16
THE - SUNDAY OBEGQNIANt PORXLAKjU. OOKraEl 7 iqu.
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111111 11
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The Man. of fitwtvr.
My! "what a nolsfc, Just see the boys,
And hear their Jatichter rlntr.
They've all Joined hands -where shaking stands
The -wobbliest kind of thing.
From a Tagged suit, and a shoe and a boot, '
The queerest ever sou saw
"With his old hh hat, and his paunch so ta.1,
They've made a man of strawv
"With many a thump they make him Jump,
They make him strut and stride.
And how they shout, as he's danced about
And banged from side to side.
Thoy cuff his cars, but he only leers
And nods his silly head.
And. bows profound as he's pulled around
And propped with his feet outspread
Now It seems to me. there are men wo see
"Whose backbone knows no law.
They seem to so as the winds may blow
Just like that man of straw.
They flop right down, should they meet a
frown!
TheyUl walk to a. line you draw!
They'll wriggle and smirk, and pull up with a
like that man. of straw.
On polities' tide, they're bound to ride
In tho ship of The Powers That Be,
So they waggle the tongue tp the song that's
sung
By the bird In tho topmost tree. '
And every time, they're bound to chime
Right In with the music playing.
Be it classic songs, or Chinese gongs.
Or be It an ass's braying. . - -
In Thespia's realm they know no helm.
They bid for tho loud guffaw
"With a weak-kneed Joke Oh! there's actor folk
Just like that man of straw.
Charles T. Vincent, In Dramatic Mirror.
THREE FINE ATTRACTIONS
Q,uo Vadls," the Boston Lyrics and
"King ot the Opium Ringr" Lure
People to the Theaters.
"Qua Vadis" is one "of the many plays
adapted from successful novels "lyiitcli
have been produced during the past few
years. "WTrile most of these plays -would
not have their being, -were it not for a
factitious fame created by the romances
that they pretend to transfer to tho
stage, "Quo Vadls," as dramatized by
Stange and produced by the "Wbitney
Kn&wlos Company, deserves the success
it has won irrespective of. the great
book -which it represents.
The play supplements, the book. To
he characters of Slenkiewlcz great ro
mance, it imparts life and action, causes
them to breathe and speak and to do, in
reality, the things they were only sup
posed to do in the book. What the model
is to the painting, actual traveling to.
the book of travels, illustrations to. the
mere printed pages, the play is to the
book. The book is a wonderful historical
study, the play a splendid, graphic illus
tration of its contents.
Closely- folloiwng the main outlln.es of
Sienkiewicz' story, "Quo Vadls," as pro
duced at the Marquam last week; empha
sizes the religious side and excellently
portrays the struggles and persecution ot
the early Christians. By effective, con
trasts, the -different elements of MLfe at
Rome in Nero's time are clearly pictured.
Against the simplicity, faith and devo
tion of the Christians, with their hymns
and prayers, -are set over the vice, de
bauchery and corruption of the patricians,
with their bacchanalian, songs, and dances
Humorous bits of comedy and peaceful j
scenes oc trusting love ugnten me op
pressing effect of suffering- and persecu
tion. This particular production of "Quo Vadls"-
is much superior to the other pre
sentations which have, been seen in Fort
land, in point of elaborate scenery, beau
tiful costumes and good actings The
scene in .Linus house, with Rome burn
ing In the distance, and the scene of
the exterior of the circus, showing tne
arena, are as beautiful and impressive as
any ever seen here.
Instructive as an, accurate, historical
representation of Roman life and cus
toms, entertaining as a fascinating story,
the play is also impressive and inspiring,,
in Its description of the trusting laitn
and confidence of the Christian martyrs,
in which respect it is better than a ser
taon.. The Company.
The company is a good one and well
balanced. So true is this, that it Is with,
equal pleasure one watchps the generous
' . Petronious. the Impetuous Vinlclous, the
conceited Nero, the cringing Chilo, the
suffering Xygia, the loving Eunice, or the
scheming Poppaea.
Well fitted physically for the role, Ma
son Mitchell makes an admirable Petro
nious the philosopher, arbiter and coun
sellor. Always master of the situation,
even at his death sentence, he ably acts
the pari, whether advising his nephew,
Vinlclous; mollifying the despot emperor,
or caressing the slave Eunice.
Marcus Ford, as Vinlclous, is the Im
pulsive soldier and lover of Lygla, and
does exceptionally well, in his denuncia
tion of Nero, in the last act. Willard
Newell makes the most of Chilo, the
cringing, begging poet and betrayer ot
his friend, Glaucus, and the Christians
and who1 afterwards repents and accepts
the Christian faith.'
Joseph Callahan plays well the ptfrt of
the vain Emperor, particularly Tils bursts
of passion, and Miss Mary Emerson's
Lygia is a work of nr. She carries the
emotional scenes well, retaining, at the
same time, the shrinking 'modesty of the
Chrlstianl maiden.
Miss Bonnewltz, the Empress Poppaea
is best an Tier hatred of th Christians,
while Miss Esmond, in her every motion,
shows the love and devotion of the slave,,
Eunice, for her master, Petronious. ,
On" the whole, "the play Is nearly as
good as the book. One leaves the the
ater with the determination to re-rea'd"
the book, with better understanding, and
the desire to see it played all over again,
after the second reading. The small
house -which "greeted the opening perform
ance would reflect on. the Judgment or
Portland's theater-going public, had it
not been doubtless in some measure due
to the fact that this Is the third com
pany to produce the 'play. In this cilty
within a. year.
Return, of the Lyrics.
That Portland people are hungry for
comic opera has "been very clearly dem
onstrated by the size of the audiences
that have crowded Cordray's the past
week, to welcome the Boston Lyrics.
These genial entertainers have lost none
elty of an occasional new face among old.
friends.
Bertha Davis, the new soprano, so far
as one can judge from' the light work she
has had the first week, ' seems to be
a sprightly young woman, with a pretty
profile and a voice of excellent timbre
hat promises much. There Is a certain
plucky air of savior falre mingling -with'
her unhackneyed freshness of humor that,
piques one's curiosity to know her- betr
ter. Her vivacity haa nothing stagey
about Itr the bloom Is still on the peach
With all her pretty coquetries, she. car
ribs herself aplomb and self respect.
Sara Carr's solo work indicates that,
she possesses a sweet, rich, languorous
contralto, of much sensuous beauty ot
tone. In stature she la even taller than
Maud Leekley, wjio was. with the com
pany last season. There seems to be a.
predilection In .the Boston Lyrics, for
singers of Imposing "height; one of the
bassos must be at least sis feet six.
Charles Huntington, the other new mem
ber, appears to be a- valuable acqullton
vocally. The burden of the soprano
work still falls upon Josephine Stanton,
whose large range and flexibility of
voice are so admirably fitted to bear it.
"The Idol's Eye."
"The Idol's Eye," with Its strong and
well-defined comedy elements. Is well
adapted to show the Boston Lyrics to
advantage. John Henderson and George
Kunkel, through three acts,v played hide
and, seek with one another around the
altar of the ruby-eyed, cross-legged Jug
gernaut and through fateful trap doors,
with all the rollicking fun that, In sea
sons past, have- kept their audiences- in.
an uproar of laughter.
,Th ensembles In the second act were as
effectively pretty -as anything Colonel
Thompson has eVen "presented In Port
land. The slow-swaying bodies of the
priestesses, their white, uplifted arms
gleaming against the bla-ck and gold of,
their slashed draperies; the sweeping
salaams of the chanting Hindoo beauties,
in .loose-flowfng embroidered robes ot
white, and Saffron yellow; the grim back
ground of the-jewel-encrusted temple; the
din of, clashing cymbals almost drowning
the piercing melody of the wpmen's
voices all these made as carefully elab
oratea -and as charging a mise-en-scene
as probably has even been given on Cor
dray's boards.
"Klngr of the Opium 'Kins." 4
If the, true criterion by which to Judge
EDDIE FOY, IN. "A NXGHT IN TOWN."
of that dashing good humor, brightness
and. snap that characterized their work
last season and made them such area,
favorites- with our theater-goers. Their
chorus work is as successful as of old,
and Colonel Thompson has added some"
clever new singers. As regards person
ality and power, each one of these Is still
more or less of an unguessed riddle. But
however disconcerting a change of prin
cipals may be from the managerial point
of view, the public dearjy loves the nov-
of the merits of a play be Its reception
by the, audience, then the vociferous ap
plause and the crowded houses which
greeted Charles E. Blaney's and: Qharles
A. Taylor's "King of the Opium King,"
fat the Metropolitan Theater last "week,
unmistakably pronounce It an artistic, as
well as a financial suocess. '
The play is a sensational melodrama,
differing from' others in the novelty ot
Its plot and the uniqueness of Its scene
ry. It pleases- because of the wide scope
it undertakes, combining enough ot the
vaudeville to please thorie- who- enjoy
specialty work; enough of the heroic to
win the applause bf the "gallery, and
enough, of the emotional to secure the ap
proval? of thoseN who are- attracted by
sentiment. The different elements consti
tuting a representative audience- thus b-
inef appealed to,, the play is successful
in its ambition to amuse ana please.
Dealing with the schemes of a ring or
unscrupulous opium smugglers, the scene
la laid. In. the heart of the Chinese quar
ter of San Francisco. The author has
fully utilized his opportunity to present
a realistic insight into the ' interesting
life peculiar to the haunts of the Chinese.
Opium joints, an interrupted Chinese
American wedding, and police raids; are
the spectacular features, counterbalanced
by singing, dancing, tumbling and musi
cal, absurdities. Each act closes witrt
a thrill Ins climax, in which police, vil
lains, Chinese and comedians ttecome
mixed, up most bewilderingly.
Individually, Laurette Cooney, as Spar
kle, attracts the greatest attention. Tak
ing a relatively unimportant part, so
far as the development of the plot is
concerned, the pretty soubrette dances
and sings her- way into the good graces of
fthe audience with, surpassing ease. Much
more might be said, of Miss Cooney, If she
could but sing half sq well as shecan
dance and pose.
Louis Morrell, as Wan Sing, assumes"
the role of a character becoming more
frequent and familiar,, as the civilization
of the Cninese progresses a Chinaman of
education and Intellectual power, free
from the superstitions and beliefs of his
' race, yet, because of his race, denied the
privileges to which, he aspires. The char
acter Is, tha.t of a crafty, calculating
villain,' sensitive, but persistent lnJnis
desire to possess the beautiful Georgette.
Fred Douglas, as Maceyt the king of the'
ring, and Barbara Douglass, as Georgette,
are quite satisfactory
One or two features of the play de-"
serve criticism- There is too much rough-and-tumble
horse-play, which falls In Its
effort to be funny. The frequent Indulg
ence In unnecessary profanity by he mi
nor characters, nd several vulgar allu
sions could well Te omittedt to the im
provement of the play.
LYRICS' SECOND WEEK.
"Wang" and "The Fencing: Master'1
to Constitnte the Bill,
Colonel "Billy" Thompson's merry
band of singers and comedians will be
gin the second and last week of their
present Cordray engagement tonight,
with Morse & Goodwin's comic opera,
"Your Uncle Wang," in which De Wolf
Hopper scored- one of the greatest suc
cesses of his professional career. It
will be repeated Monday. Tuesday and
Wednesday evenings, and also at the
Saturday afternoon performance of the
Lyrics, giving place to "The Fencing
Master," Thursday, Friday and Satur
day evenings.
"Wang" is a'tuneful opera, with many
catchy melodies and amusing and dra
matic "situations, and" will be presented
by Colonel Thompson's company with
much of the sumptuoslty of stage-setting,
brilliancy of costuming and strik
ing mechanical and electrical effects,
which distinguished the Original pro
duction. The title role will be assumed
by George Kunklo who, as a clever op
eratic comedian, has a secure niche in
the esteem of Portland theater-goers.
Miss Josephine Stanton, the leading so
prano of the organization, will appear
as Mataya; Mr. Henderson, also a capa
ble comedian, as Pepat; Mlss Bertha
Davis, one of the new members of the
company, as Marie, and Miss Sara Carr,
also a newcomer, and whose rich con
tralto voice -was listened to with pleas
ure In last week's production of "The
Idol's Eye,"- will assume the roe of Ma
dame Frimouse. The other parts are"
mostly in capable hands, and a treat
should reward those who witness the op
era, . .' r tf
"Tho Fencing Master," tyhlch will fol
low "Wang,' will also .have a strong
cast, and gives the principals as well as
the chorus and other., members of the
company, admirable oportunlties to dis
play their respective abilities.
"A NIGHT IN TOWN."
Eddie Foy Brings His Nevr Musical
- Comedy to the Marqnnm.
Tuesday and Wednesday evenings of
this week Eddie Foy and his company of
players will present-his new musical com
edy, entitled "A Night In Town," at the
Marquam Grand Theater.
"A Night In Town" is one of the most
amusing plays In which Foy has yet ap
peared, and Its success has been marked
in the East, where it has been produced
tp a good business. As is indicated by Its
title, it Is a rapidly moving, funny farce,
said to be devoid of horse-play or sugges
,tlvertess of an unpleasant sort. The char
acter which Foy assumes Is that of David
Scaxum, a young man. who, through the
excessive use of cigarettes, has a' very
tangled memory.
He is a great admirer of the fair sex,
and makes frequent proposals of mar
riage. After making one, he smokes a
cigarette, and then he forgets all about
U (the proposal, to the intense dlscom-.
flture and disgust of the recipient, who
gets even, by bringing suit for breach of
'promise.
. This causes David much perturbation of?
spirit and keeps him busy trying to keep
out of trouble. He falls "really in truvl"
In love, at last, and, after various excit
ing complications, becomes a responsible
married man. Those who have seen Ed
die Foy on the stage and there are very
few theater patrons Tho haven't can
imagine all about the action of the piece,
so far as he's concerned in It.
The company which will appear here in
Foy's support Is headed by Eva Tanquay,
METROPOLITAN THEATER
Clarence ri Jones Manager -Phone
Grant 741 3d and Yamhill Sts.
OH, SUCH A BUSINESS! -
The Town's Caught On.
HUNDREDS TUHMED
AWAY NIGHTLY
...BY REQUEST .
EXTRA PERFORMANCE TONIGHT
King of the
Tonight Only
Tonight Only
j Opium Ring
Positively the Laf Time, Her
A SCENIC MARVEL
Our Prices Alwavs the Ssme 15c, 25c, 35c, 50c and. 75c
CALVIN HEIliG, Mgr.
MARQUAM GRAND
CALVIN none, .
WEDNBSDHY EVENINGS .... UU I . tJ U
John R Ccrasidine Presents the World's Greatest Laughmaker
The Portland Favorite
E
DDIE
FOY
' In the Newest Farce-Comedy . . .
A NIGHT
IN TOWN
The King of Comedians
The Queen' of Comedies
The Jack of Jokers
The Ten of Soubrettes
The Ace of Laughmakers
FUN FAST.
FUN FURIOUS
FUN FRANTIC
FUN FASCINATING
FUN FABULOUS
FUN FANTASTIC
The Best Hand Ever Held at the Marquam Grand
"Lower floor (except last 3 rows) $1.W
Last 3 rows
Balcony, first 6 rows ...v "
PRICES
Balcony, last 5 rows. .50
Gallery 25
Seats now on sale.
THURSDAY EVENING - OCTOBER 11
AH the ;Wor!d Loves a Winner!
BEACH & BOWERS'
BIG CONSOLIDATED
3-CARS 3
MINSTRELS
WITH THE BEST COMPANY THEY EVER OWNER.
60-ALL WHITE PEOPLE-60 3 BANDS 3
Everything new this season new acts, new faces, new ideas.
If you want to see a real minstrel show, come and see us.
Watch for the big parade, oa Thursday, at 11:30 A M.
Lower floor (except last 3 rows) .00 r- r J r" O Balcony, last 6 rows ,..., JO
Last 3 rows 75 I I If w Gallery 25
Balcony, first 6 rows 75 I I 1 IWL. V- II Sale of seats begins Tuesday mornlnsr, Oct. 0.
Two Nights and Saturday Matinee,
FRIDAY AND
SATURDAY
.Oct. 12 and 13
1uJuMI I Wi' 1 1 illll't I illll'l lint 'cr
lira w "niWMIl.ml1 1 1 l'l'l Bi.y 'z.'-'
THE HIGH-CLASS., HIGH-SALARIED MINSTREL ORGANIZATION
OF THE WORLD RETURNS THIS SEASON TO THE PACIFICCOAST
WITH THE GRANDEST AND M03T GLORIOUS COMPANY OP JIN
TREL CELEBRITIES, ASTONISHING FEATURES AND MOST FA
MOUS VOCALISTS EVER PRESENTED BY ANY MINSTREL MAN
AGEMENT. COMPLETELY AND SUCCSSFULLY ILLUSTRATING
THE TRIUMPH OF MERIT
WILLIAM H. WEST'S
BIG
MINST
JUB
REL
EE
Billy Van R. J. Joss
J. P. Rodgeu Manuel Romairt
Emaai Tcnny Raymond Teal
Chas. Whallen W. H. Hallett
Watcrbury Bros, and Tenny
The Three Famous Rio Bros.
Teal & Whalen De Elmar Tri
ANEX
40 Worid-Famous Artists 40
WILLIAM H.WEST
The Progressive-Minstreu
ALL BRAND NEW FROM PIRST f ART TO SENSATIONAL FINISH
The Mest Elaborate Stage Settings, the Most Costly and Sumptuous
Wordrope. In Every Detail, Perfection. In Every
Feature, Originality,
ost g- Golf Street Parade, Sy Friday
EVENING PRICES Entire lower floor, $1.; balcony, first 6 rows. 75c; balcony, last 6 rowa 50c;, gajlery, 25c
MATINEE PRICES Entire lower floor, 75c; entire balcony, 50c; gallery. 25c.
Sale of Seats Begins Wednesday Mernlna. October lO
a clever New York soubrette, and Is said
to have been well selected.
WEST'S MINSTRELS THIS WEEK.
Billed fpr the Marquam Sot Friday
and Saturday.
Billy West, with, his big minstrel or-
ganlzation, will take possession of the
Marquam boards Friday and Saturday
evenings and Saturday afternoon of the
present week. Generally speaking, this
well-known purveyor of burnt-cork and
white-face minstrel entertainment needs
no Introduction to Portland or other
American, audiences,, and neither does his
company, but. this engagement, he comes
with some new features and several new
people, among whom are performers who
have mada a reputation in the minstrel
branch of the theatrical profession. In
addition., there are nearly all the old fav
orites. Richard J- Jose, the famous contra-ten-
POPULAR WITH THE PEOPLE
CORDRAY'S THEATER
JOHN F. CORDRAY, Manager
r I A I OF THE GREAT FAVORITES 4- "7
LU VVe6K COMMENCING TONIGHT, UCt.
Colonel W. A. Thompson's-
BOSTON LYRIC
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WgMSSSmKwWKMKlMmSfmm' ASK. KS&SxBm Mr 3 TV A X
House Packed to Capacity at Every Performance.
OPERA COo
-GREAT OPERAS-2
Sunday, Monday,
Tuesday, Wednesday,
Saturday Matinee
WANG
Thursday, Friday and
Saturday Night
The Fencing faster
Price.., .....73c, 50c, 23c
Boxes and Loges $T.Q0, 75c
M at! nee Prices 73c, 30c, 23c