Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 18, 1906)
1906. Li II Wy ;-'4 1 j II I D 5 111 II $ v." ; "" I S, V 'Si I : "v. - t - v - v ' V $ ' " Y . , F - - fl J( JS ' jfl I It' if ' ;V-' s I ! i . &&''t.l ' " urn Si-" i J, 1 . jr - C 34 PEOPLE are still diiscussing "The Lion and the Mouse," a play which has Justly won the approval of discriminating' theater patrons all over the country. It was given Us. Portland premier at the Heilig last Monday night, and drew as fine an audience as the town Is capable of supplying. But three performances were given here. Monday , and Tuesday night, with a matinee Tuesday, and both nights tnaity regtria'r pntisf tire Theater were turned away from the box. office .because the house was sold out.' The piece could have--run through the entire week to good business, and it was unfortunate that the engagement wis for such a brief time. The same thing has hapened before this season ' The Col lege VS'idoW, ' a fine attraction, came for two or three nights only, and half those who wanted to see it weie denied the pleasure. These are but two of th-; sev eral Instances that miglr. bo cltiH. Really worthy shows are rare enough, good ness knows, .and when .. they 'Ix come along they are limited to such short en gagements that a ba.-il.sr.i-) is worked on those who are anxiot's and willir.g to pay Uicir' mbnej. 'for. something gufd. On the other hand. .1 veritable flood of medocre plays, badly acttfd and execrably produced, are poured m upon -is, in some instances for t'hree 01 iour ertormaii'.'e3. Some one is to blame for this. Tiie Leal management disclaims rvsp ! 'hiiit;.- and, in fact, is not responsible". Probably John Cort, of Seattle and New York, could ex plain, and 1 desire herewith to say to him that the Portland public Is entitled to better treatment and resents the dc-il ft has been getting. thus far this season. Portland is a good theatrical town and wfirthy attractions are assured good pa tronage for a week or, at least, a ha'.f week at a time. Another evil which needs . correction here is the Jay habit some of our so called "best people" have of demeaning . themselves In the playhouse. Last Mon day night two persons, well known to most of the audience, almost--ruined the last act of the "Ltoji. and the Mofae" through their stupid and ill-bred conduct. When the act had but a few minutes to run, these people got up from their seats, leisurely put on their wraps, climbed over the knees of their neighbors and left the house. They were in the very center of the row and well down in the orchestra. The play lasted but 11 minutes longer, and they must have known that it was almost over. The disturbance created by these two selfish and ill-mannered people seriously marred a ' wonderfully good play and discommoded hundreds of people. ... ...... WhHe"-rm in the mood I also propose to take a shot at those theatergoers who never seem-to learn that the Heilig per formances are . ti,med. . to begin at ,8:15. .Owing -to. the mob -of - latecomers which throng the doors and foyer, not a single play which "has-drawn" a large 'patronage this season has commenced on time for the simple reason that to have "rung tip" at the appointed minute would have meant confusion worse confounded, and a ruined performance, liight fifteen is the universal hour, for the first .curtain the country over, and the local public should learn.lt. . The post of latecomers is more apparent at the Heilig than else where, but it is noticeable at all the local theaters. v i W?rf ttcsrs &siO soy DONALD BOWLES ehone last week in the leading role of "Lost. 24 .Hours," It waVone of the very' best performances he has given here; and Bowles is seldom otherwise than excellent. He's a light comedian of unusual merit, and I expect to see him starring in a first-class comedy before either of us are much older. We may expect a treat at the Baker this week in . "The Middleman," with John Sainpdlls, playing Willard's part. Jt is a particularly strong play and Sainpolis, one of the very best stock actora in the coun try, is certain to give a flne perform ance in the big part. Considerable Interest was aroused by the presentation of "Porty-nlne," Joaquin .Miller s play. of the' Sierras, by the Lyric HUx-k company last week. It waa a cred itable performance of . a fine old play. -A Man of Mystery" made a good Im pression at the Star, the Allen company handling the difficult melodrama very well. - . ; "As Told In the Hills" Is the attractive title of the piece which held the board at the Empire. It' proved 'an entirely sat isfactory offering . to the big audiences which saw it. Enthdsiasm for "vaudeville does'not seem to wane in the slightest degree, and every time the doors of the Grand or Pantages opeuMhry admit capacity crowds. Both these house are doing admirably by way of .keeping -their standards of merit hteh. For the week ' commeneing today ' the theater-goor may select front "The Mar riage of Kitty" tomorrow night. "The t-ign of the lYoss" Tuesday and Wednes day nights; Thursday and Friday nights and Saturday matinee, Robert Edeson In "Stroiigheart," all at the Heilig; "Tha y ' mW' ft yx Jessys : ;-,j, -vt;. vs w v x x i w 1 nS7JL0U'2Si '3 SWITCH" Lyric: "Polly and I" t the Star and the usual vaudeville at the Grand and Pan tagee. A. A. G. AT THE BAKER THEATER. "The Middleman," With John Sain polls in the Lead Opens Today. In presenting- Henry Arthur Jones' great drama, -The Middleman," the Baker management is giving Portland an opportunity to see a high-class attraction which it is generally granted-the East to enjoy, and to give John Sainpolis. Port land's favorite actor, a vehicle well suit ed to his finished art. "The Middleman" has long been used by that celebrated English actor, E. S. Willard. In which to portray his strong characterizations, the lead being a particularly Strong charac ter part. Mr. Sainpolis Is well fitted to portray the character of the famous old .potter-inventor, and he will give the Ba- tT- rP. -"aona 1 ' r" s f t. , ' r 0 "," x " J , . 1 A " v ft 1 x r 4 t." CHRISTIAN, IN "THE SIGN OF THE CROSS," AT THE HEILIG. Middleman." at the Baker: "Peck's Bad ker audiences a great treat this week. Boy" at the Empire, both beginning to- I . Henry Arthur Jones., the clever play day: "The Sign of the Four" at the I wright who gave "The Middleman" 10 the ; ": ..3-. S-" --- ---W'H 'V- -t ".'Vi.' FLORENCE GEAR IN "THE MARRIAGE OF KITTY," AT THE HEILIG. public, is also author of such notable successes as "The Hypocrites," "The Masqueraderg" and other plays which have made names for themselves and their writer. "Whilo all have been popular, there is perhaps no character as strong as that of ''The Middleman" and which gives such golden opportunity to I the artistic portrayal of human charac ter. Miss Lawrence will have the part of the old potter's daughter, which was originally presented by Mario Burroughs, and the rest of the cast Is most satis factory. The story woven around the sturdy old man who has discovered the secret of a glaze for his pottery on which he has experimented many years is the at tempt of an unscrupulous man of wealth to wrest his great discovery from him, and the final adjustment of difficulties through the love of tne rich man's son and the potter's daghter. Throughout the whole production the sterling character of the old man stands out. a study for all theater patrons, a lesson to all man kind. The Baker patrons should ryot overlook the fact that Monday night audiences have an opportunity to draw the hand some piano which will be presented by the management to the person making the closest estimate of the attendance be tween October 2S and December 22. an Interval of eight weeks. Every person buying a ticket at any Monday night performance will be entitled to one guess on this number, the award to be made Monday night, December 24. The cast of "The Middleman." which will open at today's matinee, is as fol lows: ;1teeph Chandler '...William T.. Gleason Batty Todd. Chandler's man . .. William Dills Mrs. Chandler Mina Crolius Glfason Maud Chandler Ethel Grey Terry Captain Julten Chandler Ionald Bowles Epiphany Danks William Harris Sir Seton T mfraville James Gleafton Kcllcia I'mfraville Lu-ile Webster Lady L'mfraville -. Kva Van t'leve Mary Blenkarn Lillian Lawrenra Cyrue Blenkarn John Painnolia Danlper. a r?portr I.eo Lindhard Dutton, n srrvant Thomas Harper Nancy Blenkarn Frances Slosson Jesse Pcgg- Howard Russell t'arter I.eo Lindhard Mr. Vechel William Harrta SYNOPSIS. Act. 1 "Caterpillars of the Common- wealtn." Scene Drawing-room at T"tlow Hall. Act. 2 "My Daughter! What of her?" Srt-ne Workroom at Blenkam's house. Act. 3 "A Waxen Image 'Gainst Fire." Scene The firing-house. The pot tery furnace in full operation. Act. 4 ' The Wheel Is Come Full Circle." Scene Same as Act. 1. PECK'S BAD BOY. Greatest of Farce-Comedies Opens a Week's Engagement, at Empire." Men. women and children are anticipat ing the appearance of that great farce comedy. "Peck s Bad Boy." at the Em pire this afternoon and are prepared to give this favorite production a royal wel come. The pranks of this well-known character, immortalized by the famous father-author, ex-Governor George Peck, of Wisconsin, are known to thousands of American citizens, and yet they love to see them enacted by a real boy on a real stage. Many new, bright features have been added to the production this season and it comes to Portland better than ever before. There are many just such boys as thts one, but the public at large does not realize how funny their pranks are until they are presented as this company will give them. The scope of the play has been broadened bo as to admit of