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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 14, 1906)
THE SUNDAY OREGOXIAX, PORTLAND; OCTOBER 14, 1906. Miss Lawrence will be the Lady Hum worth. Mr. Thornton the Captain Dom vaston and Mr. Sainpolls will play tht' worthless husband.- JANE CORCORAN' TONIGHT. Brilliant Young Actress In Delight ful Comedy at the Helllg. Tonight, at the Helllg Theater, Four teenth and Washington streets, the charming young actress. Jane Corcoran, will present the delightful comedy, "The Freedom of Suianne." supported by James M. Brophy and a most capable company of players. The play Is from the pen of Cosmo Gordon Lennox, and was written for Charles Frohman. It was produced at the Empire Theater, In Broadway. New York City, where It received a long and extended run. I i " '"" ' " ' '' " 3 ' SIT ttF-JJSEJSZsJY IN TAKING an inventory of the play house attractions week after week the . . one whose business it is to see every , show which is presented for public fa- Vor might Just as well be honest and con ' fess that the task Is not always the most . pleasant one. I am given to understand , that those who go to the theater only oc- caslonally have the erroneous Idea that the lot of dramatic critic Is a very nappy one. "It must be great to see all the shows, and without paying too," but it isn't always. I imagine the man who sells chocolate creams sometimes grows tired and envies those who are In the coffee and bacon line. Bven the pub- , lie executioner must sometimes find hang r ings monotonous. j Going to the theater every time there ' are doings is not as fine as it s cracked 'up to be. There are times when I'd much rather chuck the show and go to a fire or a dog-tight. But to proceed with a resume of last week's theatrical events There were two offerings which rose ! above the ordinary to such an extent that even a fagged-out professional show goer might be forgiven a little enthusi-. sm. These were the appearance at the Helllg of Jane Corcoran and the produc tion of "The Gay lxrd yuex." by the Baker players. "Checkers" was general ly a disappointment, I believe, at least it did not come up to the extensive herald ( Ing which preceded it, while "The Maid ,. and the Mummy ' fell far short of being a good show. On the other hand. Miss Corcoran s modest coming gave little promise of her exceptional talents. She was a genuine surprise party for the inveterate theater goers. The cheaper houses gave their patrons a. full measure of satisfaction. The Em pire crowds enjoyed a week of chaste de light with "Uncle Josh Perkins," a "rube" conception somewhat above the average. At the Lyric there was unfurling of flags, demonstrative patriotism, coincident with the stock company's performance of "The . Deserter," which was saved from medioc : vity by the conscientious acting of 'the Lyric actors. The Star stock again jus tlrted the regard of its friends by giving a creditable production 01' "That Girl From Texas," while the Grand and Pan ; tages maintained their standards as pur veyors of vaudeville entertainment. It occurs to me that the people of Portland are more than " fortunate in . having the advantage of high-class Block, performances, such as are being given by the Baker company. While Georse L. Bi.kcr doesn't pretend to be In tne theatrical business for his health and so far as 1 know has never Dosed as a public benefactor, he nevertheless deserves our gratitude for providius Portland witn a permanent organiza tion which takes rank with the very , best in the country. There is no other town tn the country the size of Port . land which has a stock company the , equal of the Baker. It Is an Institution of which we nvty well be proud. "The Gay Lord Quex" was the bast perform ance it has yet given, and all who had part in -it may well congratulate themselves. We are to see "Parsifal" in dramatic ; form at the Helllg this week. People of all shades of taste in theatricals are interested In seeing what the much discussed piece is like and a crush may . be looked for at the theater doors dur ing itj engagement. Owing to the ex- treme length of the performance, .it is ) announced that the curtain will rise ; at 7:45. Instead of half an hour later, ! as is tue custom. "Parsifal" will finish ; the w-ek at the Helllg. To begin with, Miss Corcoran will repeat. "The Free ,jIom of Suxanne" tonight, and Hi Hen ry's. Minstrels will make merry on the three following nights. ',- The Buker will ofrer "Lady Hunts--Vorth's Exptriment," commencing this 'Afternoon. It promises well. At the Empire, "Pete Peterson." a. new Swed- SWEDISII DIALECT COMEDY "rete Peterson" Will Be the Empire Attraction This Week. "Pete Peterson," Elmer Walters' clever Swedish dialect comedy-drama, will open for a week's engagement at the Empire with today's matinee. It has maiy fea tures to recommend it to the most critical audience, and there will doubtless be a large house on hand to see the pretty girls, hear the catchy music and admire the elegant scenery and light effects. No expense has been spared this season to make this the best dialect production on the road, and as in the past, it Is the fun nlest, brightest and most up-to-date char acter drama of the season. The play is tn four acts and seven clev erly constructed scenes, with pathos and comedy Interwoven. It Is a play which gives opportunity for clever acting, and the programme bears the names of per formers of known ability. Four Intelli gent, clever dogs have been trained ex clusively for this production, and this feature adds to the general novel tone of the attraction. The scenic and light effects are all carried complete by the company, and there will be nothing left undone to make "Pete Peterson" deserv ing of the great name it has already at tained. Elmer Walter has rewritten the play this season, adding the many fine special ties and new scenery which make it so attractive. He has succeeded In satisfy ing the public demand for something out of the ordinary something that gets away from the usual melo-dramatlc style, and even the most fastidious theater goer will be pleased and refreshed by the new features and the unique construction of the entire production. The situations are excruciating and will make the after noon one long, glorious laugh. The piece Is well cast and the character work In the hands of artists. Matinee today at 2:15. t4ER TjmaxsR P'j v;-tk. X:V --v, -lilt EMRME M hK'VXl&- AT BAKER I ll A "H - - Is CSl S ' . , ' - ' Zi- - . . I W'- - .- ;?V, I'd' V, -X.v - HI HENRY'S MINSTRELS. Big Black-Face Organization at Hel . llg Tuesday Night. Hi Henry's big new show what he calls his Greatest Minstrels will appear at the Helllg Theater next Tuesday and Wednesday nights. October 16, 17. with a bargain matinee. Wednesday. Hi Henry's show is a standard, well-known attrac tion, and for the present season is said to compare favorably with anything in the minstrel line. The tour embraces the leading cities, and the press enconiums are among the best ever given. Brisht comedians, expert dancers, cul tivated singers, high-grade vaudevilles, musical soloists, special scenery, elegant costumes, automatic electric moving transformations, single, double and full stage specialties, grand choruses and heart-reaching ballads: comic ditties and brand new Jokes, augmented by a grand, double orchestra, typical stage comedy all round out a programme of rare merit which terminates with a full stage en semble entitled, "The Suanee River." This speclalety requires seven operators KATjy, CVX7-Cr&z; ish dialect show, is the offering. At the Lyric. "A Mother's Secret," which sounds Interesting, will be the bill. At the Star there will be "The Two Or phans." an old favorite, which may al ways be relied upon, while the .vaude ville theaters are advertising some tempting features. A. A. G. "LADY HUNT WORTH" Clever Comedy Offered by Company This Week. The Baker Stock Company has attained a reputation in Portland enjoyed by but few theatrical organizations, and each week much is expected of it by its manv patrons, who have learned to depend upon it exclusively for amusement and enter tainment. This week it will even over reach the high standard already set by producing the great London and New York success. "Lady Huntworth's Ex periment." The plot of this comedy is one of the "different" kind, and it has every element to appeal to the humorous as well as the sociological side of the audience. The story of the play will en tertain In advance: Ladv Huntworth, finding, herself wed ded to a drunken beast, and being pos sessed of a desire to be released from the loathsome bondage, makes no de fense when her husband enters a suit for divorce, naming a friend as co respondent." and a decree is entered In favor of Lord Huntworth. By this pro ceeding, though she is entirely innocent, she has ruined her reputation as a wife and woman. All this happens before the curtain rises-. Thus stripped of every thing and without means of support. Lady Huntworth flees to her only resource. She knows how to cook, and when theay opens she is employed as cook in the 1 family of Rev. Audley Pillinger, a bache lor, whose household" consists of himself, his sister and his niece. She has 3 sumed the name of Caroline RaywaI. Tha vicar. Camaln Dorvaston. who Is en gaged to the vicar's niece, and Gandy, the vicar'a man servant, fall seriously In love with her. The drunken Lord Huntworth appears and makes a pro dos&I for a remarriage because he has secret information that his former wife has fallen heir to a fortune. The play shows the author's nimble wit and full flowing vein of humor. The fun reaches its height when the heroine s- cretes her three admirers in three closets leading from the kitchen. In which they have visited her. additional mirth being added from the fact that her former husband lies in the scullery dead drunk after his proposal, awaking to visions of incipient delirium tremens. Lady Hunt worth, won by the stalwart devotion and loyalty of the enamored captain, and, de parting to obtain her legacy after her identity Is disclosed, implies that if ho follows her to the continent she may marry him there. The play abounds with brilliant dialogue and comedy situations. Interwoven with a very pretty love story. and five specially built moving electric machines, with special mountings, and concludes with the laughable burletque on the moving-picture presentation, en titled the "Lobsterscope." Advance' sale of seats will open this morning. "PARSIFAL- AT THE HE1L1G Grand Spectacular Scenic Produc tion of Wagner's Drama. All admirers of the chaste in' art. all lovers of things beautiful, as well as