The New Magdalene at Cordray’s Theater
A sympathetic and emotionally charged opening night at Seattle's premier theater.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The reception given each artist upon their entrance at Cordray’s theater for the performance of Wilkie Collins' play, 'The New Magdalene,' was marked with genuine enthusiasm. The story revolves around the character of Mary Merrick, an outcast with a noble ambition to rise above her surroundings. Miss Bessie Tittell, playing the lead, made the character feel sympathetic and human, moving many in the audience to tears by the final act. Mr. L. E. French, as the clergyman Julian Gray, was greeted with a reception that lasted a full minute before he could speak, and his rich, full voice secured him hearty applause. The stage settings were rich, and the performance as a whole was the smoothest and most satisfactory first night ever at Cordray's.
“The character is full of strong dramatic lights and shadows and reveals the stormy life of an outcast with a noble ambition to rise above her surroundings.”
Cordray’s Theater was a prominent venue in the late 19th-century Seattle theater scene. Today, the site of the bustling theater district and the arts culture it supported has evolved significantly, though downtown Seattle remains a hub for performance and civic gathering.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.