ea r ca DEMANDS DRAMATIC ART FORVITALITY Repertory Theatre Refuses All That Is Adulterated in Matter of Plays. STANDs FOR SINCERE EFFORTO What is the essential feature of the repertory theatre? In what do its particular purposes and qualities con- sist, and how does it differ from other organizations for the purveyance of' dramatic wares? Above everything else, the reper- tory theatre is the home of vitality. It is the nursery of a living drama, and it aims to exist side by side with the vital forces of the community, and to express them. It demands dramatic art, and it re- fuses all that is adulterated amongst the merchandise on the theatrical huckster's stall. It stands for sincerity in the theatre, and it welcomes every dramatist, no matter of what type or school his "SEPTEMBER MORN" BOOKED FOR ANN ARBOR APPEARANCE. One of the biggest hits of the 1914 fun-shows is Rowland Clifford's latest production, "September Morn," which is having a very successful run at the La Salle Opera House, Chicago, where it opened. Dave Lewis, the well- known comedian, is the star of the piece, with Minerva Coverdale, Fran- ces Kennedy, and other prominent fun-makers making up a company of 50 people. The costuming and scen- ery are exceptionally attractive throughout. The story is concerned with the complications which arise between Rudolph Plastic, a would-be artist, and an actress. Plastic claims to have painted the celebrated "September Morn," and the actress instructs her press-agent to announce her as the model for that painting. The Tango and Maxixe are introduced during the performance. "September Morn" will be presented at the Whitney theatre at the expira- tion of its Chicago run. Scores in "The Funny Moon.," James P. Lee and Company, artists in the line of laughter-making, will present their new success, "The Fun- ny Moon," at the Majestic theatre, on Thursday, for a three days' engage- ment. Mr. Lee is a comedian of the old school, and he has in "The Funny Moon" a vehicle well adapted to his needs. The piece is filled with com- plications. In order to extract him- self from the embarrassing positions into which he is thrust by the multi- plicity of the tempermental distur- bances of his household, the hero, played by Mr. Lee, is forced to resort to prevarications. His propensity for trouble and his ineffectual attempts to ride the tempermental waves are extremely ludicrous. R1A NKS A MERICAN PUBLIC HIGH. C. H. Burke, English Actor, Impressed by Our Audiences. C. Haviland Burke, who will play an important role in "Dolly Reform- ing Herself," at the Whitney theatre, March 3, has a very interesting per- sonal and artistic history. Mr. Burke is a great-great-nephew of the eminent tragedian, Edmund Burke, who was wont to electrify and thrill our grand- fathers. Mr. Burke's father was a member of the British House of Com- mons, and his brother, Edmund, is to- day one of the leaders of the Nation- alist Party at Westminster. Mr. Burke, himself, was destined for a medical career, and in spite of his early inclinations toward the stage, he was sent to Trinity College, Dub- lin, where, when half through his course, he made the acquaintance of Osmond Tearle, one of the leading; Irish actors of the eighties, and well known in this country as leading man of Wallack's theatre, New York. In- spired by this association, Burke left school and went to Brighton, where he became a member of the Theatre Royal Company, which has turned out many of the best actors of the English stage of tody. After several seasons at Brighton, Mr. Burke began touring the English provinces, being associat- ed at various times with the Scotch actor, Walter Bentley, C. W. Somer- set, and Charles Melville. More re- cently, he has played in London com- panies with Lena Ashwell, Sir George Alexander, and Arthur Bourchier. One of his greatest successes was the waiter in Shaw's "You Never Can Tell." Two years ago he joined Miss Horniman's company, then under the direction of Mr. B. Iden Payne, and remained there until his visit to Chi- cago this season as one of the lead- ing members of the Iden Payne Play- ers. In the cours\ of a recent interview Mr. Burke said :,"The American pub- lie impresses nie chiefly with its ex- traordinary spontaneity and by its remarkable gift of leaping to an au- thor's meaning almost before the words have left the actor's lips. In this, American audiences remind me powerfully of Dublin audiences. There is a whole-heartedness about the way in which Americans enjoy the theatre. They are not like the English, for they do not go to the play to be displeased. They are discriminating and critical, in that they know what pleases them and what they consider good. They have an almost intuitive grasp of char- acter, and very often fill up the blanks of an actor's characterization. In this way they are easy to play to." "STOP THIEF" IS COMINGSHORT Carlyle Moore's Clever Farce Be Seen at Whitney Early in March. EA T I)ATE TO BE ANNOLUN Cohan & Harris' newest play ing is entitled "Stop Thief," a comes to the Whitney theatre early date,. after enjoying a run Gaiety theatre, New York, all las son. Carlyle Moore, the author chosen kleptomania for his su matter. In the play a prospe benedict and his father-in-law- are afflicted with a mania for ste though neither is aware of the municated influence. The bride- has received a number of val gifts and the inclination to steal c over the groom, who engages tective to curb his morbid im A real dyed-in-the-wool thief is gled into the household by the i maid and is mistaken for the tive, and is introduced to the fami such. The astonished cracksman ceeds to exercise his nefarious ling, while responsibility for the appearance of one valuable afte other is accepted by the klepto iacs. It is claimed that few plays duced on Broadway in recent found more favor or created amusement' than this "Stop '1 The crook is not affiliated wit kleptomaniac habit; he steal; keeps. In so doing he baffles a lion of police and plain-clothes The action of the play is said to rapid that one's breath is caug the effort to keep up with the and through it all there is an probability that makes the cha altogether natural. In staging the play 'Messrs. and Harris have adhered to usual costly and appropriate s ard, and the gowns worn are b ful examples of the modiste's Prominent in the cast, may be the names of John Webster, Findlay, Charles Brown, Jam Manning, Susanne Willa, J. K. H inson, Nan Francis, Fanchon bell, Dickie Delaro, Lelia Frost chell Lewis, William Wagner, I St. Clair, James T. Ford, and players of prominence. Prominent In the cast that wil: sent "Dolly Reforming Herself" Whitney theatre, is Walter Ham who created the role of the Serv the "Servant in the House." wonderful baboons, at the Majestic, Monday, Tues- lay,{ and Wednesday. /League.) I, M IN PLAYS APPEAR. eag e has shown ex- t i choosing Henry Do ly Reforming Her- or e Life," by Harold le program which will I r its auspices at the n Tuesday, March 3. g Herself" is said to r and more amusing s, who has long stood ers of the English ht plays to his credit Defense," "The Mid- he CaserofRebellious s performed for the ndon in 1908, but has in this country only company at the Fine the girl who has come in to help, but she has a better lot in store and re- jects him. "It's Lonesome Like," he says, "to go home in the evening after the day's work and not hear the clack of a woman's tongue." When he re- turns to tell the old woman good-by, a light suddenly dawns on both. Why shouldn't he provide a home for this old creature, who will be lonesome at the poorhouse, and provide for him- self the female tongue that will keep him from being lonesome himself? And so. the play ends with him bear- ing her off to take his mother's place. "Carry me carefully, thou great loon," she says, "I'm not a sack of flour." LEAGUE ADVANCES ON ORIGINAL PLAN The action of the Ann Arbor center of the Drama League in bringing to this city, under a financial guaranty, the Payne Repertory Company from the Fine Arts theatre, Chicago, is in the nature of an experiment as inter- esting as it is novel. Indeed, it seems in some respects an advance upon the original plan of this organization,' which was understood to comprise principally the education of its mem- bership as to the relative worth of plays offered at the theatres in the regular course of the season's theatri- cal round. It is a brave venture for a body so recently formed, and shows much faith in the loyalty of its membership as well as in the willingness of the general public to support drama of literary and artistic appeal. It is an experiment which will be watched with curious, perhaps cynical, inter- est by the magnates of the commer- cial theatre, who have been rather skeptical as to the advantage they have derived from Drama League sup- port for their offerings, there being no practical ways of determining how nmuch of the success of plays bulletin- ed by the league was due to such in- dersement. The pluck of the little knot of guar- antors is all the more manifest be- cause of its financial disinterestedness. Mr. Payne and his associate players will reap whatever substantial benefit the engagement may bring, .the local backers deriving no more profit there- from than may any one who buys a ticket. Indeed, their responsibility is more than monetary, since they not only guarantee Mr. Payne against loss, but they also pledge the Drama League's repute that the general theatre-going public of Ann Arbor will get the worth of its money in attend- ing these plays by a company which can cite only its phenomenal success during the long Chicago engagement just closing. Dolly Te fer didn't need reforming much mdrc4 than any of us, but when some one preached a sermon on the ,need of r ew resolutions, the whole group in which she moved took ad- vantage of a convenient New Year's day and decided to cast off their bad and silly habits. Dolly's particular fault wa.s the purchase of unneces- sary flnmery, and for a few acts she lords it aver all the others and whips then ,.jdo the straight and narrow path, only to spoil it all by a naughty quarrel with her husband over the subject of those bothersome bills from the tradesmen. There are many other complications throughout the four acts which are exciting and irresist- ibly funny. The scene of "Lonesome Like" is one of those eloquently bare Man- chester kitchens which Stanley lloughton showed us in "Hindle Wakes." A poor widow has used her last cent and a neighborly soul is helping h1 r pack her "duds" for the last trip over the 'hills to the poor- house. "There are some as can save their bras: and some as can't. It isn't virtu-it's a gift," she says. While she out of the room, the wantwit of he village, a tender of the engines, N \th a soul for the poetry of his bleak eistence. makes love to Rose and Severenz, at the Majestic, March 2, 3, and 4. plays may be, provided he brings that quality, as well as the essential ar- tistic effort and achievement, to his work. It is as interested in comedy as in tragedy; it is as much concerned with laughter as with tears. It does not appeal primarily to the intelligence; it appeals to all who are capable of feeling any artistic im- pulse; in short, to all who are in- terested in life. The catholicity of its aims and ideals makes it the meeting ground of all who are awake to the power of stimulus of the most universal and soul-stirring of the arts. It is the "live wire" of the drama- tic world. Comedy Predominates on Bill.' The array of vaudeville acts at the Majestic theatre for the first three days of the current week will reveal some startling surprises. A program made up exclusively of comedy and novel features will be offered. Head- ing the list of attractions will be Norris' baboon and monkey circus, featuring Emperor and Empress, the wonderful monks who possess almost human intelligence. These creatures appear in a regulation one-act drama, with a plot, scenery, and costumes. Another important act will be Harry Van Fossen, who was last seen in,this city as the star comedian of George Evans' Honey Boy Minstrels. Need- less to say Van Fossen is a black face comedian of original methods. Barnes and Barron, two Hebrew comedians who have played at the head of every vaudeville theatre in this country, will amuse with their songs and comedy. Rose and Severenz, in their farcical skit, "The Auto Disaster," will also be prominent on this fine program. Keystone comedies will be shown, as usual. Starting Thursday, March 5, a tab- loid musical comedy with a cast of 30 people, will be shown at the Majestic. Miss Mona Limerick, an actress of rare exotic beauty and the creator of many of Bernard Shaw's famous hero- ines, will have an important role in "Dolly Reforming Herself," when Jones' clever comedy comes to the Whitney on Tuesday. Iden Paynie, who will bring his Eng- lish Players to the Whitney. Loui'se Randolph Plays Lead, Miss Louise Randolph of the Iden Payne Repertory Company will play the leading part of Dolly in "Dolly Reforming Herself" at the Whitney theatre next Tuesday. Miss Randolph began her stage career with the Castle Square Company. Her first appear- ance in Chicago was in "Lover's Lane" at McVicker's theatre during the sea- son of 1901-1902. The next two years she spent with the Proctor Stock Com- pany ihn New York. In July and Aug- ust, 1904, she acted in "Rose Valley" at the Grand Opera House, New York, with Charles Richman, Sarah Truax, and others who were engaged in ex- perimenting with new plays. Miss Randolph then became leading woman with Nat C. Goodwin, and acted in a repertoire of his old plays. After her engagement with Mr. Goodwin, she re- turned to the Proctor Company, and has since then acted with Frances Starr in "The Easiest Way," and as the mother in the first production of Winchell Smith's "The Only Son." When "Stop Thief" appears at the Whitney theatre later in th; month. the part originated by Richard Ben- nett will be played by John Webster, the young actor who made a striking success at the head of Cohan and Har- ris' second company of "Get-Rich- Quick Wallingford." Mona Limerick, with Iden Payne's English Players, at theatre on Tuesday.