25 minutes f.s. Mrs. Pickett this week is telling personal stories of her experiences with Lincoln, Grant, Lee, Jackson, and Davis. In the first time of the new lecture in which she has reduced more than two hours of good material into 25 minutes, she did remarkably well and held the audience from start to finish and was perhaps better adapted to vaudeville than the talk on Gettysburg last week. It might be remarked by the way that towards the end of the week she had her Gettysburg down to 19 minutes and it went better at ever performance.
(Widow of General George E. Pickett who led the Confederate charge at Gettysburg.) 25 minutes f.s. The appearance of Mrs Pickett was a decided innovation in vaudeville and I doubt whether there is another woman who could accomplish what she did this afternoon. Coming on this far down on the bill after an exceptionally strong show, she held the audience with a description of the last day at Gettysburg until the finish, and got a strong hand. She is a remarkable orator, with quality in her voice that cannot fail to reach an audience. We featured her heavily here and presented her in a full stage setting, a massive affair with alcoves and corridors, grand piano on the stage, and heavy furniture, so that she made her entrance from the center. In appearance she is a striking type of Southern woman with an easy dignity that wins the respect as well as the good will of the audience as soon as she appears. She is the best advertising proposition we have had here in years. The G.A.R. came in a body tonight, the D.A.R. are in the boxes, and nothing but a previous engagement has kept the Governor away, but he has promised to come later in the week. To-day she received telegrams from all over the country, some of them as far away as San Francisco from army officer and G.A.R. men and there is evidently the greatest interest in this vaudeville venture everywhere.
14 min. Monologue in one. The German soldier. Very much after the style of Cliff Gordon and nearly as big a hit. Mr. Anger gives a lot of talk and I am confident drew some money to the house.
Protean monologist. Miss Buckley presents the same act she the last time here and it went quite well. She secured the attention of the house without any trouble, was rewarded for her work by quite liberal applause and finished fairly strong. Opens in 1, closes special in 1 ½, 14 minutes.
Time 17. Using a few stercopticon [sic] slides and charts, Henson briefly outlines the trip to and from the North Pole. Henson is not a god speaker and he was apparently frightened most of the times he was working this afternoon. His habit of hesitation and uncertainty became unpleasant. It seems, too, that he might easily have selected more interesting topics to speak of. His work consists of the briefest outline of the trip and does not contain a single incident of experiences. In spite of these faults, he held the attention of his audience well, and was rewarded with generous applause. In my opinion, the man and what he might offer have great drawing possibilities. The act should be thoroughly overhauled and gingered up.
15 min. in one – A clean cut, nice looking, well dressed performer—but he should get someone to write him a bright monologue. He has some Marshall P. Wilder jokes—the parlor kind—and he waits like Wilder for the laughs. He gets a few, but with good stuff he could do 100% better. Received a hand.
If this woman would apply a bit more life into her makeup she could go into the best part of the bill. She dresses well and has a pleasant appearance but lacks the necessary fire to keep the audience with her all the time. Her stuff is good but the vim to handle it is lacking. In her place she does very well and with a little more experience could make good anywhere. I rather like these entre of bright looking women into the monologue lines.
Monologist, with a “sing-song” voice. This woman has a good appearance, and can tell stories in an interesting way. She succeeded in entertaining the audience after a fashion, but made no phenomenal hit. However, she was well received.
Monologist. As a fun-maker this accomplished performer is on a planet of his own and his nearest competitors might just as well give us all hope of ever inhibiting it with him. His work is simply marvelous. 18 minutes of convulsive laughter in 1.
