Park theatre, opening Monday. Lynch formerly headed the Lynch- King Players and at one time was with the Poli company, Worcester, Mass. CLOSED IN CONCORD. Concord, N. H.. Feb. 11. RoUo Lloyd, who has been heading and managing his own stock company here successfully for several seasons, closed his engagement last week. CLOSED AT LOWELL Lowell, Mass., Feb. 11. The stock company playing at th« Merrimac theatre under the direction of J. F. Carroll closed last Saturday night. TOLEDO'S TAB STOCK. Toledo. Feb. 11. The Orpheum, managed by Charles Nassir, recently involved in a mitnn- derstanding with the local stage handa' union, through employing a oon-tmion stage manager, and which since the settlement of the affair hat been ntn- ning as a picture house, opened Sun- day with tabloid stock. NOT GOING TO ALBANY. Troy, N. Y., Feb. 11. The Bert Lytell-Ethel Vaughan stock, which opened Feb. 2 at Rand's Opera House, has announced that it will not play Harmanus Bleeckcr Hall, Albany, this summer as has been its wonted custom in past seasons. CLOSED IN ST. PAUL. St. Paul, Feb. 11. Florence Roberts closed her local stock engagement at the Shubert by giving a splendid performance in her old role in "The Strength of the Weak" last week. CLOSED AND CLOSING. Newark, Feb. 11. The dramatic stock company which has been playing at the Odeon here under William Barwald's direction has closed. Reading, Pa., Feb. 11. Virginia Mann is closing as leading woman here Saturday night and her place will be filled next week by (Miss) Sidney Shields. This week "The Ros- ary" is offered, and the leading man, Robert Hyman, is having a little vaca- tion. MANAGER PLAYS LEAD. Chicago, Feb. 11. H. L. Minturn, who manages the stock company at the Evanston the- atre, Evanston, 111., played the lead in the houses's production of "Sher- lock Holmes." WON OUT IN LOWELL. Lowell, Mass., Feb. 11. The James Carroll company, after playmg its regular stock season here at the Merrimack theatre, closed last week. The company had been quite successful.