BERKELEY LIBRARY UN1V6RSITY OP CALIFORNIA Arranged and Published by THOMAS J. NOONAN. Historical Pictures from Collection of EDWARD FREIBERGER. Plates and Engravings F. G. JUNGBLUT & CO. Press of RAND, McNALLY & CO. iKOfflfOIS THCaTRfi RANDOLPH BETWEEN STATE AND DEARBORN STS., CHICAGO Dedicatory' "pciySrmance Openinjr ^^ e>^itractioiv NOVEMBER, 23 J 1 Kif^aRl^GERS. ^05 Ij /HRDLVEDEnRD IROQUOIS THEATRE RANDOLPH BETWEEN STATE AND DEARBORN STREETS, CHICAGO. ILL. r II Iroquois Theatre RANDOLPH, BETWEEN STATE AND DEARBORN STREETS CHICAGO erected and owned by The Iroquois Theatre Company directors and proprietors William J. Davis Harry J. Powers A. L. Erlanger J. Fred Zimmerman Sam'l F. Nixon Marc Klaw WILLIAM J. DAVIS. HARRY J. POWERS, Resident Owners and Managers The Business and Working Staff Includes THOMAS J. NOONAN, Business Manager and Treasurer EinVARl) J. DiLI.OiN I Tj^^, , , ITT T A T 1- rsox ' ' Will J. Davis, Jr. ) Helen Hag ax, Secretary J. E. G. Ryan, Press Rei-resentative Antonio Frosolono, Director of Music G. N. Disenberry, Doorkeeper Ed. J. Clmmings, Master Carpenter Walter Hueston, Electrician Robert Murray, Engineer 613 IROQUOIS THEATRE Randolph, between State and Dearborn Sts., Chicago. Beginning Monday, November 23, 1903. E,very E,vening, Including Sunday. Wednesday and Saturday Matinees. KLAW 6 EF^LANGELF^ present MR. BLUE, BEARD The Great Spectacular Entertainment from Theatre R^oyal. Drury Lane, London By J. HICKORY WOOD and ARTHUR COLLINS Adapted for the American Stage by JOHN J. McNALLY The Lyrics, unless otherwise indicated, by J. Cheever Goodwin. Music, unless otherwise indicated, by Frederic Solomon. Ballets by Ernest D'Auban. Produced under Stage Direction of Herbert Gresham and Ned Wayburn. Business Direction of Jos. Brooks. Edwin H. Price, Manager. SYNOPSIS OF SCENES. MUSIC AND INCIDE,NTS ACT T. Scene 1— The Market Place on the Quay, near Bagdad. (.Bruce Smith.) Mustapha plots to separate Selim and Fatima and sell the beautiful Fatima to the monster Blue Beard. Blue Beard arrives; purchasess laves. Sister Anne falls in love with Blue Beard and spurns Irish Patshaw. Blue Beard seizes Fatima and takes her on board his yacht. Opening Chorus— a. "Come, Buy Our Luscious Fruits." b. " Oriental Slaves Are We." c. " We Come From Dalmatia." d. Algerian Slave Song and Chorus. aa. Grand Entrance Blue Beard's Retinue. Medley Ensemble. bb. Song—" A Most Unpopular Potentate," Blue Beard and Chorus. a. "Welcome Fatima." Song — "I'm As Good As I Ought To Be," Blanche Adams. Finale— "Then Away We Go." POWERS' THEATRE THIS WEEK W. H. CRANE IN "THE SPENDERS" ILLINOIS THEATRE THIS WEEK CHAS. FROHMAN PRESENTS "ULYSSES" Only Way" THE "ALTON" OCCUPIES THE SAME RELATIVE POSITION AMOJVG RAIL- WAYS AS THE IROQUOIS HOLDS AMONG THE THEATRES OF AMERICA CITY TICKET OFFICE lOl ADAMS ST., CHICAGO Scene 2-On Board Blue Beard's Yacht. (Bruce Smith.) Fatinia with Selim attempts to escape from Blue Beard's yacht, but i.^; prevented. Selim jumps overboard. Opening Chorus— "There's Nothing Like The Life We Sailors Lead." Duet— Miss Rafter and ]Miss Adams. " Beautiful World It Would Be." (Harrv Von Tilzer.) Harry Gilfoil. " I'm a Poor Unhappy Maid." (Jerome a'nd Schwartz.) Eddie Foy. Finale—" He's Gone." Scene 3— The Isle of Ferns. (H. Emden.) Fairv Queen appears to Selim, promises him her aid and the power or tlie Magic Fan to reunite him to his loved one and to protect them from evil. Scene 4— The Laud of Ferns. (H. Emden.) Ballet of Ferns- Procession and waving of the Magic Fan, by the Fairies and Grand Corps de Ballet. ACT II .Scene 1— i ik- i^a>Tie Terrace ami i.ai ucn^. i .ut*. irci > . > Fatima believes Selim dead and agrees to marry Blue Beard. She get> the Castle from Blue Beard, who enjoins her not to open the Blue Chamber, Opening Chorus—" Davlight is Dawning." "Songbirds of Melody Lane," Beatrice Liddell, Elsie Romaine, and Chorus. (Ed- wards and Brvan.) . ,, . J "Beer That Made Milwaukee Famous." (Harry Gilfoil. > Bonnie Magmn and Pony Ballet. Sister Anne and the Pet Elephant. "In the Pale Moonlight." (Jerome and Woodward.) "Ma Honey." (Hoffman.) Bonnie IMaginn and Chori- Scene 2 — Chamber of Curiosities. (Mc»„n.t ■ _> . r Conquered by curio.'^ity, Fatima opens the Blue Chamber and discovers Blue Beard's awful secret. Blue Beard's wives discovered. Scene 3— Home of the Old Woman Who Lived In a Shoe. (E Albert, i The disobedient children. Song — " Wake L"p Mammv," Maude Nugent. .Song— " Mother Eve." (Schwartz.) Eddie Foy, Pony Ballet, and Chorus. Scene 4— Hall in Blue Beard's Palace. (E. Albert.) Dancing Specialty by Frank Young and Bessie De Voie. Music by C. Herbert Kerr. Scene 5— Triumph of the Magic Fan. (H. Emden.) Tableau 1— The Land of Palms. Tableau 4— Japan. Tableau 2— EgvT)t Tableau .5— Parisian Rose Garden. Tableau 3— Indi;. Tableau (5-^ ~e Garden. heosis. THE (;R1G()I..\TIS TROUPE OF .A.KR1.\I,IS 1 S Xellie Reed, Premiere, and Grand Corps de Ballet. Scene 1— Hall of Pleasure in Blue Beard's Palace. (E. Albert, i Scenes of revelry in Blue Beard's absence. Opening Chorus— "Let Us Be Jolly As Long As We Can." "Spoony Mooney Night." (Gus Edwards.) Bonnie Maginn and Chorus. Ponv Ballet Specialtv. Music bv Jean Schwartz. " Juiie." (Wm. Jerome and Jeaii Schwartz.) Herbert Cawthorne and Chorus. Blue Beard returns unexpectedly. Sister .\nne gives evidence of temporary insanity. Imagines herself Ophelia. Song- "Hamlet" Was a Melancholy Dane," Eddie Foy. (Wm. Jerome and John Schwartz.) " : Blue Beard discovers that Fatima has disobeyed him and threatens her and her friends with death. Scene 3— Below the Ramparts. (Hicks and Brooks.) Blue Beard gives Fatima one hour in which to accept his offer of marriage or per- ish with her friends. Selim summons Fairies' aid. Attack on the castle by the Fairy Army. Fatima and,l)ftr Jxiends in periU . . . Scene 3— The Fairy Palace. (Bruce S'"'"^ > Blue Beard is overthrown and the lovers are reunited. Entrance and triumph of the Fairy .\riny. Grand Transformation Scene. Trains of Quality "20th Century Limited" CHICAGO-NEW YORK IN 20 HOURS Leave CHICAGO, daily.. 12.30 p.m. Arrive NEW YORK, daily 9.30 a. m. "The LaHe Shore Limited' CHICAGO-NEW YORK, 24 HOURS CHICAGO BOSTON • 26}4 HOURS Leave CHICAGO, daily 5 30 p. ni. Arrive NEW YORK, daily 6.30 p. m. Arrive BOSTON, daily 9.03 p. m. CITY TICKET OFFICIL 180 CLARK STREET A. J. SMITH, Gen'l Pass'r and Tkt. Agt., CLEVELAND, OHIO C. F. DALY, Chief Assistant Gen'l Pass r Agt., CHICAGO, ILL. CAST OF CHARACTERS MR. BLUE BEARD HARRY GILFOIL SISTER ANNE EDDIE FOY FATIMA MISS BLANCHE ADAMS SELIM ADELE RAFTER IMER DASHER BONNIE MAGIXX ABDALLAH NORA CECIL MUSTAFHA ROBERTA. EVANS IRISH PATSHAW HERBERT CAWTHORXE HATRAC J. SARONY LAMBERT KORAFAI BESSIE DE VOIK ABADDIN SAM REED ABUMUN FRANK YOUNG MIRZA .- -MISS DUPONT ZAIDEE ^ MISS WYNNE AMINA J \ MISS RICHARDS ZARA I Blue Beard's Six J :\IISS BEAUTE NADIE - r Prettv Wives, "^i MISS WILLIAMS BECA \ ' I - MISS ROMAINK ZOLI ; { MISS BRANDT LAIDOPF ^ r BERTEWING DUNFOR i \ L. A. MASSETTE KNOUSE [ Blue Beard's Six J C. W. NORTHRUP BADUN r Ug-lv Wives. i JOHN VATKS BACNUM I ■ E.Z.MORA PASSAI ' I CHAUNCEY HOLLAND STELLA, Queen of the Fairies MISS ANABELLE WHITFORD Elephant and Head Tricks by Lambert and Gallagher. PONY BALLET: SEPPIE MCNEIL, LOUIE H.\UMAN, AD.\ ROBERTSON. BEATRICE LIDDELL, ELIZABETH HAUMAN, EVA MARLOWE, DOROTHV MARLOWE, CAROLINE POLTZ. Costumes designed by Comelli, London. Made by Alias, Auguste, Simmons, Baruch, D'Allessandri, and Harrison, London, Paris, and Berlin. Costumes for Specialties, "Ma Honey," "In the Pale Moonlight," "The Old Woman Who Lived In a Shoe," and the Pony Ballet, de.signed by F. Richard Anderson ; made by Klaw & Erlanger Costume Company. Shoes by Cammeyer. Tights by the Brooklyn Knitting Co. Wigs by Clarkson London, and Hepner, New York. Electrical effects by H. Bissing & Co. Z,XE,CUTIVE, STAFF Business Manager Mr. Samuel Harrison Stage Manager Will Carleton Assistant Stage Managers Wm. Plunkett, Carl Kahn Musical Director Herbert Dillea Ballet Mistress Mme. Sarraco Mechanical Department Max. Mazzanovich, J. Andrew and Wm. Owen.'i Properties Wm. Price Electrician Wm. Dunn Wardrobe Mistress Mrs. Quist Assistant Wardrobe Mistress Mrs. Kelly Wardrobe Man Bert Ewmg Armorer Wm. Shermna THE THEATRE By Charles E. Nixon THE pioneer days of players iisino- the vernacular were anything but "palmy." These poor wandering Thespians were opprobriously called "vagabonds," and when they attempted to give performances in the larger towns, the author- ities, under pressure of the prevailing sentiment, were ever trying to for- bid them. As a result of petty persecution and municipal meddling, a great change eventually came about, bettering both the drama and its expositors, for the players wisely abandoned strolling and pre- pared to establish themselves permanently MR B. H. MARSHALL Undesirable tenants, the actors were forced, as a makeshift, to build houses of their own beyond the town limits. Fairly familiar with the classic drama, they had neither the means nor the motive for reproducing the imposing slavcbuilt theatres of antiquity, seen amid the ruins of Rome and Athens. As the strollers had been accustomed to performing in the court-yards of humble inns or feudal castles, a simple enclosed court served their modest architect- ural ambitions. Their most popular model was square eighty feet in each direction, the central por- tion open to the sky. The enclosure was a quadrangle of galleries that were divided into " rooms " for the wealthy and aristocratic class. Currently these " rooms" would flank the stage and be called boxes; as it was then the lords and ladies occupied the galleries exclusively. The ground floor was so in reality, for it was merely a yard wherein the ordinary spectators had to stand. Projected into this space was a platform forty feet square which served as a stage. Along the base of the rear gallery spanning this stage were himg tapestries to shield the space behind, which might be used as a dressing-room. The gallery was for the use of actors and stage service. Its elevation served as an upper room, a balcony, a beetling cliff, or the drawbridge of some besieged castle to be valiantly defended. This " stage was considered so spacious that spectators could hire stools and sit at the right or left, viewing the play and players at close range. This severely simple platform, minus scenery or 14 furnishing, save the arras at the back and its quaking balcony, had of necessity t< represent all the se- quence of places that the imaginative play- wright could demand. This poverty of re- source may have pro- 1 J ., J .„ 4.- *- DRESS CIRCLE PROMENADE voked the dramatist and plagued the actors. Yet the inadequacy and provoking plainness appeared to be acceptable to the majority of the uncritical spectators in the golden Elizabethan age. This condition of simplicity was not, however, relished by all the patrons of the playhouse. The censorious Sidney, familiar with better conditions on the stage of Italy, protested against the stage on which the scene would seem to change continually, simply because there was no scenery to be changed. Sidney wrote of it as he saw it: "The player, when he comes in, must either begin with telling where he is, or else the tale will not be conceived. Now shall you have three ladies walk to gather flowers, and then we must believe the stage to be a garden. By and by we hear the news of a shipwreck in the same place ; then, we are to blame if we accept it not for a rock. Upon the back of that comes a hideous monster with fire and smoke ; and the miserable beholders are bound to take it for a cave ; while in the meantime two armies fly in, represented with four swords and 16 bucklers, and then what hard heart will not receive it for a pitched field." The undertakings advanced by ihe heroism of the poor persecuted pla}^ers in the elder day of the Eng- lish drama, the practical and progressive managers have improved and perpetuated and the modern architects have beautified. During the past decade theatrical architecture has made wonderful advance in this country. Inconsiderate travelers may remark, in contrast to local achievement, the Grand Opera of Paris, the Royal Opera of Vienna, or the wonderful stages of Bayreuth or Budapest, overlooking the pertinent fact that such structures are subvented institutions under governmental jurisdiction or royal patronage, while all the opera houses and theatres in America are private enterprises, and, generally speaking, provide better entertainments and far better accommodations for the public than the most pretentious of the famous foreign opera houses. The American public now, more than ever before, demand elegance of environment for their amuse- ments, as well as provisions for comfort and security ; yet the opportunity for architectural compliance with these exactions is restricted by reason of the enormous land values in the heart of great centers of civiliza- tion, the most advantageous locations for theatres. The latest and most noticeable achievements in theatrical construction, not reckoning the cost to secure the finest results, are significant in the re- cherche New Amsterdam Theatre in New York, the finest concrete example of L' Art Nouveau in the world; the beautiful Nixon Theatre, now approaching MR. WILL J. DAViS completion in Pittsburg-, and last but not least, the Iroquois in Chicago, the finest and most complete of its many modern houses devoted to the drama. The desirable site chosen for the Iroquois is close to that associated with the very beginning of things theatrical in this municipality nearly sixty years ago. It is located within " The Loop," is more readily accessible from traction and railway lines than any other Chicago theatre, and has a frontage on three thoroughfares, with many avenues for exit. The practical part of its promotion as an elegant edifice as w' ell as a perfect theatre show the result of skill added to good judgment in unstinted financial outlay, with a determination to secure the best as befitting such an important artistic adventure. Every penny of the large expenditure represented in the Iroquois was made in the theatrical business. Mr. Will J. Davis and Mr. Harry J. Pow^ers, as the result of ripe experience, understood exactly what was needed. The judicious character of their invest- ment is unquestionable and the artistic addition to the city most advantageous. Associated with the Chicago managers are Messrs. Klaw and Erlanger of New York, and Messrs. Nixon and Zimmerman of Phila- delphia, both firms being large producers as well. The George A. Fuller Company is second to none in handling building enterprises of magnitude, and in carrying them to completion in spite of all ob- stacles that the uncertain temper of the times may impose. It may be recalled that this corporation carried the Illinois Theatre to completion under con- ditions that seemed prohibitive, and has been equally 18 MR. HARRY J. POWERS successful in completing" the Iroquois at a time when other builders have been seriously delayed or entirely abandoned constructions, discouraged by the attitude of labor and contract conditions. Mr. Benjamin H. Marshall, the architect, has shown admirable capability as a modern theatre builder, and in this instance has again given Chicago its most beautiful temple of the drama. The Illinois Theatre was the first monumental structure of the kind in Chicago, and the Iroquois is a surpassing second, as the entire building is devoted to theatrical purposes. The Iroquois presents the most imposing and attractive fagade to be seen in this city of modern structures, and will impress even the most superficial observer by its beauty and grandeur. The style, architecturally, is French renaissance, which has a strong suggestion of the classic. This mingling of the heroic and lighter lines is artistically adroit, and the result very satisfactory. The Randolph Street front is of Bedford stone deeply recessed (sixty feet wide and eighty feet high), the admirable proportion and architectural treatment making it appear larger than it really is. The central feature is a deep French coved arch thirty-five feet in width and fifty-two feet high, flanked on either side by stone columns four feet in diameter and thirty-eight feet high, weighing thirty-six tons each. Next to these in cor- rect architectural spacing is an engaged pilaster four feet wide that returns back of the columns, acting in double function. The front view gives the impress of double free columns on either side of the to arch, adding grace and strength to the uplift of the edifice. These columns and pilasters rest upon a mammoth pedestal of St. Cloud granite sixteen feet square. The width of these bases will serve as bulletins of attractions, for which a space five feet square is recessed and framed in carved leaves of laurel, the top center being a rich cartouche. The columns and pilasters are surmounted by a cornice nine feet high, running across the entire front from pilaster to pilaster, breaking back to the face of the MR. J FRf D. ZIMMERMAN MR. SAMUEL F. NIXON MANAGER'S PRIVATE OFFICE arch at the top of either column. These returns are sustained by elabo- rately carved massive brackets of French pattern. The upward continuation of the cor- nice forms a pediment or gable, the apex of which is seventy-five feet above the pavement. Above its crown moulding is a parapet. Surmounting the center as a terminal is a monolith of stone twelve feet wide and fifteen feet high. The massive character of the masonry will be appreciated when it is stated that this upper wall is fourteen feet thick. The ornamentation of the pediment is emble- matic, showing the semi-recumbent figure of a woman heroic in size, representing Traged)', and the figure of a jester, typifying Comedy. They support a richly carved cartouche as the central ornament. The sculptors of this large group are Beil and Mauch, and the carver, Joseph Dux. The figures are cut out of the solid stone projection, the relief being 3^ feet from the face of the pediment. The size of these sculptures may be judged by the fact that the ornamental head forming the keystone of the arch ten feet below them is 3^{> x 4 feet. Springing up within the arched entrance are a pair of stone pilasters thirty-four feet high, support- ing a cornice spanning the arch at the beginning of the curve. The upper members of this gable are 23 cut out as a broken pediment, allowing space for the sculptured bust of a noble Iroquois that Mr. Davis selected as typical from his large library Americana. Back of this arch is an elaborate screen of orna- mental iron work (in which the Winslow Brothers have fairly outdone the Germans in their handicraft). This screen is set with heavy plate and jewel glass, giving light and airiness to the inner lobby and outer front. Five pairs of wide mahogany doors with glass panels give entrance to a vestibule 20x40 feet, with an eighteen-foot ceiling beamed and pan- eled with marble. This is elliptical in shape, allow- ing room for ticket and other offices on either side, their windows being an attractive feature of the otherwise plain solid construction. At the east end ornamental iron stairs lead to the business offices of the house and to the third floor above, the manager's private office. A second series of swinging doors admit to a foyer truly palatial (sixty feet wide and eighty feet long), with a colonnade of pavonazzo pillars carrying the ceiling upon groined arches sixty feet above the tessellated floor. It is- by far the most majestic interior in this city or in this country, rivaling many vistas to be seen in the Congressional Library in Washington. In the dignity of its dec- orative disposition it siiggests some kinship with the latter noble structure; but its lines are lighter, its treatment not so severely studied, while its originality is worthy of the highest praise. A point worthy of remark is that the foyer of this house is not only in itself wonderfully impressive and attractive, but its relation to the auditorium is VIEW OF FOYER FROM DRESS CIRCLE singularly harmo- nious and effective. All parts of the house are open from this noble, lofty room of entrance, and in turn it is intimately close to the great audience room — the architect has turned the trick of the angle to per- fection. To see and be seen is the duality of advantage presented for the patrons of the Iroquois. The colonnade of tinted marble pillars on white marble bases sentinel the sides of the foyer, and mark the landings along the graceful lines of the grand staircases rising along the wall of the outer courts. These broad, easy ascents have five landings opening upon balconies that project between the columns, the ornamental iron filagree supporting graceful candelabra used as electroliers. The wall dado, as well as the wall itself, is of white marble, while high up along the line of the second story is a succession of arched French windows ornate with graceful little balconies. The draping of these win- dows show rich oriental colors, and their frames are set with plate mirrors which add to the brilliancy of the decorative detail and magnify the spaciousness of the interior. Pendant from the bosses of the groined arches are Etruscan crystal bowl lamps, giv- as ing; soft light to the stairs and the plastic beauties of the ceiling. Deeply tufted settees, upholstered in fine fabrics, are in every embrasure along the walls of the foyer and highway of the stairs, giving a fine color note to the marble walls, the delicate veining of the pavonazzo pillars, and the decorations of the coves and arches. The line of these staircases leading to the dress circle and balcony is fascinating in its formation, framing the pillars of the inner court, whose Capitols sustain an elaborate cornice and a number of heavily recessed arches along the balcony promenade. In turn these lead to ornate beaming around a skylight, 20x40 feet, of delicately tinted glass in cloud forms, studded with jewels, giving the effect (from concealed lights) of stars in the changing clouded sky. The ladies' parlors and check rooms are at the center of the foyer to the left, and opposite are siin- ilar conveniences for gentlemen. These rooms sink under the broad staircases clear of the foyer. Below stairs on the right is a gentlemen's smoking room fitted up with special reference to its use. The whole effect of this foyer is delightful in detail and striking in its dazzling ensemble. There are a number of interesting innovations in the construction of this building that will never be seen by the public. There are no obstructing pillars in the body of the house to interfere with the fine lines of sight. The dress circle and balcony are carried upon cantilevers that upon an eight-foot anchorage carry an overhand of twenty-six feet, the enormous roof trusses on the rear wall holding down the cantilevers. 26 Glass -paneled . doors, swinging be- tween the arches on the north of the foyer, lead to the parquette; a similar entrance for the dress circle is directly above, and that for the balcony on the third floor, all parts of the house, vestibule being accessible from the grand foyer. As for exits, they are far more numerous, the entire north frontage being available for such service in case of emergency. Another large emergency exit leads across the stage to Dearborn Street from the passage- way and doors behind the boxes on the south side of the auditorium proper. The directness of entrance and the availabilit}' of exits are a praiseworthy fea- ture of this admirabl}- planned house of amusement. The great audience room is attractive in its arrangement, spaciousness, and decoration. It is wide, compared with its depth (ninety feet wide by seventy-one feet in depth), this shell shape giving direct lines of sight and aiding the excellence of acoustics, so that the stage entertainment can be thoroughly enjoyed by every spectator. The aisles are wide and the distance between the rows of chairs is two inches more than ordinary. The latest and best systems of heating and venti- lation have been installed, so that the pure-air prob- lem has been successfully solved. A series of col- 37 umns seven feet from the rear wall of the lower floor follow the curve of the rear row of seats supporting the unseen cantilevers, adding grace to the structure by carrying a series of attractive electroliers. The dress circle sweeps in a flat curve so high above the parquette that the top of the proscenium arch can be seen from every seat. There are 744 seats in the parquette, not counting the box seats, numbering 24, one of the largest lower floor capacities in the city. The dress circle has 465 seats, with two upper boxes accommodating 16 ; and the balcony has seatings for 475, making a total of 1,724 chairs, with plenty of good standing room on each floor. The ceiling under the dress circle is effectively treated in a decorative way with elliptical panels, delicately defined, giving the effect of a Titanic fan spread open. The paneling of the walls is in French style and the color scheme of the house is American Beauty red, opulent in association with neutral tints of green and gold used on the plastic details. Around the house on all floors is a wainscot six feet high, of curly Hungarian ash. Over the proscenium is a sounding board twenty feet wide, its Rococo paneling giving the key to all the ornamentation about the frame of the stage, involving the order of its proscenium boxes. The line of the elliptical proscenium arch is ornate with wreath of laurel leaves; the opening is forty-one feet wide and thirty-six feet high. The orchestra pit is spacious, with ample room for forty instrumental- ists. The projection in front of the footlights is convexed and decorated in conformity with the pre- vailing style of the house. In the rear of the boxes there is ample space, which will allow plenty of room for comfortably dis- posing- of wraps, bonnets, hats, and such other wear- ing apparel as patrons may desire to discard before entering the boxes. The plan of the decorations in the Iroquois is one full of variety in design and color and more sumptu- ous than anything hitherto attempted in a Chicago theatre. The walls of the vestibule are of white marble, with a subtle treatment of antique gold in the ceil- ing, leaving the total effect very rich yet quiet. As you enter the foyer, the effect is in rich con- trast to the vestibule. The walls are of white mar- ble, with pavonazzo columns. Around the mirror panels on both sides of the flanking stairways is a welcome velvety red. The draperies and furnishings in a deeper tone of this same color are important notes of the decorative scheme. The foyer ceilings and domes in the richest col- ors of green and rose tints of the French Renaissance style, liberally elaborated with gold, add brilliancy and crispness to the general tone of this beautiful harmony. The color scheme of the auditorium is as beautiful as it is appropriate. The colors are quiet and neu- tral greens on the ceilings and a rich red on walls and wdth gold in the boxes and draperies. The colors of the proscenium arch and entabla- tures of boxes are soft green and silver gray. 30 LADIES" BOUDOIR All constructional parts have the color of French statuary bronze and verdigris, elaborated with ivory tones. The auditorium ceiling is a well- blended sky effect done in soft greens, cerulean blues, and mauves, with clouds in grays and pearl tints. All the coves are finished in Sienna. It will be observed that the facings of the boxes, dress circle, and balcony are in keeping with the colorings in the great sounding board over the pros- cenium arch. This color scheme, with the deep rich red of the walls back of the seats in tone with the warm tones of the pavonazzo marble, combine to make this inte- rior a triumph of elegance in decoration. The designing and decorating of the Iroquois Theatre throughout is the work of the W. P. Nelson Company, an old-established Chicago firm, who also did Powers' Theatre, this city, the New Amsterdam Theatre of New York City, which has attracted much attention on account of its striking originality of design and coloring, and the new Nixoii Theatre in Pittsburg, Pa., now nearing completion. Mr. St. John Lewis has provided two exquisitely painted curtains, unique in their significance. The asbestos, or fireproof curtain, shows a summer scene on the Mohawk River, made from a sketch by the 31 artist himself, from which, however, he has eliminated every semblance of modern civilization, with the view of illustrating the historic v^alley as it might have appeared 150 years ago, when its banks were peopled with the Iroquois Indians only. -The picture is in the artist's best style, and was suggested by the following verse by Mrs. Lydia H. Sigourney : " Ye say their cone-like cabins That clustered o'er the vale Have disappeared as withered leaves Before the autumn gale ; But their memory liveth on your hills, Their baptism on your shore ; Your ever-rolling rivers speak Their dialect of yore." The act drop is a study rich and mellow in atitum- nal tints. It is a landscape also, and treated in Mr. Lewis' best style, intended to illustrate the following lines by Greer : " October, tinting the summer skies, Had ranged on a scaffold of mist His gold, and crimson, and purple dyes. And russet and amethj'st." The plush curtain, which is of rich velvet of a beautiful red to harmonize with the color of the auditorium, is ornamented with a portrait of Sagoya- wata, or Red Jacket, a chief of the Senecas, and later the most celebrated chief in all the tribes in that con- federacy of Indians known as the Six Nations, or Iroquois, after which the theatre is named. This curtain was made and ornamented b)^ Marshall Field & Co., who also furnish the draperies. The stage of the Iroquois Theatre is spacious, modern, and perfectl)' appointed, with a depth of 33 fifty-three feet and a width of i lo feet. The rijcging- loft is seventy-six feet from the stage floor and is believed to be the best constructed ever placed in a theatre. The full width of the stage corresponding with the proscenium opening is entirely clear under- neath, and of sufficient depth to give working space for the most elaborate and pretentious of stage productions of every description. There are two fly PROSCENIUM AND BOXES galleries on either side of the stage, all of steel con- struction, and a steel paint bridge on the rear wall unites these upper galleries. There are thirty-six dressing rooms, all large and comfortably furnished, and most of these above and on the south side of the stage. They are readilv reached by broad, easy stairs, and, wonder of wonders, have an elevator that works at every performance instead of merely lifting baggage at the beginning and conclusion of an engagement. The supernum- cranes have large rooms in a separate part oi Liie basement. Adequate accommodation for the per- formers is unusual, but Mr. Davis, who inaugurated drastic reform in dressing-rooms in the building of the Ha3'market, has elaborated on his original ideas for comfort in the Trocpiois. » L $ o < u. O O From Sauganash to Iroquois • ■I)ui ^'J Europe; English III -^Tlie J- McKenii,:y uH'f jduin nan, • ■ TwoMhirds of a Century in the Theatrical History of Chicago By Edward Freiber III ;Uir.t..s \v.. curtain were few and eJue liuu muunl;;-;iii :uy,lii, wiicn the ice ■ /,■ <.r Chicu'^'i tunied Miit f . >r a skate and a i t hundred persons on the river between Wells Street and the forks. Just imagine, one hundred persons the " whole of Chicago ! '' Remember, please, that the village was not inviting to settlers. As recently as 1S23, twenty years after the lirst house was built by John Kinzie, Major Long and partj' had visited Chi- cago on their way to the St. Peter's River, and in the narra- tive of the expedition, Mr. Keating, the writer, saj-s : "We were mnch disappointed in Chicago and its vicinitv. The village presents no cheering prospects, as notwithstanding its antiquit)-, it consists of but few huts, inhabited by a miserable race of men, scarcely equal to the Indians from whom thev are descended. Tlicir Iol;- houses are low, iilthj-, and disgusting, displaying ii ast comfort. As a place of business ii offers no inducement to the settler ; for the whole amount of trade on the lake did not exceed the cargo of five or six schooners, even when the garrison received its supplies from ilackinaw." Still the village progressed, and in the year 1833, during which there were but four arrivals of lake craft, it' organized a debating society with Gen. Jean Baptiste Beaubien as presi- dent, and soon thereafter came the first public entertainment to which an admission fee was charged. The C/u'cai^o Detno- crat of Tuesday, February iS, 1834, printed the following advertisement, the first ever published in Chicago in the inter- ests of amusements : Erxhibition Joy lia/h i/s limits. We hut borrow Oiit> hour of mirth from months a The Ladies and Gentlemen of Chicago are most respectfully informed that Mr. Bowers, Professor de tours Amusant, has arrived in to\vn, and will give an Exhibition at the hcim 'if >[r. D. Graves, on Monday even- ing next. Part First Mr. Bowers will fully personate Monsieur Chunhert, the celebrated J^ire King-, who so much astonished the people of Europe, and so thro' his wonderful Chemical Performance. He will draw a red hot iron acro.ss his tongue, hands, etc., and will partake of a comfortable warm supper by eating fire balls, burning .sealing wax, live coals of fire, melted lead. He will dip his fingers in melted lead, and make use of a red hot spoon to convey the same to his mouth. 3« Part Second ..1 .,■..- ^ n will introduce many amusinj^ feats of / enlriloqiiism aiui Legerdemain^ many of which are original, and too numerous to mention. Admittance 50 cents, children half price. Performance to commence at early candle li.sjht. Seats will be reserved for Ladies, and every attention paid to the comfort and con- venience of the spectators. Tickets to be had at the bar. The home of Mr. D. Graves, referred to, was the IMansicjn House, at No. SS Lake Street, owned by Dexter Graves. Enter the pioneer of local dramatic critics. The first criti- cism of a public performance of any kind ever published in a Chicago newspaper was the following editorial paragraph in the Democrat of Wednesday, June 11, 1834: "We were truly delighted last evening with the performance oi Mr. Kenworthy. He is certainly an accomplished Ventriloquist, and is entitled to the support of those who feel interested in a display of nature's gifts. In his 'Brombach family,' he represents seven perfectly distinct characters, and carries them all through to admiration. He performs many other very interesting feats. It will be seen by reference to his notice in another column, that he raa.y be found for the last time at Brombach Hall' this evening. This opportunity will not be lost by those who have an interest in exhibitions of the kind." Remember that this was-onh- a few months after the Potta- watumies had given up their lands to the white man. Chicago was beginning to make history. On June 19. 1834. C. Blisse gave a concert, and then came the usual small, very small, circus with the still smaller side show. In the spring of 1S35, when Hour was selling for $28 a barrel, Uncle Sam gave Chi- cago a postoffice. And then, on June iS, 1835, came "a nov- elty in Chicago." This was the first fair, held bj- "the ladies of the Protestant Episcopal Church of this town." The town was growing, and it required onh- "five days by daj-light to go by coach to St. Louis." The population had grown on December g, 1835, to 3,279. The town had forty-four stores, four druggists, two breweries, one iron foundry, eight taverns, one lottery office, one bank, five churches, seven schools, twenty-two lawyers, fourteen dbctors, a lyceum, and a reading i-oom. But actors, dramatic critics, and press agents were conspicuous by their absence. Amusements were at a stand- still until the Chicago Harmonic Society gave its fix'st concert at the Presb^-terian Church, Friday evening, December 11. 39 George A. Fuller Company Guilders Chicago New York Boston Philadelphia Pittsburg Baltimore Washington Albany St. Louis i-^35. iit (1. 3u o'clock, iiucl another Friday, Janua: celebrate the opening of a new line of mail coaches Chic;'';''" ''"il l).'tv,,it \\-liii-li i\-c>nt tuol,- nlaic Taniiarx i The: vicinity, for J- -i., the tV). "'I'- li<"^. -.I'M-. :ni; "-'cn 1 Lake Mich- i"a;i •■ere ,.,,■'. '.or pr.,," -.L ih nut sur- i:,i> :t''rs" in this i uestrian :' ( tcl'jber '.'1 ,i ^3'-', the single 'os. 1-2. ly.j, aiT"! i7''i T.alTL' ailnr b'- l-'JllK-lU ■vv thcir l l:l'.- nu-,7]ii!- vtv-t;\vn silver ■:uit "LL-ll llSCll ]]] liiis, I'l pa\' him ^iiT. in jicross Three Mountain TKjxnges EN ROUTE TO TEXAS THE FRISCO SYSTEM TRAVERSES The OzarkSs The Kiamichi and the 'Boston J\Iountains MAGNIFICENT SCENERY. WHICH CAN BE COMPLETELY INSPECTED FROM THE LIBRARY-OBSERVATION SLEEPERS OPERATED BETWEEN ST. LOUIS AND SAN ANTONIO aeaeaaaa^a Write for Copy of Illustrated Book entitled "THE TRISCO MAGAZINE" F. C. REILLY A. HILTON General Agent General Passenger Agent 332 Marquette Bldg., Chicago St. Louis. Mo. thf authorities to make the license payable weekly, but the i-equest was denied, the Council naming i$ioo as the amount. Evidently this was too much for them to pay, for they left the city without giving a performance. Mr. Edwin Dean was the father of the famous actress, Miss Julia Dean. ]Mr. McKinney had been a po^jular actor at the Bowery Theatre, New York, ill 1S35. He afterward became the first manager of the Eagle .Street Theatre in Buffalo, New York. Now listen to the overture to the first performance of a play in Chicago. The first petition that met with the favor of the young city was the following : '• Chicago, October 17, 1837. The subscribers respectfully petition the Honorable the Mayor and Council ot" the City of Chicago for a license to perform plays in said city. They respectfullj- represent that this establishment is intended toaflford in.struction as well as amusement; that they are encouraged and patronized by the leading portion of the inhabitants of the city, who are interested in tlieir success; that they propose to remain here during the winter, and that they make no calcula- tion to receive more money in the city than what they will expend during their stay, and, therefore, they trust that in offering a rate for license these facts may be taken into consideration. Isherwood & AlcKenzie the petitioners, request this license for six months, if agreeable to the Hoard." The Council fixed the license at $125 for the year, and, while the petitioners protested that it was too much, thev paid it.* As the last two theatres to be opened in Chicago proudly bear Indian names — Illinois and Iroquois — so the first home of the drama in this citjr likewise bore an Indian name, that of Sauganash. The first plaj'' presented in Chicago was given in the dining-room of the deserted Sauganash Hotel, which stood on a bit of ground that is now doubly historical, for on the same spot there was erected, in 1S60, the famous" Wigwam," which was burned in the great fire of October 9, 1S71, and in which Abraham Lincoln was first nominated for the presidencv, on May iS, 1S60. One of the most prominent of the earh * A statement has been published in New York that the first dramatic performance ever given in Chicago took place on September lo, 1837, Airs. Hester Jefferson MacKenzie appearing as Helen, in "The Hunchback.'' .\s managers were not allowed to play without licenses, and as none \\ ;i- ssued until October 17, 1837, the statement is certainly incorrect. 4 3 WP.NELJON COMPAW DECORATORS £> -^OHE decora- Ut^lvJlNtrO ^;^°S5'^o';j OF BEAUTIFUL is an example of TXITP D TOD ^ our Work; also ll>i 1 l-» rVj. V-/ IN^ that of POWERS' THEATRE in Chicago, the NEW YORK THEATRE and th- NEW AMSTERDAM of JVeW Yorii City M The latter, just recently opened to the public, has attracted much attention on account of its striking originality of design and coloring JS JS The interior of the NEW NIXON THEATRE of "Pittsburg, noto under construction, Will shortly be completed by us M Correspond dence solicited With architects and owners about decorations of all descriptions JS J& NEW YORK and CHICAGO w as Mark Beaubien, a brother of General Beaubieii, who erected ;i log house on the east side of Market Street, about lofj feet south of Lake Street, converted it into a tavern, and called it the Sauganash. Beaubien. who was born in iSoo, was one of the popular heroes of the town, for when there were no other amusements, he would entertain the people — residents and \isitors — with his fiddling, and for years and years no reunion t Tear: to the village in the wilderness. It is interestii;. that there is still one dearly beloved actress among took part in a performance of this melodrama as far as 1S49. when it was presented at the National Thi rnin: i;- ^^The Stratford MICHIGAN AND JACKSON BOULEVARDS. Next Door to Illinois Theatre. V GRO. n. WEAVER. 200 Rooms /. 125 Batb= Rooms Located in the heart of Business, Shopping", and Theatre Districts. Rates, SI. 50 ana lipioards. Cbe handsomest **Dutcl)** Room in America. Cuisine f>igl)=Class. Special attention given to after-theatre diners. The hotel is equipped with the latest and best sanitary improvements. Uiuiniii 'ae^i, wlni hiiN-ioiir '^'■' 1'' ... Miss Jtlaucle Aflji.m^ r the Illinois TIk : I lirsL theatre did not even boast alk. Instead there was an uifli h two short and stumpy hiti pu.sL^ < i ioorway, which was barely large enough : .ns at (iiie tinu-. In 1SS4 Hamy Isherwood, T .Mr. James H. McVieker from New Yurk lluil he remembered but one play tjiVen duriiiL'' the lirst season of i>:;-, naniel\-. "The Straiiver." adding ne wrong is an interesting fact that at least three of the early Chieago actors were als') scenic artists., namelv. ITarr\- I>lKr\\i".(l , Joseph !., and Mr. Beclcwii John B. npany in i,*>47 and 1S4;. In those early day> the aiK liail eonie nearest to beinu;' i)laee> of aiur,-e- lieartil} .he I'lays were \\\ unci were aiwavs aree. 'Pile plavl/iV . tlie eiim- liancll.>;;i<. about i-jxi.- melies in size. '[istributed by carriers evcrv morning, as there we; ■ " dailA* ]")ai5ers iie plays presented dtxring tl no eompiete " -^ to be found. But it is known that Thomas Sar' 1 the '• old men "; James S. AVright was iitleman," and Mrs. David IngersoU was the • leading lady. Others in the c(mipany wei'e Mrs. Alexander MacKenzic, Madame Analine, actress and danseuse, and the present Joseph Jefferson's gifted half-brother, Charles Burke, who acted, and daiiced the Highland lling and the sailor's hoi-npipe. Mrs. David IngersoU was another aunt of the present Joseph Jefferson. She had nian-ied David IngersoU, a tragedian of great promise, who died in St. Louis in 1837, aged 25 years. She was an actress and a dancer, and lived at the old Lake House, a three-story brick structure built in 1836 The electrical features of the Iroquois Theatre were installed by the Chicago Edison Company- Electricity for both light and power is supplied entirely from our street mains — ilic Modern Method. at the coniti wi i<.u^h aiul Kin/.ic .-Mn.(.'ts, where she taughi (laneing to young Chicagoans. When the eompany left here she remained a while in Chicago and continued teaching.. After leaving Chicago she married James S. Wright, a member of the old company at the Sauganash, who afterward became prompter at Wallack's Theatre, New York. Wright died in New York on June 27, 1S93, at the age of 79. Mrs. Wright died in 1S96. Chicago's first company of actors pleased the people for several weeks, and then left the city, presumably to appear in other cities in Illinois, and possibly in St. Louis. The towns that probably attracted the company were Juliet (now Joliet). Ottawa. Peoria, Jacksonville, Springfield, and Vandalia, the last named being then the capital of Illinois. It has been claimed by certain old settlers of Chicago that these performances at the Sauganash, in October, 1837, were undoubt- edh^ the first in the State of Illinois, a statement hardly apt to be true, as a number of the adjoining towns were much older and larger in 1S37 than Chicago, and must have drawn to them some of the roving companies that were seen in St. Louis and the Southern cities before Chicago was incorporated. The company returned in 1S38 and included among its members Mr. and Mrs. Greenbury C. Germon, then recently married. The latter, Jane Anderson Germon, was then but 16 years of age, and was a cousin of the present Joseph Jefferson. Her mother was the first Joseph Jefferson's favorite daughter, iiuphemia Jeft'erson, who was born luiphemia Fortune, in New York, in 1774, on the identical day that her prospective husband was born at Plymouth, England. Euphemia's sister, Esther Fortune, became the second wife of William Warren, the elder, and in this manner the Jefferson and Warren families first became related to each other, a relationship emphasized in Chi- cago, in 1867, when Joseph Jefferson III. married Miss Sarah .\nne Isabel De Shields Warren, daughter of Henry Warren II. Jane Anderson Germon, who at last accounts was still living in Baltimore, retired from the stage during the season of 18S9-1890; Two years after her first arrival in Chicago, she .was in Augusta, Ga., where on June 13, 1S40, she became the 51 r^OME admirer, name and address unknown, wrote this sentence on 1^ the back of a menu card after a satisfactory meal in a Burlington dining car. It means that the Burlington offers passenger service that suits its patrons in every particular. The schedules of Burlington trains are fast, but reliable; the equipment comfortable; the employes courteous; the dining car service unexcelled. Burlington lines gridiron the West, reaching practically every important point between Chicago, St. Louis and the Rocky Mountains. Limited trains (no e.xtra fare) between Chicago and St. Paul, St. Paul and St. Louis, Chicago and Kansas City, Chicago and Denver, St. Louis, Kansas City and Denver. Through service to California via Colorado. Through service to the Pacific M"i-tv,«o immediate favorite, appearing in several of the roles m wiikii he afterward won so much fame and popularity in Boston, favoring Chicago with his Sir Lucius O'Trigger in " 'iln Rivals" as far back as October 30, 1S39, when the majorlLx of the patrons of the playhouse were unfamiliar with classit- comedv, either in the librar\^ or on the boards. And in this company wn- :- i;^'i. 1 >,vho lived lw ,,w m^ dean of the American sta;< .isite art has never been e.xcelled in' the playhouse, whose long flaxen hair grew shorter with the years, then darker, and then whiter as the blessings of age silvered his brow, the Avhile the player and the play-goer learned to del genius and profit by tht art of Joseph Jefferson, wh' ■" ''^" c, ,,,i1in,-,.,.;i ,,„•,,,.. of Spruce and Sixth Street- His mother was Cornelia Frances Si. Thomas Jefferson, hi> father being her second hn>~'iniri N'i>iing Jefferson's first plavhouse was "behind tli ' when on Monday evening, September 2S, 1903, Chicago was celebrating her Cen- tennial, Joseph Jefferson had the distinguished privilege ot appearing at Powers' Theatre in "Rip Van Winkle" and of saying to his attentive audience afthe close of the play: • I ])laved in Chicago sixty-five years ago." 1 1 \\a> sHJii found that the Sauganash was ; ; :;:- of the city, so the next building to be converted into a theatre and opened in May, 1S38, was known as the Rialto. a cheaji \\i;oden structure at N(. Joseph Jefferson Widow Melnoi Mrs. Alexander MacKenzie At the conclusion ot the play ^Master Joseph Jefferson sang the comic song, " Lord Lovell and Lady Nancy." Mr. Germon then recited " The Hunters of Kentucky" for the first time in Chicago. The performance, which began promptly at 7 o'clock, coijcluded with a very pretty drama, "Two Friends." The season began in May and closed in October, quite revers- ing the present order of things. No performances were given 'It'.riiv^- what would now be termed the season of 1838-1839. ■lie manager took in $100 a night, he did California ''Night reading made easy by electric berth lights.- The Old Way — dim lights in ceiling of car, so that reading by night is almost impossible. The New Way electric side lights, conveniently placed in each Pullman section; you can read without eye-strain; also easily disrobe or dress. Many other new travel luxuries on The California Limited The California Limited runs be- tween Chicago, Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Francisco. Daily service com- mences November 29, until then semi- weekly . Less than three days to southern California. Visit the GRAND Canyon of Arizona en route — a mile deep, miles wide, and rainbow-tinted. Our illustrated booklets, mailed free, will help you rightly plan a California tour. Address, J. M. CONNELL, General Agent, 109 Adams Street CHICAGO Santa 1 e ^ W ALL, THE "WAX exceedingl)- well, and those were the good old days when good old actors and good younger ones, too, were content to play for a modest salary, when, in spite of appetites and desires, they still thought a little more of their art than they did of money, when every player realized that there was still some- thing left for him to learn. One of the actors of this period was Isaac ^lerritt, who was destined to win everlasting fame as an inventor. He usually played Richard III. His right name was I. M. Singer, a name now world-famous as that of the inventor of the Singer sewing machine. And at this time. April 27, 1S39, Edmund Gill attracted attention to his hotel on the corner opposite the Lake House, by calling it the Shake- speare. Dan M^EblAcame along during the last. week of Ma\-, 1839, and "gave his Yankee tricks, stories, and notions in full style. His wife assisted him on the stage." Chicago had an actors" colony in those early days, tor the lirst City Directory, published in 1S39, contained the f< illowing names: BuKKE, Charles, actor. Chicago Theatre. Germo.v, Greene C, actor, Chicago 'J heatrc. GREEXE, C. L . actor. Chicago Theatre. jEFEERSO.x & M.^cKenzie. managers. Chicago Theatre, Dearborn St. Jefferson-, Joseph. lefterson & MacKenzie. JEFFERSON, JOSEPH, (Joe , comedian, Chicago Theatre. Jefferson, Thomas, actor, Chicago Theatre. Mackenzie, Ai.e.xander, Theater, Jef¥er.son & MacKen/.ic. SULLIV.\N, A., actor, Chicago Theatre. Warren. William, comedian, Chicago Theatre. INOERSOLL, Mrs., actress and teacher of dancing, bds. Lake House. On August 31, 1S39, the theatre was reopened by Joseph Jefferson (father of Rip), with Colman's musical comedy. "The Review, or The Wag of "Windsor," and "The Illustrious Stranger, or Buried Alive." The company was practically the same as during 1S3S, with the addition of A. Sullivan and C. L. Green. Mr. Jefferson, who like his son was a painter as well as an actor, had succeeded Mr. Isherwood as Alexander MacKenzie's partner. The theatre had been newly painted. The motto over the dro]) curtain was : ' • For Useful Mirth Or Salutar}- Woe." Chicago audiences of that day were not so well behaved as might have been desired, for the daily imi^er felt called upon to say " There is a police in attendance whose f/u/y it is to preserve strict order and decorum in the theatre. If the ladies are waiting for fashionable precedents, we will 59 'THE OVERLAND LIMITED." Electric Lighted. in 111 is Stale . llic Ih aUtiulcd ,^c*ncr;illy l>y tiK' licaut ' ' -liioii of the lai; • and by the ;4entlemen f)f the phu - Miieial ])ositions !"■ ;• Judge of the Supreme Coiu't down. This has beci. w L' believe, at St. Louis and in tlie East." Joseph Jefferson, tlie second, was l)orn in Philadelpliia in i->o4, and in 1S26 married Mrs. Hui'ke, wh' senior. He was manager and actor, and aiway^ paimcn m-- own sceneiy. He died suddenly at Mobile, Ala., at midnight, Thursday, November 24, 1S42, of yellow fever. He was br l!ie next day in Magnolia Cemetery, Mobile, the theatre Ijcin^ closed two nights, as the company, with tlie exception of six people, was composed entirely of members son family, and it was impossible to plii\ xxilmlkl lju. >_i]iv,i mourners. ]\Ir. John T. Ford, of BaUiniorc, said that Mr. Jef- ferson "was one of the most lovable men that ever lived." Up to this time no regular theatrical advertisements liad appeared in the daily paper, editorial paragraphs taking their place. But on Monday evening, September n m vegni'iv ■wU-,.vii^,.n,,.nt In 1 >, .1, ■, 1 1 of a Icgitin^'f' Idi ;)earance ^ THEATER. Monday Evening, September 9, 1839. Will be presented the drama called The Magpie and tliR Maid, nr Which is the Thief? Farmer Geralii . ifr. (ireeii Heiijaniin, a Ji, \ ..Jefferson Annette ... i/s. Intfer.soll IJame Oera Mackenzie After which a CONCERT.— P.\kt I Ballad by' Mr. Dempster " She wore a wreath roses ". New vSong, by Mr. Dempster, '■ Can I forget to love thee? " — composed by himself — Scottish Ballad by Mr. Dempster " vSaw ye mv wet- iimig. P.VKT II The Angel's Whiper, by Mr. Dempster. — Song bj^ Mr. Dempster, " Some love to roam o'er the dark sea foam. " Song by Mr Dcmnstir " Oh promise me to sing love ". To conclude with the li'ish Tutor, or New Liji-hts. Gl J. H. DI.MKKY, PKEsiDENT. T. AV. GII.MOHK. sk< vam.tkka ESTABLISHED 1830. C. W. Wilmartb Co High=Class Gas and ELlectric Fixtures 261 WABASH AVENUE. CHICAGO Telephone, Harrison 8362. LIGHTING FIXTURES FOR THIS THEATER FURNISHED BY US. WK HAVE CONTRACTS FOR THE LIGHTIXG FIXTURES FOR THE FOIiLOWIISTG BUIL.DIXGS : First Kational Bank Building . ..Chicago, 111. Railway Exchange Building Chicago, 111. Nixon Theater and Building Pittsburg, Pa. Butler Hotel Seattle, "Wash. Joliet Public Library ..Joliel, 111. Chesbrough Building Toledo, Ohio Hibernia Bank Building New Orleans, La. Third National Bank Cincinnati, Ohio First National Bank Cincinnati, Ohio Doctor Coffee's Residence.. Des Moines, Iowa Mr. W. J. Young's Residence Clinton, Iowa Governor Toole's Residence Helena, Mont. Please note that there was a change of bill at every per- formance and that two or three plaj'S were given every evening. ■ ' Oliver Twist " had its first performance in Chicago, September if), 1839. ^Irs. Germon inlaying Oliver: Mr. Sankey, Fagin; Will- iam Warren, Bill Sykes ; and Mrs. MacKenzie, Nancy Sykes Tuesday. September 1 7, 1 S39, was another important first night, Colman's "The Poor Gentleman" being played with William Wan-en as Dr. Ollapod. ' ' She Stoops to Conquer " was first given on Thursdaj-, September 19, 1S39, and "Jane Shore" on Friday, September 20, 1S39, with Mrs. Germon as Jane Shore. During the last week of September, 1839, the management found it necessary to build "a separate entrance for ladies," due no doubt to the rather rude behavior of the male theatre- goers of that period. ' ' Damon and Pythias " was given for the first time Friday, September 27, 1S39, with Mr. Leicester as Damon and Mrs. Germon as Calanthe. The house was poor. The time was now ripe for the advent of so-called " stars." and they came. Mrs. McClure and Mr. Charles Kemble Mason had the honor of being the first stars to shine in Chicago. They appeared on Wednesday, October 2, 1839, in "The Lady of Lyons." The next evening they gave " The Wonder" for the first time here. Friday, October 4, 1S39, "Fazio" was given for the first time, followed by " Katherine and Petruchio." Still the first presentation of a Shakespearean play in its entiret}- did not take place until Monday, October 7, 1S39, Mrs. McClure being the first Juliet and Mr. Mason the first Romeo Chicago ever saw. " ]\Iacbeth " was first given Thurs- day, October 10, 1S39, ^vith :Mr. Mason as Macbeth, Mr. Leicester as Macduft", and Mrs. McClure as Lady Macbeth. And strange to say, the Shakespearean performances were the best of the season. And then followed the first performance of " Hamlet." Tuesday, October 15, 1S39. It was given for Mr. MacKenzie's benefit, and Charles Kemble Mason had the distinction of being our first Hamlet, while Mrs. ^^IcClure was our first Ophelia. Mr. James H. McVicker, in his interesting reminiscences of the eai-ly Chicago stage, credits Charles Kemble Mason with being the first Shylock that Chicago ever saw. This is an error, for 63 F. P. SMITH WIRE AND IRON WORKS OR N A MENTAL IRON AND BRONZE A R T M E T AL W^O 1^ Is IrOQUOT<=; and Ilijvm!-; 1>TFATRI•:^ Office and Warehousf, Factory : Chester St., loo and I02 Lake St. Clybourn and Fnllerton Ave- CTTTCV-XOn ■The Merchant of Venice " was not given until Thursday, October 17, 1S39, and for William Leicester's benefit, that gen- tleman appearing as Shylock. On October 21, 1S39, " Pizarro. or the death of Rolla " was given, little Joseph Jefferson appear- ing as the child. How many in the audience thought of seeing him in 1S6S as Rip \'an Winkle ? Wednesday, October 30, 1839, is of historic interest, for on that evening "The Rivals" was given for the first time in Chicago and for the benefit of William Warren, although no mention of his name was made in the simple advertisement of that day, and which read as follows : THEATER. Wednesday Evening, October 30, 1839 Will Be Presented THE RIVALS-Or, A Trip to Bath. To conclude witli THE IMILLER'S IVIAID. Please observe the Jeffersonian flavor of the cast: Sir Anthony Absolute... Iliomas Sankey Bob Acres Joseph Jefferson Captain Absolute William Leicester Faulkland Greenbury C. Gernion I^a"<^--- — -...".C. L. Green Sir Lucius O'Trigger William Warren Fag - Charles Burke Mrs. Malaprop ...Mrs. Ale.xander MacKen/.ie Lydia Languish Mrs. David IngersoU J"li* - Mrs. Greenbury C. Gernion I'"<^y :\Irs. Joseph Jefferson The cast included Mr. Jenerson, his wife, his two sisters, his niece, his stepson, his cousin, and his niece's husband. At this time the elder Jefferson was only 35 yeai's of age, 63 r CALIFORNIA The Land of Sunshine, Fruit and Flowers California is less than three days away. Its balmy breezes, blue sea, smiling orchards, and beautiful mountain ranges, its magnificent opportunities for outdoor sports and its health- laden air, make it the greatest winter resort know^n. The most luxurious train in the world, the famous electric -lighted Overla nd Li mite d leaving Chicago daily at 8.00 p.m., makes the journey to California via The North- Western Line in less than three days. The route of the Limited is over the only double-track railway between Chicago and the Missouri River, through Omaha, Cheyenne and Ogden, down the Valley of the Sacramento to the Golden Gate, and via the San Joaquin Valley or over the beautiful Coast Line (where for a hundred miles the road lies along the shore of the shining Pacific) to Los Angeles. Two fast trains through to California leave Chicago via the Chicago & North-VVestern Railway daily. Sleep- ing car reservations and full information on request. TICKET OFFICES. 212 Clark St. and Wells St. Station, Telephone Central 721 NWI29 CHICAGO, ILL. ^ Mrs. Jefferson was 43 ; Charles Burke only 17 : Mrs. Ingersoll about 24: Mrs. ^MacKenzie about 28: Mrs. Germon 17, and Mr. (iermon 23. William Warren, born in Philadelphia, November 17, 1812, was 27 years of age. From here Mr. Warren went to Buffalo and then to Boston. He died at 2 Bullfinch Place, Boston, September 21, 18S8. The season at the Rialto closed on Saturday evening. November 2, 1839, with "The Devil's Ducat," a drama, followed by a nautical piece, "Tom Crin- gle's Log." And what became of the old Sauganash? On April 9, 1S40, the following adveriisenient appeared in Chi- cago's daily : " SAUGANASH HOTEL. This old establishment is now fitted up in elegant style, and has resumed its original and native name, with a thorough reformation of old habits and customs. JOHN MURPHY." But the results of the panic of 1837 were making themselves felt, and for seven years after 1839 there was no dramatic com- pany of special repute in the city. Mrs. J. G. Porter reopened the Chicago Theatre on March 31, 1842, and tried to give per- formances without a license, hoping to open in a burletta. KST.visMsii i:i) is: L. H. PRENTICE COMPANY E N G I \ E E R S A \ I> CONTRACTORS FOR STEAM AND HOT W^ATER HEATINO AND VENTILATINO APPARATUS 24-2t> SJIERAIAX ST.. NEAR BOARD OF TRADE CHICAGO PROP.ABI.V THE I.AKGKST FIRM OF TJIIS KfiVD IN' THK ^VORI.D. VIZ.: EXCT.rsiVEI.Y HEATING APPARATUS, STEAM AND HOT -WATER. THAT HEATS " The Swiss Cottage." She was Chicago's first woman man- ager, and on April 4 she petitioned the Council for forgiveness and a license. She secured both, the price of the latter being $30, that of the former not being quoted. On Saturdaj', April (). she announced a benefit for herself. It was to be her last appearance before leaving for Buffalo. The ijerformance Ixgan with the burlesque " The Manager in Distress, or All in a Ouandary." certainly a most appropriate title. Mrs. Porter was the eldest daughter of >rr>^ Maw T ),iff - -^ h'' -v^ J^^^^ ^ ^^"^^H '^^^^m ^' J^^^^^K DANFORD MARBLE On August 3.hionable. All the pioneers who had built the little city were there. Their wives and daughters, mothers, and sweethearts were there with them. They were all as happy as the genial manager, who was always cheerful, even in adversity. It was a new dawn for the little city, its sunrise of art, for it was then just ten years, three months, and twenty-four days old, with a population of but 15,000. The front of the house was not crowded with automobiles, or even with carriages, for pleasure vehicles were rare in those days and could not have been used had they been plentiful. The roads were not conducive to fast driving, and had wide gutters separating them from the side- walks, when the latter existed. None of the streets were paved, and the uneven, broken sidewalks with many steps were almost as bad as the middle of the roadway. Nor were the men in evening attire. They wore their swallow-tailed coats of blue cloth with brass buttons, and buff waistcoats. The audience was an inspiration to the players. Aviditors and actors were equally anxious to please each other. Those before the footlights seemed to say in their applause: " Followers of Shakesjieare's calling you are welcome! You are among friends' Give us from the bounty of your art and we will give you our applause. x\.nd when the play is done, we will smile upon you with our friendship in your new home. Remember alwaj> that we desire to see ' the players well bestowed.' " And the players, gladdened and inspired, spoke and acted with new spirit, as if they meant to say : " We appreciate j-our welcome and we are grateful. "We hope to be worthy of yo'ur approba- tion. Let us be friends." If the audience was an inspiration can less be said of the players? "Were not Mrs. Louisa Hunt, Dan Marble, and John B. Rice on the bill that glorious history- making evening in June ? And has Chicago not been faithful to the memories of inimital)le Mrs. Hunt, laughter-provoking Dan ^larble, and honest, noble John B. Rice? And you know, do you not, that Mrs. Louisa Hunt had been born Louisa Lane, that she was the brilliant comedienne who afterward mamed the comedian of the company, George Mossop. and win > after his 81 Frank Parwtelee Gomjianil Established 1853 Haihcad i^iUJ>en6er (and wo V ' ^agf^age Transfer Office 132 East Adams Street Telephone Harrison 1914 BAGGAGE TRANSFERRED TO AND FROM RAILROAD DEPOTS, HOTELS. AND RESIDENCES PROMPT SERVICE Theatrical Transfers a Specialty death, in 1S4S, became Mrs. John Drew, the greatest Mrs. Mala- prop Chicago ever knew? The opening address, written by G. W. Philliniore, a member of the company, and delivered by Edwin Harris, was in three parts — " To The Audience," " To The Boxes," and " To The Pit." No one accused Mr. PhilHmore of writing good poetry, but every one admitted that his heart was in the right ])lace. A popular member of this company was ilrs. Rice, who was born ^lary Ann Warren, a sister of William Warren and IMrs. Dan Marble. She made her debut as Helen in " The Hunchback," July 26, 1S47. She retired from the stage in 1S54. ^md died at Colorado Beach, California, March 23, 1S93. Mr. Rice was a man whose word was as good as a bond. On one occasion the audience was offended at Bai'ney Williams, who did something on the stage offensive to the Irish people 2:)resent. They refused to allow Williams to proceed \\:ith his lines, and then Mr. Rice appeared upon the scene, informed his patrons that if they allowed Mr. Williams to finish his per- formance and complete his engagement, he would give them his word of honor that Mr. Williams would never again be permitted to play at his theatre. The riot was quelled and Mr. Williams was never re-engaged. Among the men who came here to attend the Harbor and River Convention, and who patronized the playhouse, were Horace Greeley, who represented the .Wtc Vor/c Tribune ; Thurlow Weed, who wrote for the Xeiu York Evening Journal, and Abraham Lincoln, the last named being then thirty-eight years of age and in Chicago for the first time. One of the great attractions in those days was T. D. Rice, of '-Jim Crow" fame, who had dropped little Joseph Jefferson out of a bag when the latter, at the age of four, made his first appearance on the stage. Rice made his first appearance here on July 12, 1S47, as Ginger Blue, the Mummy, in " Mummy." The next night Jerry Merrifield, who became a popular comedian here, made his first appear- ance as Peter Spyke in " The Loan of. a Lover." At this time Mrs. Hunt was featured as a stock star, and having a fondness for male roles won much favor in them. On July 28, 1S47, she appeared as Claude Melnotte to the Pauline of Mrs. Rice. The 83 most popular aclor seen here in those days was James E. Murdoek, wlio trod the boards of a Chicago stage for the first time on August 2. 1S47. The play was " Hamlet." Mrs. Hunt was the Ophelia ; Mrs. Rice, the Queen ; Mr. Harris, the Ghiist ; and Mr. Mossop, the Laertes. The next night Mr. Murdoek played Romeo to Mrs. Hunt's Juliet. Actors were versatile in those days. On September 11, 1S47. Mr. Ryer, the tailor, still an amateur, appeared as Hamlet, "by the advice of his friends." The enthusiasm was so great that one admirer threw him a purse of $25. The stage in Chicago has undergone many changes. The lamented Julia Dean, gifted, beautiful, and probably the most popular actress of her day, made her debut at Rice's on October 5, 1S47, as Julia in ••The Hunchback." "Her smile was a language of itself; joy and anguish, hope and fear ; love and scorn flitted across her young face with the grace of sunbeams and shadows." James Hubert McVicker made his first appearance in Chicago. Tuesday, May 2, 1S4S. Mr. McVicker, whose name was then spelt McVicar, made his debut as Mr. Smith in " My Neighbor's Wife." The relations between Mc^'icker and Rice were always of the most cordial character. During the first week in Jvine of i84S,an luiusual state of affairs exi-sted in Chicago. Five places of amusement were x)pen at one time; Ravmond & Waring's Menagerie was the place to see the elephant ; Winter's Diorama, the place to see "Jerusalem and the Court of Baljylon " ; Rice's Theatre, the place to see acting : Winchell's entertainment, the place to hear good singing ; and Tom Thumb was at the Court House, "the place to be kissed ", for a girl that had not been kissed by Tom Thumb felt like a spinster who had never had an offer of marriage. And all the notice that Edwin Fon'est received from the Ell e7iing Journal, after he had made his debut at Rice's on June S, 1S4S, was the following: "A crowded audience were delighted with Mr. Forrest's Othello at the theatre last evening. Mr. P'enno, as lago, was most superior, and Mrs. Hunt's Desdemona, charming. To-night Mr. Forrest appears again in the character of Hamlet." And an enterprising citizen who had I'clt called upon ta ask Mr. Forrest " how lie liked Chieago", received this answer from the actor who had climbed up and down our sidewalks, " How do I like Chicago? Why the whole place is set for ' Mazeppa.'" And so far as we know, the first actor to step out of the character and make a speech during or after a performance in Chicago was l^dwin Forrest, who spoke at the conclusion of his first engage- ment on Friday evening, June 23, 1S4S, after playing King Lear for the first time here. Then came " the noblest Roman of them all." Junius Brutus Booth made his first appearance on Friday, September 22, 1S4S, in " Richard III." On Sep- tember I, 1S48, Chicago had .^rown to 19,724 souls, and on November 25, 1S4S, the second season at Rice's elo.sed, Mrs. Mossop. formerly ^Irs. Hunt, distinguishing'herself by playing Alfred Evelyn in " Money," and I^ucretia Borgia. And still the city was without good sidewalks, roadways, or gas. July 2S, 1S50, Mr. Rice began an experiment with grand opera, opening with " La Somnambula," the cast including Eliza Brienti, Miss Matthews, Mr. Manvers, and Mr. Dubreill. The theatre was destroj-ed by fire July 30, 1S50. Loss $4,000. On February 3, 1851, Mr. Rice opened his second theatre on the same spot, but the entrance had been transferred to IJearborn Street. The new building was of brick and cost Si i. 000. Mr. Rice made a notable improvement by abolishing the pit, because of its noisy occupants, and building a gallery at the top of the house, almost over the stage. The former pit was called the parquet and respectable people were then no longer afraid to see the play. The opening attractif)n at the new house was a triple bill: "Love in Humble Life," "The Captain of the Watch," and -'The Dumb Belle." Mr. and Mrs. G. H. Gilbert were members of the company, the now revered " Dear old Mrs. (Gilbert," being then a popular dancer. It was here that John Dillon, " recently graduated from a New York concert saloon," made his first local appearance. In 1S61, Rice's Chicago Theatre was converted into a business house. Meanwhile another theatre was opened. This was North's Amphitheatre, which stood on the south side of ^Fonroe Street, east of Wells Street. Its manager, Levi J. North, offered a unique entertainment, inasmuch as the drama was preceded by a cii'cus, the stage being built on wheels and run over the circus ring. It was afterward known as the National Theatre and existed until 1S64. Thursday evening, November 5, 1S57. McVicker's Theatre was opened. The stock company was large and representative and appeared in "The Honeymoon" and "'The Rough Dia- mond." H. A. Perry, who appeared as the Duke Aranza, was an admired actor of his day. Edwin Booth's first appearance was made here May 31, 1S5S, appearing in "A New Way to Pay Old Debts," followed by "Richelieu," John Howard Payne's "Brutus" and "Richard III." All the great actors of that period played at McVicker's, Edward A. Sothern mak- ing his debut in 1861, James H. Hackett, the great Falstaff of that day, in 1S65, and Mrs. Mary F. Scott-Siddons in 1869. The theatre was remodeled in 1864, and in 1S68 Joseph Jeffer- son produced " Rip Van Winkle" for the first time here. The theatre was rebuilt in 1S71, at a cost of $90,000, and re-opened with " Extremes" six weeks before the great fire of October 9, 1871, when it was burned with the rest of Chicago. Again the theatre was rebuilt, and re-opened August 15, 1872, with Douglas Jerrold's "Time Works Wonders." In 18S5 the theatre was again remodeled. On August 26, 1890, during a run of " Shenandoah." it was again destroyed by fire. It rose from its ashes on March 31, 1892, Joseph Jeflferson, William J. Florence, Mrs. John Drew, Miss Viola Allen, and Frederick Paulding appearing in "The Rivals." After Mr. McVicker died on March 7, 1896, the theatre was conducted by Mrs. IMcVicker, who, on May i, 1898, leased it for a term of years to Jacob Litt, who, in 1902. purchased the entire property from Mrs. McVicker. It was something of a coincidence that Mrs. McVicker leased the theatre to Mr. Litt just fifty years minus a day after the date of her husband's professional debut in Chicago. The story of McVicker's Theatre would fill many a volume. All the great actors of the day appeared here for a period of fortv vears, most of the great names of the dramatic 86 and musical professions having brightened the history of this house. Not only the famous stars, but many of the best known stock actors won favor here, for during the greater portion of Mr. McVicker's career the great stars were supported by the stock company of the house. And on many occasions the in- imitable Mr. McVicker would himself appear either at the head of his own company or in the support of eminent stars like Charlotte Cushman or Edwin Booth. His most memorable per- formances were those of Mr. Simpson to the Mrs. Simpson of Charlotte Cushman in "Simpson & Co.'," and of the First Grave Digger in " Hamlet," Dogberry in " Much Ado About Nothing," Bottom in •' Midsummer's Night," and Launcelot Gobbo in "The Merchant of Venice," when Edwin Booth was the star. These iive roles were distinctively his own. Mr. McVicker was a comedian and a manager in the true sense of the word, and as a citizen of Chicago he was so popular and so public-spirited that his memory will never be dimmed by time. Still another famous playhouse was Colonel Wood's Museum at iii-ii- Randolph Street, which was opened with a number of curiosities August 17, 1863, and in November, 1S63, converted into a playhouse, when "The Bohemian Girl" was given by the Holman Opera Companj-. " The Lady of Lyons " was the first play given, and for some time eminent players of this day, such as Frank E. Aiken, McKee Rankin, William J. LeMoyne, and Owen Fawcett, were admired members of the stock company, which was so popular that before the fire, when long runs were unknown, "The Ticket of Leave Man" was played consecutively for six weeks. And all Chicago remembers Crosbj^'s Opera House, which stood on the north side of Washington Street, between Dear- born and State Streets, and opened with " II Trovatore," April 26, 1S65, at a cost of $500,000, by J. Grau's Italian Opera Company. Miss Clara Louise Kellogg, now Mrs. Carl Strakosch, was a member of the company. Here the great spectacular plaj-s of the day, "The Black Crook," "The White Fawn," and " The Field of the Cloth of Gold" were given, as well as all the great operas ami German ilramas, for here Fanny Janauschek and Marie Seebach played the tragedies of Schiller and Goethe. And on this stage the citizens of Chicago presented a silver wreath to Madame Janauschek, Dr. Ernst Schmidt being the spokesman of the occasion. And now the great tragedian is practically dying in want. Like the other playhouses, Crosby's Opera House, which was to be re-dedi- cated by the Theodore Thomas Orchestra, Marie Krcbs, pianist, and Bernhard Listemann, violinist, on Monday, Octo- ber 9, 1S71, was burned to the ground that morning, the orchestra reaching Twenty-second Sti'eet on its way from the East. At the time it was said that Theodore Thomas differed from Nero inasmuch as he roamed away while his fiddles were burning. No less than three theatres wxTf named after Frank E. Aiken, Chicago's popular leading man of that day. For a time Wood's Museum was known as Aiken's Theatre, after Col. J. H. Wood retired. Another Aiken's Theatre was built on the east side of Deai'born Street, one block south of the spot where Rice's Chicago Theatre had stood.- It was opened January, 1S69, by a stock company playing ■• Cyril's Success." In August, 1S69, it was transformed into the Dearborn Theatre and occupied b}' Emerson. Allen & Manning's Minstrels and other attractions, such as Charles Wyndham in the Robertson comedies. Still another Aiken's Theatre was ei-ected at the northwest corner of Wabash Avenue and Congress Street, and opened October 7, 1S72, by the Theodore Thomas Orchestra. Here Anton Rubinstein and Wienawski gave their meriiorable concerts. Here Lawrence Barrett produced "Julius Caesar," and while playing Cassius stepped out of the role to speak Marc Antony's oration. Frank Lawler being the Marc Antony, 'fhe theatre was burned in the second Chicago fire of July i^, 1S74. Meanwhile other places of amusement were opened. They included Bryan Hall, at 87 and 89 Clark Street, built in i860 for concerts; the first Academy bt" Music, at 124 Washington Street, opened December i. 1S63, and devoted to Arling- ton, Kellv, Leon & Donnikers Minstrels, and later to' English THE A. H. Andrews Co 174-176 Wabash Avenue CHICAGO, ILL. Seated tHis "IROQUOIS" THeatre Xarcicet /IRanutacturcrs of: (0prra au^ abratrr ^ratinri. (0fitrr a^^ iUauk 5FiiniUurr (Cburrlj an^ ^rluml iFunittiirr. ^trrl fflirr (Cljairs aablra an^ ^tiuUs A FEW OF THE LEADING THEATRES FURNISHED BY US: Iroquois, Chicago. MCVICKERS', Chicago, AUDITORIUM, Chicac Powers', Chicago; GaRRICK, Chicago. METROPOLITAN. New Yor» Chicago Opera House. Chicago. St. Charles, new ohlean^ DALVS, New Yohk; ACADEMY, New York. LYCEUM, Memphi! Toronto, toromto Prospect, ci-evei-and Academy, buffalo opera by the late Sher Campbell and the present William Castle ; the tirst Olympic Theatre, at the northwest corner of Clark and Jlonroe Streets, opened Jiih- 15, 1S6S, by Arlington's Minstrels, and the Globe Theatre on Dcsplaines Street, between .Madison and Washington Streets, opened November 21, 1S70. by a stock company playing " The Rivals." The last named was the only theatre that escaped the fire. After the great fire the walls of the old Postofifice at Dear- born and Monroe Streets were utilized as the framework of a theatre that was opened January 11, 1S75. with a burlesque under Leonard Grover's management. J. H. Haverly recon- structed it in 1S7S. and called it Haverly's Theatre, opening it with the Colville Folly Company in " The Babes in the Woods." It was used as a theatre until iSSo, when it was demolished. It was here, on Aj^ril i, 1S75, that Will J. Davis, who had been associated with W. W. Cole of Grover & Cole, first came into view professionally, as J. H. Haverl\'"s trusted lieutenant, yiv. Davis growing to be the dean among local managers. During 1S77 and 1S78, Mr. Davis was not associated with this house, l)ut he returned in 1S79, '^»f^ every faithful Chicagoan is grate- ful to him for his share of the prosperity of this house that first introduced us to such distinct and lasting successes as the Chicago Church Choir Company, Her Majesty's Italian Opera Company, the Carlcton Opera Companv. and the Chicagcj Ideals. A great and good man to whom Chicago is indebted for much was the late Richard M. Hooley. familiarly and rever- ently called "Uncle Dick Mooley. " Mr. Hooley came here from Brooklyn in 1S70, and transff)rmed Bryan Hall into a handsome theatre called Hooley's Opera House. It was opened Jaraiary 2, 1871, by Hooley's Minstrels, and when it was destroyed in the great fire Mrs. F. W. Lander ( Jean Daven- port ) was to appear in an English version of Giacometti's ■' Elizabeth." For a while Mr. Hooley had a stock company in conjunction with Frank E. Aiken, with Mr. Aiken as lead- ing man, the first play being " The Two Thorns." After the fire the theatre was rebuilt, and after being called the Coliseum and Hamlin's Theatre, was remodeled in iSSo, and called the Grand Opera House, and leased to John A. Hamlin. It was opened September, iS8o, bj' Hoey & Hardy in "A Child of the State." Mr. Will J. Davis was acting manager of the Grand Opera House at this time and remained thei-e two years, giving the house its legitimate start. After the great fire Mr. Hooley built Hooley's Theatre on Randolph Street, east of La Salle, and opened it October 17, 1872, with the Abbott- Kiralfy Company. In 1876 and 1877 it was known as Haverh-'s, and then restored to Mr. Hooley and his partner, Simon Quinlan. Later Mr. Hooley became its exclusive manager and remained so until his death in Sep- tember, 1893. Here for some years Mr. Hooley had an excep- tional stock company that included at different times such well- known players as James O'Neill, William H. Crane, Harry Murdock, John Webster, John Dillon, George Rj-er, George Giddens, Nate Salsbury, Louise Hawthorne, Minnie Doyle, Nellie McHenry, Sidney Cowell, Susan Denin, and last, but not least, the famous Mrs. Clara Fisher Maeder. May i, 1898, the theatre passed from the control of the Hooley estate into the hands of Harry J. Powers, who had been associated with the house since October 15, 1877, when the attraction was Jarrett & Palmer's " Sardanapalus," and who gave it the name of Powers' Theatre, although the favorite name of " The Parlor Home of Comedy " still clings to it. A£ter a complete reconstruction based on designs by Benjamin H. Marshal, who afterward became the architect of the Illinois and Iroquois theatres, it was opened as Powers' Theatre, August 2^, 1S9S, with Eflie Shannon and Herbert Kelcey in Ch^de Fitch's, " The Moth and the Flame." For thirty-one years this plaj'house has made theatri- cal history. Most of the eminent players and singers of the generation have appeared upon its boards, and here many of our younger actors have made their local debuts as stars. Here , since Mr. Powers first became connected with the house, we have seen Lawrence Barrett, Clara Morris, Robson and Crane, Fanny Janauschek, Fanny Davenport, Helena Modjeska. K. A . Sothern , John T. Raymond, John McCullough , Nat C. Good- win, Emma Abbott, Clara Louise Kellogg, George S. Knight, Lotta, E. H. Sothern, Mrs. Scott-Siddons, Maggie Mitchell, Genevieve Ward, Roland Reed, Minnie Maddern, Annie Pixley, Henry E. Dixey, Rosina Yokes, Mr. and Mrs. Kendall, Mar- garet Mather, E. S. Willard, Eleonora Duse. Ada Rehan, Olga Nethersole, William Gillette, John Hare, John Drew, Sol Smith Russell, Julia Arthur, Julia Marlowe, Maude Adams, Sir Henry Irving, Ellen Terry, and a host of others, many of whom have passed into the Great Hereafter. No wonder then that to old and young this playhouse, which has ever maintained the highest standard, is indeed a " Home." John B. Carson built a theatre on Monroe Street, between Dearborn and Clark, and called it Haverly's. It was opened Monday, September 12, 1881, by Robson and Crane with "Twelfth Night." It was managed bj^ J. H. Haverlj' and afterward by C. H. McConnell, during whose i-egime Mr. Will J. Davis was his acting manager. On the last night of the second engagement of Henry Irving and Ellen Terry, Satur- day, January 31, 1885, Ellen Terry christened the house the Columbia Theatre. In 1889 Mr. Carson offered his house out of hand to Mr. Will J. Davis, who associated himself with Mr. Al Hayman, then of San Francisco in a ten year lease of the theatre, and on Friday afternoon, March 30, 1900, during an en- gagement of the Rogers Brothers, it was destroyed by fire. Other theatres built from time to time were : Myers' Opera House, on Monroe Street, between State and Dearborn Streets ; Samuel Myers, manager ; opened Septem- ber 23, 1872. The Standard, afterward the Bijou, at the corner of Jackson and Halsted Streets ; built by a Mr. Townsend of this city, opened by Fay Templeton in "Girofle-Girofla" December 31,1883. Chicago Opera House, at the corner of Washington and Clark Streets ; opened by John W. Norton & Co. , with David Henderson as manager, August 18, 1885, with Thomas W. Keene in "Richard III." The new Chicago Theatre, now the Olympic Theatre, on Clark Street, between Lake and Randolph : opened by James H. McVicker in August, 1S75, with "Apple Blossoms.* Called the Olympic, in May, 1SS5. Hopkins' Theatre, on State Street near Harrison, was opened !)y Robert (iraham in "Wanted a Partner," October i, 1SS4. The Windsor Theatre, later the Lincoln, on North Clark- Street, near Division, was opened September 16, 1SS6. The Haymarket Theatre on West Madison Street, near Halsted, was dedicated by Thomas Keene in "Richard HI" December 24, 1SS7, under the management of Mr. Will J. Davis. Thomas W. Keene had the distinction of opening two Chicago playhouses with the same play. Baker's Theatre, afterward Havlin's. and now the Colum- bus, was opened with "The Pearl of Pekin " November 6, iSSS, and leased to J. H. Havlin May 27. 1SS9. ^ The Clark Street Theatre, on North Clark and ^Michigan Sti-eets ; opened by H. R. Jacobs, with " Said Pasha," October 27, 1SS9. The Alhambra, on State and Nineteenth Streets, was opened by the Emma Juch Grand English Opera Company in " Faust." .September i, 1S90. The Schiller' Theatre, later the Dearborn and now the Garrick, was opened in September, 1S92, with four weeks of German comedy, and dedicated to the English drama with " Ciloriana," October 17, 1S92. The Great Northern Theatre, A. M. Palmer, manager, was opened bj^ Henry Miller in "Heartsease," November 9, 1S96. The Auditorium was dedicated by President Harrison and Adelina Patti, ^londay, December 9. 1SS9. Gounod's " Romeo and Juliet " was given the next night with Mrne. Patti as Juliet. The vStudebaker, on Michigan Boulevard, between Van Buren and Congress Streets, was opened with a concert September 29. 1S9S, and was first used as an opera house .by the Castle Square Company in •' Faust," Monday, Api'il 3, 1S99. The opening of the Illinois Theatre, on Jackson Boulevai-d. Monday evening, October 15, 1900, with Julia Marlowe in Clyde Fitch's "Barbara Frietchie " marked a new era< inasmuch as it was the first time in the history of Chicago that a playhouse 93 was cfjnstructed and employed solely for theatrical purposes. There are several older houses in New York, Philadeli)hia, and Savannah. Ga. , that are similarly built and used, but they art- the important exceptions to an almost unanimous rule. It was built by the Haymau c^- Davis Co.. with .Mr. Will J. Davis as manager. While it was being built all sorts of names were suggested, ]Mr. Davis making a plea for a name that would be symbolical of the city's history. Finally Charles Frohnian said : " Whv not call it the Illinois.^" And Illinois it became, and worthilv so, as something of a rebuke to the naming of theatres either after individuals or in imitation of some English name to which its birth and career are wholly foreign. And so. to-day, the Illinois Theatre, after a career of a little over three years, typifies all that is most beautiful and good in the modern theatre. Like the first playhouse Chicago ever had, its name is Indian. It is also noteworthy that the architect of the Illinois is ])rob£iblv the ycnmgest man who ever designed a theatre, for Benjamin H. Marshall was barely twenty-six .years of age when the Illinois became a reality. When the new playhouse that is now being dedicated was first planned, Mr. Will J. Davis was ready with a name for it, a name that would be a tribute to the first inhabitants of this continent. Mr. Davis' devotion to the history of the Indians has been constant, and he was deeply impressed by the fact that in early days they were led by the Iroquois, composed of the Five Nations, afterward the Six Nations, for the Senecas, iMohawks, Onondagas, Oneidas. and Cayugas were, in 17 ty. joined by the Tuscaroras. So this theatre, designed to be a leader, was named the Iroquois. And it is interesting to note that it was on the anniversary of the nation's birth that Mr. Marshall prepared the first designs for the new house, namely, on July 4, 1902. Our first inhabitants can not be forgotten, when, in our search for wholesome amusement and instruc- tion, we remember that our first and latest playhouses were called respectively Sauganash and Irf)quois. 14 DAY USE LOAN DEPT. Renewed books are subject to itnme 8 LIBRARY mLMUUm — — I.C, BERKELEY LIBRARIES CDSfibl'^flfi? 9«'M^^M<^»^^^^\^^^^\v^^\-'^ai■■i