n eatrical ro May 6 and 7, have sent these non-theatre- goers to their homes with new ideas and broader views of the stage and its work. Plays dealing with the beginning of Christianity have been especially popularI with the theatregoing public because of the picturesqueness and beauty of the time in which they are set and of the heroic qual- ity of the men and women who first sought salvation in the tenets of Christianity. The period was that of Rome's. greatest splen- dor, when she was mistress of the world and her strong arm extended from Britain on the North throughout the entire length. and breadth of Europe into India on the South. The magnificance and wealth of the Romans, pilfered from conquered na- tions, were used to make the lives of the conquerors one long feast of luxury. And this magnificence and luxury form a splen-. did background against which to show the self-abnegation, the humility and the strength of the early Christians. In the last twenty years there have been a num- her of remarkable productions made of plays which give pictorial expression to the period. The' various dramatizations of Sienkiewicz's "Quo Vatlis" earned enor- mous fortunes for their producers twelve or fourteen years ago. This drama showed the luxury and the immorality of Nero's court in contrast with the simple beauty and the austere life of the converts to the Christian religion, which extended to. the sacrifice, and the willing sacrifice, of life itself. Preceding "Quo Valis" by some five or six years was Wilson Barrett's "The Sign of the Cross," which had its first production in St. Louis during one of Mr. Barrett's American tours but which was not generally seen until after its long run in London and its subseouent return to America, where it toured; for eight or ten years with unvarying success. "The Sign Mary Magdalene, the erring woman of the gospels, has been shown as the heroine in three poetic plays seen in America with- in the last decade, each by a master poet. These plays are "Mary of Magdala" by Paul Heyse, in which Mrs. Fiske and Ty- roue Power as Mary of Magdala and Judas Iscariot created a profound impression; Maurice Maeterlinck's "Mary Magdalene" which Olga Netherlose presented at the New theatre a few years ago; and "La Samaritaine" which Edmond Rostand wrote for Sarah Bernhardt and which she made one of the principal features of her recent farewell tour of America. In two of these plavs, that by Ma-terlinck and in that by Rostand, the Saviour was absolute- ly represented. In the first play "Mary Magdalene," lie did not physically show, but His voice was heard off the stage -speaking the words.of forgiveness and hopc to the penitent. In "La Samaritaine" the figure of the Saviour was brought into ac- tual representation, and it was for this reason that representations of the play were prohibited in several of the cities visited by Vlme. Bernhardt. On one other occasion in the history of the theatre in America, the figure of the Christ has been in actual representation in Sahni Morse's "The Passion Play" pro- duced in San Francisco thirty odd years ago, with James O'Neill impersonating the Saviour. After two days' representation in San Francisco the performances were stop- ped by the authorities as blasphemous, but Morse did not despair and came to New York with his play. lie interested certain wealthy men in the project and a temple was built in West 23rd Street to house the prodcction, but on the night set for its first performance the mayor and police de- partmeut of New Vork forbid tie perform- ance, and in despair Morse committed sui- cide a short time after. 11 11 11 an as Esther, in "Ben-Hur," at the Whitney theatre May 6 and 7. Ben-Hur Ileads for the love of the Egyptian, Iras COMINGATTIRACTIONS. 4-Cha rity Vaudeville. 5-Billie11cBurke. 6, 7-Ben-Iiur. 9-September Morn. 1-Mrs. Fiske. i4ajestie.Theatre. oplays de Luxe every night from 'clock to io :00 o'clock, Complete of program daily. KES ENVIABLE :CORD AS ARTIST luBois, Comiedian in "September orn" Is Well Qualified to Talk on Pictures,. ~ES "GIRL" AS SUBJECT. DuBois, leading comedian in the isical comedy, "September Morn," omes to the Whitney theatre Sat-. Mfay 9, has won an enviable posi- himself as an artist. Some of his on the subject of "girl" pictures idedly interesting. In part, Mr. RELIGIOUS DRAMA INFLUENCES STAGE Such a Production as "Ben-Hur" Does Much to Better Conditions hi Theatre. WALL E'S PLkY CONNG SOON. The drama of the English stage had its roots in the mysteries and moralities pre- .'nted by the various orders of the priest- hood and the English church in mediaeval days. And the strain of religion which filled the productions of the old monks has come down to the present time and can be found in the productions that have had the greatest triumphs of modern days. A shining example of this same religious drama is found in General Lew Wallace's "lIen-lur," a drama that has drawn more people into the theatre who never set foot inside a playhouse before, than any other production ever seen on the stage; and the performances of "Ben-lur," which comes to the Whitney theatre Wednesday and1 'hursday nights and Thursday matinee, "'":.:""""~.' ;.r, SCORES EMPHIATII A scene from the second act of "September Morn," at the Whitnev' theatre May 9. of the Cross" told the story of aRoman voluptuary, Marcus Superbus, whose crimes and vicious life were brought to a ter- minus by the purity and beauty of a Chris- tian girl who conquered Marcus and lead him with her into the arena to suffer mar- tyrdom for the cause of the Christ. a BILLIE BURKE COMING MAY 5. At the Whitney theatre, May 5' Charles Frohman will present Billie Burke in a new play by Katherine Cushing, called "Jerry." In Miss Burke's company will be seen such prominent players as Gladys Hanson, Alice John and Shelley Hull. Katherine Cushing, the author of Billie Burke's newest play, "Jerry," is also re- sponsible for "Kitty McKay," one of the biggest successes in New York. Next year there will be five companies of "Kittie Me- Kay" on the road. 4 i taste in girls is a sign of will surprise many readers, : the pictures most sought Utin-clad beauties of the ball ra. People may prefer to of the very rich, but this pictures. The favorite of ay is the out-of-doors girl. the picture of the girl who pen. There is no especial xhether she be a yachting I, a basketball girl, a swim- estrienne. Her fascination y, her health, the zest of "Mrs. Bumstead-Leigh" Rveals 3 Fiske as Unusually Fine Comedienne. PLAY WRITTEN BY H. J. SMI Mrs. Fiske, than whom no personage the American stage is more welcome Ann Arbor, is to appear at the Whi theatre on l-iday, May 15, in "Mrs. But stead-Leigh," an American comedy Harry lames Smith, in which she sco one of the most notable laughing succe in the history of stage humor when play was presented in New York t years ago. This success, fairly dazz in contrast to the serious work with w Mrs. Fiske has usually been associated, repeated throughout the West and in y ous Eastern cities but the farce-for i practically that-has never before been sented locally. Mrs. Fiske is now reviv the play for a limited season, follov her country-wide tour in "The IHigh Roa "Mrs. Bumpstead-Leigh" represents first work of another playwriting disc ery of Mrs. Fiske. Ile is a graduate Williams and of Harvard and has bee figure of some importance in literary w for several years, through his various si stories, his connection with the Atla Monthly of which he was formerly a ciate editor, and a complete novel or I "Mrs. Bumpstead-Leigh" follows new 1i and is both original and amusing,-the phrase "for laughing purposes only" wc aptly describe it-and at the same tim provides Mrs. Fiske with an unusual r one as different from any other in wh she has ever appeared as in darkness f: daylight. Is it easy to imagine the lea of our stage as being excrutiatingly f ny ? Well, she is just that in "Mrs. Bun stead-Leigh," evidencing a versatility t is nothing short of amazing. The scenes of the Smith comedy are I in a Long Island country house and story concerns the social aspirations : battles of a family with a "past." TI family, through the cleverness of the el daughter, has become allied with the E lish aristocracy, and to still further vance the family's social position, the sourceful daughter engineers a prospecti alliance between a younger sister and scion of a pompous, purse-proud Americ family with an inordinate boast of Revc tionary ancestry. In furtherance of t alliance, the "family with a past" vis America. The coming out of that "pa and the exposure of the whited sepulch attributes of the Long Island continge are the basis of the play's complicatio None of the seriousness, none of the glom none of the mentally taxing qualities sociated with some of Mrs. Fiske's forn plays are to be found in "Mrs. Bumpstea public taste is not of millinery ex- It matters not whether a girl wears tr not; probably a vote would lean hat to the bare-headed girl. But if be any head covering. I find the -st pleases best-a face in a sun-bon- lways is popular, I. have noticed is no marked leaning toward a spe- ype in coloring. The blonde is no popular than the brunette, has no admirers. :I s she a face that radi- te high spirits of healh? That ques- he public seems to ask and answer it buys a picture of a gir-l. summer girl is more popular than nter girl but not, I have discovered, e summer muslins and laces are more ng than winter furs. It is because t-door girl looks happier in her ten- nnels than when wrapped in furs, a consequence, looks stronger and on t] 'hen The ie wi ou 1l 1 A scene from Klaw and Erlanger's produc tion of "Ben-Hi-ur," at the Whitney theatre, May 6 -and 7.