A flying scene from Peter Pan written by James M. Barrie (1860-1937) and first performed at Duke of York’s Theatre, London, on 27 December 1904.

   A flying scene from Peter Pan written by the Scottish playwright James M. Barrie (1860-1937) and first performed at Duke of York’s Theatre, London, on 27 December 1904.

After the success of the original performance of Peter Pan in 1904, it toured every year for the next decade

   George Kirby had worked with the German troupe, the Grigolatis, whose flying effects needed four stage hands to raise and traverse one performer. Kirby was convinced that his system could be less cumbersome and in 1889 developed the first pendulum flying system with quick-release mechanism. One of the earliest productions for which Kirby supplied equipment was J.M. Barrie's play Peter Pan at the Duke of York's Theatre in 1904. Audiences were delighted when Wendy and her brothers were able to fly with Peter from their London home to Never Never Land. 

1907 production of Peter Pan, using Kirby’s apparatus.

The programmes for Peter Pan written by James M. Barrie (1860-1937) and first performed at Duke of York’s Theatre, London, on 27 December 1904.

   The programmes for Peter Pan written by the Scottish playwright James M. Barrie (1860-1937) and first performed at Duke of York’s Theatre, London, on 27 December 1904.

   The author J.M. Barrie had first conceived of the character of Peter Pan some years before it first appeared in the novel The Little White Bird in 1902, and the story of Peter and Wendy was then developed for the stage as Peter Pan: or, The Boy who Wouldn’t Grow Up. The play was first performed at Duke of York’s Theatre, London, on 27 December 1904 in a technically-ambitious production (which many thought was doomed to failure), and Peter Pan began its run somewhat uncertainly. After a couple of weeks, however, it gained an admiring juvenile audience that ensured large audiences until it closed on 1 April 1905, and the play ‘broke all previous theatrical records and proved Barrie’s most enduring success’ 

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Hamlet written by William Shakespeare and produced by Charles Frohman at the Knickerbocker Theatre, New York City, starring Julia Marlowe and E. H. Sothern in 1904

Scenes from Hamlet written by the English playwright William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616) and produced by Charles Frohman (1856 - 1915) at the Knickerbocker Theatre, New York City, starring Julia Marlowe (1866 - 1950) and E. H. Sothern (1859 - 1933), running from Oct. 17 to Nov. 26, 1904.

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Much Ado About Nothing, written by William Shakespeare (1564-1616), and performed at the Knickerbocker Theatre, New York City, from October 17 to November 26, 1904.

Scenes from Much Ado About Nothing, written by the English playwright William Shakespeare (1564-1616), and performed at the Knickerbocker Theatre, New York City, from October 17 to November 26, 1904.

Julia Marlowe with E.H. Sothern in Much Ado About Nothing

Julia Marlowe as Beatrice (with E.H. Sothern) in "Much Ado About Nothing"

E.H. Sothern and Julia Marlowe in Much Ado About Nothing, 1904

Hamlet, written by William Shakespeare (1564-1616), and performed at the Knickerbocker Theatre, New York City, from October 17 to November 26, 1904, starrring Julia Marlowe (1866-1950) and E. H. Sothern.

   Scenes from Hamlet, written by the English playwright William Shakespeare (1564-1616), and performed at  the Knickerbocker Theatre, New York City, from October 17 to November 26, 1904, starrring Julia Marlowe (1866-1950) and E. H. Sothern.   

   Sothern's Hamlet was presented during his period of prominence under producer Daniel Frohman, transitioning his career toward more serious dramatic work. The production highlighted his aspirations for precision in Shakespearean interpretation, setting the stage for his subsequent development in the classics.

with E.H. Sothern in Hamlet

In 1900, he appeared in Hamlet, his first Shakespeare performance at the Garden Theatre in New York City.  In 1904, Sothern first played with Julia Marlowe in Romeo & Juliet at the Illinois Theatre in Chicago. That same year, in repertory, he did Much Ado About Nothing and Hamlet. The next year, in Cleveland, he added The Taming of the Shrew and The Merchant of Venice. In 1905, at the Knickerbocker Theatre in New York, he played the same bill and added Twelfth Night with himself in the role of Malvolio. In 1907, he performed in the same four plays at the Lyric Theatre in New York. In 1907, he returned to England where he had a successful season with these and several popular non-Shakespeare plays.

Much Ado About Nothing written by William Shakespeare and produced at the Knickerbocker Theatre, New York city, by Charles Frohman, starring E. H. Sothern as Benedick and Julia Marlowe as Beatrice, in 1904

Scenes from Much Ado About Nothing written by the English playwright William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616) and produced at the Knickerbocker Theatre, New York city, by Charles Frohman (1856 - 1915), starring E. H. Sothern as Benedick and Julia Marlowe as Beatrice, having run from Oct. 17, 1904 to Nov. 26, 1904.

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Romeo & Juliet written by William Shakespeare and produced at the Knickerbocker Theatre, New York City, by Charles Frohman, with E. H. Southern and Julia Marlowe, having run from Oct. 17, 1904 to Nov. 26, 1904

Scenes from Romeo and Juliet written by the English playwright William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616) and produced at the Knickerbocker Theatre, New York City, by Charles Frohman (1856 - 1915), with E. H. Southern (1859 - 1933) and Julia Marlowe (1865 - 1950), having run from Oct. 17 to Nov. 26, 1904 .

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Raffles, the Amateur Cracksman (four acts and two settings), written by Eugene W. Presbrey and E. W. Hornung, and performed by Liebler and Co. at the Grand Opera House, Seattle, from October 12, to October 15, 1904.

   Scenes from Raffles, the Amateur Cracksman (four acts and two settings), written by Eugene W. Presbrey (American dramatist, 1853-1931) and E. W. Hornung (English author, 1866-1921), and performed by Liebler and Co. at the Grand Opera House, Seattle, from October 12, to October 15, 1904.

   The play was based on two of Hornung's short stories from The Amateur Cracksman. It also draws one of its characters from an 1886 play called Jim the Penman, by Charles Young. The story concerns a gentleman jewel thief who steals as much for excitement as necessity, and the efforts of a detective to catch him.

   The play was first produced by Liebler & Company, staged by Eugene W. Presbrey, with settings by Gates and Morange, and starred Kyrle Bellew. It had a tryout and some limited engagements starting in September 1903, before premiering on Broadway during October 1903. The production ran for 168 performances through March 1904, before prior scheduling commitments forced it to close.

"Raffles" at the Grand Opera House, in 1904. Includes Kyrle Bellew.

"Raffles" in 1904, at the Grand Opera House. Includes Kyrle Bellew.

A Wife Without A Smile (A Comedy in Disguise, in Three Acts), written by A. W. Pinero (1855-1934), and produced at the Wyndham's Theatre, on October 9 1904.

Scenes from A Wife Without A Smile (A Comedy in Disguise, in Three Acts), written by The English playwright A. W. Pinero (1855-1934), and produced at the Wyndham's Theatre, on October 9 1904.

Scene from 'A Wife Without a Smile' at Wyndham's Theatre, 1904

The Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News,November 26th, 1904, "A Wife Without A Smile,' By Mr. A. W. Pinero, at Wyndham's Theatre.

Romeo and Juliet, written by William Shakespeare (1564-1616), and performed at the Knickerbocker Theatre, New York City, in October 1904

   Scenes from Romeo and Juliet, written by the English playwright William Shakespeare (1564-1616), and performed at  the Knickerbocker Theatre, New York City, in October 1904, starring E.H. Sothern and Julia Marlowe.

   New York Times :  1904/10/18  SOTHERN AND MARLOWE IN "ROMEO AND JULIET"; Their First Joint ...  Sothern's Romeo is perhaps not the happiest of his achievements. In the balcony scene it lacked plastic grace and lyric passion. But it was still the work of an actor of high ability and...

Romeo and Juliet, starring E.H. Sothern and Julia Marlowe, 1904

E.H. Sothern and Julia Marlowe, 1904

Sothern and Julia Marlowe as Romeo and Juliet 1904

In 1904, she began an extremely successful partnership with actor E. H. Sothern, beginning with their appearances in the title roles in Romeo and Juliet, Beatrice and Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing, and the leads in Hamlet. They toured all over the U.S. in these plays, adding The Taming of the Shrew, The Merchant of Venice and Twelfth Night to their repertoire in 1905. 

The Music Master (a theatrical play), written by Charles Klein, and produced and directed by David Belasco, at the Belasco Theatre, New York city, on September 26, 1904.

   Scenes from The Music Master (a theatrical play), written by the American playwright Charles Klein (1867 – 1915) , and produced and directed by David Belasco, at the Belasco Theatre, New York city, on September 26, 1904, running  for 124 performances. 

   The three-act comedy-drama opened at the Belasco Theatre in New York on September 26, 1904. It ran for 124 performances before it was moved to the Bijou Theatre where it ran for another 511 performances over that and the next two seasons (taking summers off), before going on tour.

David Warfield in The Music Master

David Warfield in "The Music Master

"The Music Master" Act I. - Herr Von Berwig's Dinner Party

David Warfield in "The Music Master" Act III

David Warfield and Minnie Dupree in "The Music Master"

 "The Music Master" Act I. - Herr Von Berwig's Dinner Party

 "David Warfield in The Music Master", The New York Times, September 27, 1904

His Majesty's Servant, performed at the Imperial Theatre, London, in 1904.

 Scenes from His Majesty's Servant, performed at the Imperial Theatre, London, in 1904.

1904 LONDON Imperial His Majestys Servant, Elliott Hosford Hamilton Mohun

'His Majesty's Servant' at Imperial Theatre, 1904

The Play Pictorial featuring the romantic Play His Majesty's Servant at the Imperial Theatre, starring Lewis Waller.

HIS MAJESTY'S SERVANT Sketches at Imperial Theatre, 1904

1904 The Imperial Theatre His Majesty's Servant programme

A Doll’s House written by Henrik Ibsen and produced in St Petersburg, featuring Vera Komissarzhevskaya as Nora in 1904

Scenes from Et Dukkehjem (A Doll’s House, published in 1879) written by the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906), and produced at the Komissarzhevsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg,  under the direction of Vsevolod Emilevich Meyerhold (Russian theatre director, 1874 - 1940), starring Vera Komissarzhevskaya (most celebrated Russian actress, 1864 - 1910) as Nora, in 1904.