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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 12, 1908)
THE StJNDAY OREGOXIAX, PORTLAND, JANUARY 12, 1905. A REAL HARVARD MAN PLAYS "BROWN OF HARVARD" THERE are a doz?n reasons why Henry Woodruff, star of "Brown of Har vard," is he ideal hero for a college play, and a dozen more why he Is peculiarly qualified for such preferment In a Har vard play. To mention a few of the most striking: . He is a college graduate. He is an all-around athlete. He Is particularly expert as an oarsman. He Is young and handsome. He looks the college man to the ground. He fairly bubbles with the spirit of youth. He Is a Harvard man and he has the traditions of his .fclma Mater closely at heart. Mr. Woodruff is one of the few men who, at college, won equal distinction in the class room and athletics. He took his B. A. at Harvard at the head of his class in 1W, and at the same time was recognized as the fastest oarsman in a single shell on the Charles river. At sprinting and boxing, too, he was equally clever, winning the 100-yard dash at the track meet in '97 in ten seconds flat, and being accounted the swiftest middleweight in Harvard during his entire four, years there. ' ' ' Along with his studies and his work upon the river, the cinder path and In the gymnasium, Mr. Woodruff found time to fill the duties of stage director for the Cambridge Dramatic Society and to take the leading part In all Its productions. This position fell to him naturally, for he was a famous actor before he went to college. Mr. Woodruff's stage career began In the company of Adelaide Neil on when he was nine years old, and his course at Harvard was merely an Inter ruption of his professional life. Not only did he direct all Harvard's dramatic performances while he was there, but he wrote as well as staged "Rosea Bella," the play given by the Hasty Pudding Club during his graduating year. The Hasty Pudding Is the most exclusive social organization at Harvard, and the honor of writing the book foi its annual entertainment Is one of the greatest in the university. Ability and not popularity is the sine qua non for the man who would achieve the distinction. No man is prouder of his college than Henry Woodruff Is of Hayard. About this institution there clung more tradi tions than are boasted by any other American university. Its atmosphere is distinctive. Therefore to be faithfully represented on the stage. It must be. done by players in whom the "Harvard Spirit" Is strong. Mr. Woodruff is one of Har vard's most loyal sons, and 'he selected GREAT BASSO SHOWS ART IN SELECTING PROGRAMMES THERE is no musical center In the Kast in which Herbert Withcrspoon sings that will not assure him of a large and cultured audience, who recognizes the superiority of this great basso and his splendid work. There may be those singers with a more beautiful and more extensive range of voice, but for artistic perfection and ability to sing a story, and depict a drama. Wltherspoon stands almost by himflf. since his splendid art Is the blending of so many qualities. Another feature of the Wltherspoon concert Is his admirable taste in form ing a programme, where are contained music of the chief song writers as well as of folk-lore and legend. The Wlther spoon programmes show a novelty that tenches the audience to understand that Wltherspoon has forsaken the beaten paths, and yet found only additional good. These programmes usually have for their basic principle the beautiful and true in art. which gives you not an un worthy moment that you may consider thrown away. So few singers deny themselves tin pleasure of a cheap effect, but this Is where Wltherspoon shines. He is euf-fii-iently a believer in his own woric to feel that his audience appreciates only the best In musical art. His programmo usually include selections from Handel, in Italian; Schumann, In German: Taute and other French composers In their own language. Irish melodies In Gaelic, and in English, ns well as groups of Scotch and English ballads and songs from mod ern American composers. Everything in Wltherspoon's pro grammea Is given with a sense of tonal value and musicianship, which stamps - him one of the great Ihrtists. It is a pleasure to announce that he comes to this city In January to give one of his inimitable programmes, under fhc aus pices of The Helllg Theater management. THE AGTOR By JOSEPH Mr. Or'smer i Mr. William A. Brady's co-prodtier of "The Man of the Hour." "Way Uonn Kat." "As Ye Sow" and other iWas. II translated and adopted "Mile. I'lfl." The Turtle." "The Manicure" and ether farers from the French; was co author with Clay M. Greene of "The New t-oKth," In which he formerly starred with M'r Phoebe Davie., and has for many yars been established In New York City op a consulting stage director. OF AU, the cant that is become part of the special and particular ver nacular of the stage that is, of the theat rical business the most violently absurd is that which has to do Willi the quantity i ailed the "creative actor." There is such a thing as a "creative actor." but his manifestations have nothing whatever to do with coherent and homogeneous dram atic art. If we start with the premise that the play is the chief unit in any worthy exemplification of the art of the theater, then "the creative" actor must he an anomaly; for there is no logical place for him in any scheme that takes hoed of the Integrity of the playwright, who Is. per se, the only really creative factor in the sum of anything dramatic. I possess, unfortunately, an apt exem plar that, while essentially personal, may x le employed for my Illustration; for he died, a few weeks since, at the very be ginning of what I regarded as the most promising career of any genre player on the American stage today. Nobody will quarrel with what 1 have to say in praise of him although I am free to confess that, were he still among us. managerial caution might prevent my saying anything of the kind. It Is, all too often. Ill-considered managerial praise that metamor phoses a de facto' Interpretative player of high quality into a de jure "creative" player of no use whatever In the world save as a bounteous contributor to the common fund of hot air. When Mr. Brady and I were prepare, "The Man of the Hour" for the stae there was sent us. among others, the late Frank McVicar. We exclaimed together: "There's a Horriganl" Of course we had been Impressed merely by the man's ex ternalsby his physique and by the pos sibility of his adapting his full, masterful personality to the special requirements of Mr. Broadhurst's "boss." Our spirits fell as soon as McVicar spoke: for his accent was of Bow Bells and Picadllly. He had been here before. It seemed, in the com pany of Mrs. Bernard Beere. who made - a spectacular failure when she' came over Iroirt London In 19:1-3. He proceeded with her to Australia, and had been there in the theater until a brief year before we J v- - - J :'. ' J : -J iillilllfilii jlf Henry Woodruff. . . . . . ... . i . . . i for hip company a half dozen other Har vard men in whom this feeling is scarcely less strong than in himself. That Mr. Woodruff '"looks" the college man, a glance at his photograph is suf ficent to indicate. . Long considered one of the handsomest of American actors, he has the manly yet youthful face, and the N active, alert manner characteristic of undergraduates in any of our great uni versities.. He is of the type which is in-, domltable. but with that sporneity of spirit which wins by magnetism and per sonal charm rather than by brute force." Mr. Woodruff has been endorsed as the typical . American college man by nearly every big college In the land. Dur ing the 30 weeks "Brown of Harvard" was played at the Princess Theater, New York, every big school In the East had a special night at the play. Theater par ties of college men, from 300 to 500 strong, attended the performance, the former number coming from schools as far from the metropolis as Yale, Princeton. Cor nell, and the University of Pennsylvania, and the unanimous verdict was that Henry Woodruff truly typed the American college man and that "Brown of Har vard" as truly reflected American college life. Herbert AVItheriinooii. Fltnnai American Basso, Helllg: The- t ntrr. Wednesday ETenfns:. I " January on Wednesday evening, January 29. Mail orders from this city will be received beginning Monday. January 20. Regular box office sale opens January 27. Mail orders take, precedence over regular sale. Address letters and make checks pay able to W. T. Pangle, manager Heilig Theater. Inclose self-addressed envelop to Insure safe return. WHO OBEYS R. GRISMER met him. That year had been spent in conspicuously in "stock" on the Pacific Coast. We explained to him our fear that his English stamp was too strong for the role of th3 Irish-American a type mdige nous to our large cities, and not to be "caught" by any actor who had not made a study of It in the life. "I am not a bad actor, gentlemen." re plied McVicar. with neither excessive modesty nor the other thing. "I .should be if I could not make my accent suit the character I undertake. Let me know what the author wants and what you want. 1 can play the role if it be within my scope. I've acted 71 roles In Shake speare, six in Ibsen and more than 200 in modern plays.. I wish a trial in the East, and I know how to do as I'm told." "He's either a real actor or a very bad one!" muttered Mr. Brady. I agreed with him. We handed McVicar the role. He came to the second rehearsal letter perfect, and asked not fewer than 50C questions' of us and Mr. Broadhurst. We sent him to a mass meeting in Tammany Hall to study general types on the plat form; this was in the height of the T , "-Ms t I f "" i I T No. n I f M 4 f v - 1 I 4 i J Joseph R. Urinmer. . J ............. Hughes-Hearst campaign. He returned to tell us he had seen a score of men, any one of whom might be a' Horrigan. So. with the spirit and the will to work on. it was an easy matter perfecting him. He accepted every suggestion made him. submitted for our opinion every bit of "business" and pantomime that sug gested itself to him as possibly appropri ate, and. as ts generally known, stirred critics and public to enthusiasm on the first night. As Is always so, there were writers who spoke of the new actor's "creation." Patently, the creation was Mr. Broadhurst's. He knew what he wanted as author, but needed a medium to develop It. That medium was Mr. Brady amj I as stage managers. . Now. In McVicar we had a good ex emplar of the actor who obeys. Other , actors mere are in plenty wnu uu uie same thing, of course; but not many of the good ones do so willingly or gra ciously, and nearly all of them, when they get results like McVicar got. deny having obeyed at all, but au contralre, tell how they over-rode author and stage director and insisted on putting forward their own "creation." We got this sort of piffle from a dozen well-known, high salaried players we rehearsed in the part after McVicar's untimely death. The protest of one against our discipline' sym bolizes the attitude of most of them. "That may be Broadhurst's idea," he said, "but I do not agree with him. I prefer my conception of the character." That Broadhurst could possibly have a clear ' idea of his own about the role never, seemingly, occurred to the actor, who withdrew with the lofty observa tion that, as a man who had always been given free rein for his "creations," he could not chance a failure. ' The actor in plays In plays! who says that he "creates" anything is either a liar or a fool. The actor is specially prepared vehicle' of a different case: but to consider him is to get away from our premise that the play Is the first consideration. PAY-AS-YOU-ENTER CARS Mr. Hatch Has a Little List of Ob jections to Them. PORTUAND, Jan. 8. (To the Editor.) ' X note from The Oregon tan that our street railway company contemplates experiment ing wl-th the type of streetcars known as the "Prepayment, or Pay-as- You-Enter" kind, and It Is stated that such cars have made a favorable Impression In Montreal, where they have been tried. Having visited Montreal last Summer and having come In contact with the car in question, I may be allowed to say that I sincerely hope that such cars will never be Introduced In Portland. As, to the "favor able Impression" created In Montreal, I beg to say that in my Opinion the only favor able Impression made has been with the streetcar company in perhaps being able to collect a few extra fares which might be lost by conductors lacking. in vigilance. I think this Is the only advantage that can be urged in their favor. -From the standpoint of passengers, I' 'be lieve that such cars -would ve voted an un bearable nuisance. It would take weeks and perhaps months for our people to be come used to a separate entrance and exit, and even then the strangers constantly vis iting our city would be a source of daily confusion and delay in entering and leav ing the car. Try to imagine, if you can. a crowd of people waiting to board a car in a down-pouring rain and having the whole crowd blockaded and the car delayed by some person with bundles or a suitcase, waiting to make change on the platform of the car to pay the fare before being allowed to enter! Having been myself a stranger, encum bered with a suitcase, in such a car In Mon treal, I rent through such an experience, and am sure that I caused a great many people inconvenience and delay on account of being unfamiliar with the requirements. It not only subjected people to great dis comfort, but lost valuable time, from the fact that the car was delayed until every ono had been able to make change, or had previously provided themselves therewith so as to admit those waiting to enter. The exit platform and the entrance -and exit doors are necessarily small and do not provide for comfort or ease of handling crowds. This feature cannot be applied to Summer or open cars, and therefore why equip a few? It will entirely remove the pleasure enjoyed at present by riding In me seats on me front and rear platforms of many of our closed cars, and will de stroy the symmetrical appearance of the cars and much of the freedom and com fort of the passengers. I am also inclined to doubt the exemption from accidents enjoyed by cars of this class owing to the conductors always being on the rear platform. The collection of fares In the cars occupies but a short time and enables the passenger to be seated. Instead of changing money and paying fare while being Jostled in the crowd. B. R. HATCH. Antelope Pining Away In Zoo. NEW YORK. Jan. 11. Hoping to have all three specimens of prong-horned ante lope which President Roosevelt has given the Ixmdon Zoological Society In good condition when an attache of that insti tution, now on his way, arrives here, at tendants at the Bronx Zoological Park, are working hard to save the life of one of the females that has been 111 since its arrival at the Zoo from Yellowstone Park. They have not yet given up hope, but are not over-expectant of restoring Tuesday Evening, January 14, at the Y. M. C. A. Auditorium W. J. CLARKE. The Famous Electrical Engineer of New York City. TVIU Lecture and Give -Demonstrations on MODERN SCIENTIFIC WONDERS, Including WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY. Mr. Clarke is a personal friend of Mr. Marconi, and was the first In this coun try to take up Wlrelt? Telegraphy. He has installed and equipped several wire less telegraph stations and was en gaged bv the New York Herald to re port the first Lipton yacht races by wireless. ADMISSION 1.00. Tickets now on sale at Y. M. C. A. office. EMPIRE Playing the STAIR-HAVL1N Week STARTING SUNDAY MATINEE, TODAY The Thrilling Melodrama of Life and Crime in the Great Lone Star State A TEXAS OUTLAW Strong Company, including that Clever Tramp Comedian, $liver J. Eckhardt Thrilling Scenes, Situations and Climaxes Comedy and Pathos Love and Hatred Villainy and Virtue Clever Specialties. Matinees Wednesday and Saturday. Night Prices 15c, 25c, 35c, 50c. Matinees 10c, 20c. Next Attraction EILIG THEATER Main 1, Al 122 J.L 14th and Washington TONIGHT and WEEK at sas 1 MATINEES WEDNESDAY AND SATURDAY 1 DRAMATIC EVENT OF THE CENTURY FIRST TIME IN PORTLAND AVm. A. Brady and Joseph Grismer's Production, By George Broadhurst as seen for one year at ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY FRANCIS J. KKXET SAYSt-. "EVERY MAN. WOMAN. BOY AND GIRL OUGHT TO SEE THIS PMT. IF -WE HAD MORE PLAYS LIKE THIS. JOBS LIKE MINE WOULD BK FAR EASIER. EVENING PRICES. ' Lower floor, first 10 rows. . .12.00 Ixwt floor, last 6 rows.... 1.B0 Balcony, first 4 rows l.oo Balcony, next 5 rows ,75 Balcony, last 5 rows .50 Entire gallery ; . . . Jlo SEATS NOW SELLING AT THEATER. Carriages even. 10:45; mat. at B. BAKER PORTLAND'S FASHIONABLE POPULAR-PR ICE PLAYHOUSE' HOMK OF THE IN CO. HI' ARABLE BAKER STOCK COMPANY . First Time in Portland-All This Week Commencing ToXee Sunday, Jan; 12 One of the Greatest of Modern Comedies ... : ' - THE OTHERG By Augustus Thomas, author of "Arizona," "Alabama," "In Miz zouri" and many other forsmost American plays. A comedy of New York life. Novel plot and characters. Elaborate scenery- Full strength of the company. Stage direction of Mr. William Dills. - - MATINEE Evening Prices 25c, 35c, vr vu r . the iwirrs nv LICAl llCCSj xuu lumuuir ne ailing animal to health. The ante ope. two females and a male, were cap tured in the park by Major-General 8. B. M. Young. 'Superintendent of the Yellow stone, and were sent to the local Zoo for sa.fe keeping. - What Do You Know About That T. M. A. BENEFIT? TO TAKE PLACE TUESDAY AFTERNOON, JAN. 14, 1908, 2:15, MARQUAM GRAND THEATER, , : GRAND: ANNUAL BENEFIT Given by the Theatrical Mechanical Association The Best Talent, Selected Prom All the Theaters in the City. A Monster Programme A Treat No One Can Afford to Miss. See the Interesting Process of Setting' the Stage Between Acts. LARGE ORCHESTRA, MUSIC, VAUDEVILLE, DRAMATIC SKETCHES, SONGS. THE EVENT OF THE YEAR. Tickets can be bought at all theater box offices in the city. Admission 50c THEATER PHONE MAIN 117 MILTON W. SEAMAN, Mgr Eastern Road Attractions only Jan. 12 'A DESPERATE CHANCE" Presented here exactly . Savoy Theater, New York SPECIIl. MATINEE PRICES. -Lower floor, first 10 rows... $1.50 IjOwer floor, last 6 row.... 1.0 Balcony, first 4 rows l.oo Balcony, next 5 rows .75 Balcony, last 5 rows -"SO Entire gallery. , .50 THEATER PHONE MAIN ... 2 GEO. L. BAKER, GEN. MGR. SATURDAY. 50c. Matinee 15c, 25c the ftnns (By the author of uy "The Ms lan of the Hour") VAUDEVILLE D E LUXE WEEK OF MONDAY, JAN. 13, '08 The Greatest Bill of Novelties Ever in the City, Headed by AMEEN ABOU HAMAD Champion Pyramid Understand of the World, and his Ftnous Troupe of Eight Arabian Tum blers, direct from the Madison Square Garden, New York City. LIZZIE EVANS & .v JEFFERSON LLOYD In their Comedy Playlet, "Turning the Tables." Hammon & Forrester In a Melange of Comedy and Singing. THE ROSAIRES , Refined Novelty Artists. - Joseph M. Wood Presents "Ihe Surprise Parly" 6--irls and Boys 6 JOE THOMPSON " Hello t All Right. Good-Bye." Special Added Feature, "FOR PEACE OR WAR" . Or, Fighting Bob Evans'' Fleet Leaving the Atlantic. -fhree Performances Daily at 2:30, 7:30 and' 9:15 P. M. Evenings and Sunday and Holi day Matinee, prices 15c and 25c. Week-Day Matinees, 15c to all seats. Sunday Matinee curtain : rises at 3 P. M. T!ir was a -time," say? the Catholic Universe, "when young people were ad vled -to marry. Now, we observe from the report of a recent address to graduat ing nurses. It ts necessary (o renovate this simple counsel into marry and stav mar ried " THE GRAND AFARQUAM GRAND jL t JbL Portland's Famous Theater. Phones Main 6, A1020 A Carnival of .cH3r Matinee Today, at 2:15 The Lewis Lake Musical Comedy Company, : Presenting for the First Time in This City, A MUSICAL TREAT; A Splendid Cast, Large Company, Spe cial Scenery, Magnificent Costumes SPECIAL DOOMSDAY Positively the Greatest Sensation of the Age. Thou sands Who Have Seen It Have Been Awed by Its Splendor Evenings, 25c, 50c and 75c. LYRIC THEATER Both Phones: Main 46S5, Home A 102S Keating &. Murphy, Proprietors WEEK COMMENCING M MONDAY P. R: Allen Presents Verna Felton and the Allen Stock Co. in The Land of the Midnight Sun ' A DRAMATIZATION OF HALL CAINE'S "THE BONDMAN" Matinees Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays; 10c and 20c Every Evening at 8:15; Prices 10c, 20c and 30c BOX OFFICE OPEN PHONES: THE Opening Sunday Matinee, I-n 1 9f- '08 FOR THE ENTIRE WEEK OfXIU latilll. JO The-R. E. French Stock Company Presents the Stupendous Scenic Sensation HE WHITE GAPS ' BY MARTIN HARVEY A play founded on the Goebel murder in Kentucky. Matinees Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 2:30; Prices 10c and 20c. Every Evening at 8 :15p Prices 13c, 23c and 33c. Reserved Seats may be secured by phone for all performances. PANTAGES WEEK. OF JANUARY 13 BEST FAMILY THEATER. J. ADVANCED VAUDEVILLE STARS OF ALL, NATIONS Two Big Special Features , The Mizkoff Troupe In the Fascinating RUSSIAN DANCE '- . And FRANK HALL The English Tjiontamer, With the Big Lion WALLACE. JOLLY ZEB The Jolly Tramp. CHAS. LEORA Aerial Trapeze Gymnast. FRED BAUER Pictured Ballad. PANTAGES ORCHESTRA Performances daily at 2:30, 7:30 and 9:00 P. M. Prices: Upper Floors, 15c; Lowr Floor, 25c; Boxes 50c. Any Seat Weekday Matinees, 15cr :Th- Church Army - of England has re ceived an Immense collection of lantern slides from the estate of Alexander Umort Henderson, a pioneer of- modern photog raphy, who warn for years photographer to Queen Victoria and the Prince Consort. Fun and Music 0 BEAUTY FEATURE Matinees 25c and 50c FROM TEN TO TEN m OT.I. MAIN 5496 Skw.'a?? . . . .XVQ FOURTH AND STARK, STS. A. JOHNSON, RESIDENT MANAGER MARIE STUART DODD . Violinist. WILSON & RICH "'Singers and Dancers. THE BIOGRAPH Newest Motion - Pictures. Direction H. R. Evenson Joseph Pulitzer is the latest American of means to buy a fine steam yacht abroad. His 1600-tcn cruiser was launched at Heith. and will doubtless be seen In American waters next Spring fly Ins the Americaa yacht flag. AR
