Indianapolis Times, Volume 38, Number 332, Indianapolis, Marion County, 30 April 1927 — Page 5

APRIL 30, 1927

STUART WALKER READY TO OPEN SEASON MONDAY NIGHT

Regina Wallace and Gavin Gordon to Play Leads in ‘Road to Yesterday’—Berkell to Give This City One of £ Biggest Comedy Hits of Season. What will perhaps be the most notable and important of Stuart Walker premieres in this city will be the opening at Keith's on Monday night of “The Road to Yesterday.’’ The play, by the way, is twenty years old, but is a real classic of the stage.

It was first done by a. Baltimore stock company under the title of "A Midsummer’s Eve*. Dream.” It was such a pronounced hit that it was later taken over by the Shubert’s and J. C. Huffman, stage director for that firm, suggested the present title. An eight week tour followed the premier and the play was then taken into New York, where it received marvelous newspaper notices but little cash patronage. The Herald Square theater, which bad previously housed girl and music shows, was the Broadway domicile of “The Road to Yesterday.” Someone advanced the opinion that the location had something to do with the play’s metropolitan failure. Immediately there followed exploitation such as New York had never seen at that time. The result was that after four losing weeks ‘ The Road to Yesterday” developed Into one of the biggest hits of many seasons.

For the local presentation of the Jalay Mr. Walker has assembled a most distinguished cast. Regina Wallace, the leading woman, needs here. For several she appeared with the Walker company at the Murat theater. Gavin Gordon, the leading man, though new here, he comes highly* lecommended. Perhaps one of his greatest recommendations is that he Was selected to play opposite Miss Peggy Wood in ”A Lady in Love,” fe. recent costume venture shown in New York. Os late Mr. Gordon has been appearing opposite Helen Menken in vaudeville in a version of "Seventh Heaven.” Eugene Powers, an important feaember of “The Road to Yesterday” cast, last appeared on Broadway in f’The Green Hat,” and before that in f'Outward Bound.” Mr. Powers is bn aetdr who is seldom off Broadway and whenever he is away from there he is with the Stuart Walker company in Cincinnati or Indianapolis. France •Bendtsen is well-known here, as are Larry Fletcher and Judith Lowry, other impprtant figures in next week’s play. Margaret Douglass, one of the foremost character actresses of the American stage, will be remembered for her excellent work here last summer in "The Old Soak,” "Seventh Heaven,” and "Applesauce.” Bertha Mann and Ann Tonetti will be new to local audiences, but both, it is predicted,

gnus I I tomorrow night la order thut the hundred* of people vho were un- — <* "a" in Une nt the Keith Thenter Box OtTlie xIIY TODAY' ,? *" t w *‘ek may still have n opportunity to purchase * WI .eat* for "The Road to Yesterday,” the box office ■ will be open from 10:00 a. m. until 9 p. m. Tomorrow.

REGINA WALLACE GAVIN GORDON BERTHA MANN LARRY FLETCHER EUGENE POWERS ANN TONETTI FRANCE BENDTSEN MARGARET DOUGLASS

THE 9TUART WALKER COMPANY (Actor* With Authentic New York Reputation.)

Night*—63ft Lower Floor Seat* at gl; Balance. $1.60; I.oge*. We; Balcony, 60c; Second Balcony, 25c. Wed. and Sat. Mat*.. 26c, 60c, 0c and 75c. Careful Attention Given to Mnil Order*. Unclose Stamped, Self-Addressed Envelope When Sending in Orders.

Organizations Tan Raise Suhstnntinl Sum* by Holding Theater rarties at Stuart Walker Company Performance*

criGLISH'S —All Week — / | Starting SUNDAY NIGHT, May Ist, 8:15 1 JEAN OLIVER-MILTON BYRON I] ft “CRADLE SNATCHERS” 1 CHICAGO LIKES IT. SO WILL TOC Nightly Rt 8:15. Lower Floor, 90c—Entire Balcony, 50c— Gallery (Not Reserved), 25c. Gov. Tax on 90c Seats Only. MATINEES—WED., THXJRS., SAT. AT~2:15 Lower Floor, 50c—Entire Balcony, 35c—Gallery, 25c WEEKOF MAY Bth—“WHITE CARGO” THE PLAY EXTRAORDINARY'

mmmmOna B. Talbot Fine Arts Enterprises mmmm IMURAT-Tomorrow O’clock I I ~ Seats on Sale at Theater Box Office at 10 O’Clock Today. <1 Good Seats Selling j Famous Opera Star

TITO SCHIPA

I PRICES: S3 00 $2 50, $2.00. $1.50, *I.OO. War Tax 10 Per Cent Extra inclose check and self-addieased stamped envelope for return tickets. ONA B. TALBOT OFFICE. BIS Hume-Man*ar Bldg. Subscribe Now for Next Season Concerts Orders now being filed lor choice seats.

A Joke During the filming of the fratearnity house scene in the Fox offering, “Cradle Snatchers,” Howard Hawks asked Sammy Cohen if he ever be- * longed to a Greek letter society. Sammy answered, “No, I prefer cafeterias.”

will be prime favorites here before the season is many weeks old. After the local engagement "The Road to Yesterday” will be transferred to the Grand Opera House, Cincinnati, and will be followed here by "Lazybones,” an Owen Davis comedy with a cast that will include George Gaul, Vivian Tobin, Elizabeth Patterson, Aldrich Bowker and several others. BIG COMEDY HIT PLANNED BY BERKELL “The Cradle Snatchers” is the attraction at English’s with the Berkell Players this week, beginning to- ( morrow night. Tills magnificently funny comedy is deliciously mixed with farce, and furnishes one of the pleasantest evenings one can imagine. It deals with three wives whose husbands have neglected them so long that they are growing very tired of staying at home. So when said husbands mention a "hunting party” for the weekend, the wives plan a revolt. They engage three young college chaps to escort them to dances etc., and are in the midst of having a pretended high time when said husbands happen in. The trouble that follows sets the audience In a gale of laughter. Needless to say everything comes out all right, but a lesson is left for roaming husbands to ponder over. This play calls into action every member of the Berkell Players, and It really is an all-star play, for each member has a particularly good opportunity to "strut his stuff.” "The Cradle Snatchers” was written by Russell Mederaft and Norma Mitchell. It was first produced in New York by Sam H. Harris at the Music Box with Mary Boland in the lead. It is now running at the Sam H. Harris theater in Chicago with the original cast. It has proved to be one of the greatest laugh hits of the past seaSbn. Performances begin nightly at

AMUSEMENTS

THE ROAD TO YESTERDAY I

Ufliy all music lovers should nil I attend this concert Ist. Opening Concert Music Week 2nd. Only Artist Concert Given 3rd. Greatest Tenor in America SCHIPA THE SUCCESSOR OF CARUSO JOSE ECHANIZ Spanish Pianist Assisting

LOOKING OVER NEW EVENTS UPON LOCAL STAGE

w W? few £ a I f'B * &

8:15. Matinees as usual on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday afternoons, with the curtain rising at 2:15. “THE O'BRIEN GIRL” DIE AT ML RAT MONDAY "The O’Brien Girl” a two-act musical comedy, will be presented at the Murat theater Monday night, May 2, by the Harlequin Club of Purdue University. The cast includes a chorus of twenty-five women and fifteen men. specialty dancers and an experienced group of leading characters, all of whom have appeared in previous Harlequin Club productions, and some of whom have had experience with the Little Theater Players of the university. Included in the east and chorus of the 1327 show are A. W. Denny, 4534 Washington Blvd., Kenny Gano, 320 E. Thirty-seventh St., C. V. Badger, 2309 N. New Jersey St., C. Wacker, 26G3 E. Riverside Drive, Mary Elizabeth Bryant. 1128 N. New Jersey St., and Esther Hungate, 3625 E. Tenth St., alt former students of Indianapolis high schools who were selected after a series of tryouts which attracted 500 students. Indianapolis is also well represented on the managing board in charge of the production of the show. Karl Alii, 914 Tuxedo St., is advertising manager; A. F. Clark, 46 W. Thirtieth St., is publicity manager; R. G. Kemper, 6327 Washington Blvd., is property manager; W. C. Loop, 3042 N. Delaware St., is assistant stage carpenter and O. Martz, 541 Teeumsch St. is electrician. "The O’Brien Girl" is v a product of Otto Harbuch, author of “Rose Marie” and “Katja.” The Purdue Harlequin Club is one of the oldest college dramat.c organizations in the State and hap proved the vehicle for numerous comedies, and iiKPast years, has produced a number of plays written by George Ade.

sun . mon . IfHHmn ft w TOURING * /is MINIATURE. MUSIC/NL. COMEDY*, 8 JOE TERMINI GALETTI & KOKIN “Somnolent Melodist” “Comedy Novelty Surprises” in Edwin Edna England’s Eccentrics S ROTH & DRAKE CARR & PARR jgfl “Who Puts ‘Un’ in Unusual” “A Novelty in Dancing” PA PARAMOUNT PICTURES PRESENTS fP|Ut§£ ZANE GREY’S mmt ' 4 with | A JaciCholt [1 / \*, WHE-E-E ome Out to Romance Lane . * j j AHOY/ all hands on oeci^ 4 ' ntmjfh NEXT SUNONY (2L& -Epic 12omance of Tho se<a |^a^fltNKtEctirmt’ BOYD.. "\yol aft aoerm/zN

THE INDLLS APOLIS TIMES

No. I—John Drew and Helen Gahagan as they appear in “Trelawny of the Wells,” at the Murat Tuesday night. No. 2—Gavin Gordon is new leading man for Stuart Walker,

ROUNDING THEATERS

Due to the faithful work and interest of Mrs. W. 0. Bates and other members of the Indianapolis Theatre Guild, this city will be entered in the fifth annual Little Theatre Tournament to be held in New York all next week. On next "Wednesday night at the Frolic Theater in New York, the Indianapolis Theatre Guild will present in the competition a one-act play, “The Second /et,” by Maurice Tull of Indianapolis and director of the local Guild productions.

Mrs. Bates, Mr. Tull and members of the east left here early this morning for New New York in two large touring ears. I have received the following data from Walter Hartwig of New York relative to the competition for the Belasco cup: The proirram of the fifth annual National Little Theatre tournament eohi-diilcii for the wek of May 2 at the Frolic Theatre presents some interesting features that, indicate the nrosre that is being- made in the field of avoi-atmnal dramatics l*ractieally every town of any importance in the country now boasts of its "little theatre” organisation and those who know their little theatre are prepared to back up a claim that there are .6,000 such groups engaged in the affair of home brew dramatics. At a recent contest held in England 150 groups were entered in the preliminaries. Out nf this number six groups were eventually entered in the finals in London ami one group out of the six was awarded the Lord Howard l>e Walden cup which eorresoonds to the pavld Helaseu eup in the Anerlean contest held each y:ar in Nov; V irk during the first week in May. Tb* English eup winrers w are the Welwyn Garden City Theatre Soc ety and thtfflrrmji is now en route rom England to contest for the Belasco ct p in the American tour ney. On the opening night of the Journament a group of colored players is entered, the Kngwa Players Little Negro Theatre from

AMUSEMENTS

who opens his season at Keith’s Monday night with “The Road to Yesterday.” No. 3—Robert St. C lair will have his most important role so far this season at English s next w eek in

ROUND With WALTER D. HICKMAN

Harlem. The play they will dffer is by one of their own members. Eulalie Spence and i called “The Fool s Errand.” On Monday also Austin Strong's effective melodrama. “The Drums of Oude" will be presented by the Union Players of Hay Ridge. Brooklyn. The bill will close with a oneact play hy Kenyon Nicholson, whose long play “The Barker" is one of the Broadway sueesses of she season. Mr. Nicholsons one aeter is called “Confession” and will !• done by the Y. M H. Association Players' Stock Company. Tuesday night brings the Lighthouse Players, a group nf blind actors again into the tournament where they have twice before come off with honors. This lime they will present Alfred Kreymborg s Dresden china fantasy. “Manikin and Minikin." They will be preceded by the Unity Players of Montclair who arc presenting Wilbur Daniel Steele s powerful short play, “The Giant’s Stair.” Also on this bill will be a one-act version of Louis N. Parker s, “Disraei" presented by the Thalian Players of the Rronx Y. M. H. A. This group made a fine impression in last year s tournament. The first of the long distance groups will be seen on Wednesday evening when then are four one-art plays on the bill. Die Indianapolis Theatre Guild of Indianapolis come with anew play written by a member of the group. Maurieo C. Tull. It Is called “The Second Act." On this same night a play based on an episode in the life of Beethoven will be shown foe. the first time, it is the work of Marlin Leonard and is being presented by the Brookside Open Air Theatre of Mount Kiseo. The Gardens Players of Long Island

“Tlie Cradle Snatchers.” .... No. 4—Doris Roche will he among the important people present at the Lyric all next week. No. s—lx>retta Dennison will be seen in “Banjo at the Palace the last half of next week.

are also on this bill. They hav-e twice been prize winners in previous tournaments and are coming back this year with a farce by Maurice Marks called "History as Was." The last event on the Wednesday bill will be anew play by Aida Rodman DcMilt called “Values" and this is offered' by the League of American Pen Women. Besides the players from England who ani> ar on Thursday, two interesting out-of-town groups will be shown. The Memphis Little Theatre has anew folk play by Walter McClellan called “The Delta Wife, which has taken Tennessee by storm. The Charlotte High School Players of Charlotte. North Caroline are also playing on “Thursday night and their offering is “Jazz, and Minuet" by Ruth Glorloff. On Friday night the last of the sixteen groups will be shown. Strindberg and Paul Green are two of the dramatists for tins right, but an unknown author is regard'd as a dark horse for this occasion. It is Elizabeth Copman an Oklahoma writer. Her play is called “Waitin’ " and is being prtsented by the Little Theater of Tulsa. Oklahoma. The Strindberg play on this bill is “The Stronger" and is being presented by the Baniswallows Association of Wellesley and Paul Green whose "In Ahraliam s Bosom" was whispered for a Pulitzer prize will hare his “The Last of the Lowries" shown to Broadway by the Players from Derita. North Carolina. On Friday night after the final bill -has been presented the judges will make their decision as to the four best, presentations in the con-

AMUSEMENTS

f A RIOT FROM LAUOHLAND JOE PHILLIPS £ CO. tn ’THE OSTEOPATH" Famous Broadway Comedian and Group of Clever Merry Makers in an Uproariously Funny Farce PERSONAL APPEARANCE OF ROY SMECK POPULAR VITAPHONE STAR MIGNON REVUE A Song and Dance Fantasy With Darasoff and Lucille and Margherita D’Auria DORIS ROCHE II PINTO & MYERS Dainty Delineator of Songs || “One Night in St. Louis” First American Tour TORINO Celebrated European Juggler SPECIAL ADDED FEATURE / REYNOLDS&DONiGAN (Q WORLDS GREATEST SKATING STARS IN THEIR SPECTACULAR DIAMOND BiLIET REVUE ' .v' 1111 HAL ROACH COMEDY'!DUCK SOUP KtNOGRAMS BROWN COMEDY

DAILY ORGAN RECITALS BY LESTER HUFF v STARTING AT 1240 O'CLOCK NOON"- DOORS OPEN 1230

test and these four plays will form a bill for the Saturday matinee and night performances on May 7. The Belasco Cup Is presented at the final performance of the tourmmncnt on Saturday night. Jack Is Studying Jack Mulhall is studying the methods of commercial travelers in preparation for his role in “The Road to Romance,” which Charles R. Rogers is to produce for First National Pictures.

The Harlequin Club of Purdue University Presents Its 18th Annual Production “The O’Brien Girl” THE PLAY THAT IS DIFFERENT MURAT THEATER, MONDAY, MAY 2nd A True College Production Surpassing All Former Productions PRICES—SI, SI.BO, $2. Scats on sale notv at. box office. Clark & Cade Claypool Hotel Pharmacy.

GREAT CAST TO BE SEEN TUESDAY AT MURAT THEATER George Tyler Sends His AllStar Production of Pinero. Either one of the greatest or the greatest cast that Indianapolis has ever seen in this or any other generation will have Us only performance in this city at the Murat on Tuesday night, May 3, in “Trelawny of the ’Wells.’ ” John Drew, Peggy Wood, O. P. Haggle, Helen Gahagan, Otto Kruger, Estelle Winwood, Rollo Peters, Mrs. Thomas Whiffen, Wilton Lackaye, Henrietta Crosman, John E. Kellerd Effie Shannon, Igiwrence D’Orsay, J. M. Kerrigan, Eric Dressier and Frieda Inescort head Mr. Tyler’s all-star spangled roster of the stage’s great and near great. This amazing aggregation of playors broke every record at the large and very famous New Amsterdam theater, New York, when it assembled for the metropolitan presentation of the Pinero comedy. In a theater so large and by reason of its favorable location, so expensive that it is used only to house the largest of the musical plays, such as the Ziegfeld "Follies” and “Sunny’s,” “Trelawny of the ‘Wells’ ” amassed the enormous gross business of $200,000 during its eight weeks on Broadway. So, too, do audiences the world over love its sentimental charm, its Dickcnsy warmth.

AMUSEMENTS

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