The Sancho Panza Era

 

Unknown Theatre-Cleveland, Ohio

First showing of Otis Skinner's production of "Sancho Panza"................................New York Times, 21 Oct 1923

     Robert Rosaire plays the part of Sancho's sidekick, "Dapple" the donkey.

 

National Theater-Washington D.C.

Mention is made of a Sancho Panza performance here in the Tribune................Washington Tribune, 9 Dec 1923

 

Hudson Theatre-139-141 West 44th St / 135-144 West 145th St, New York City

Built 1903 by J. B. McElfatrick & Son and Isreals & Harder for Henry

B. Harris. Opened 19 Oct 1903 with "Cousin Kate" (featuring Ethel

Barrymore). 1048 seats. 1934-1937 used as a radio studio by CBS.

Since 1939 operated by the Shubert Company, since 1944 by Howard

Lindsay and Russel Crouse. 1950 bought by NBC. Subsequently used

for NBC's TV shows, "Broadway Open House" (1950-1954) and "The

Tonight Show" (1954-1959). 1960-1968 again used as a theatre.

 

 

"Sancho Panza" opens in New York City-Show runs from 26 Nov - 29 Dec 1923 for 40 performances at Hudson theatre

THE CAST OF "SANCHO PANZA"

    Otis Skinner as Sancho Panza

    Robert Rosaire as Dapple the Donkey
   
    Anthony Andre as Gralva

    Stewart Baird as Arvino
    as The Court Physician

    Marion Barney as Donna Rodriguez

    Richard Cramer as Hernando

    Herbert Delmore as Gregory

    Grace Elliott as Altisidora

    Kathleen George as Dolorida

    Marguerite Ingram as Isabella

    Harry Lewellyn  as Mayor of Barataria

    H.H. McCollum as Father Hyacinth

    Robert Robson as Don Quixote
    as A Farmer

    Russ Whytall as Duke of Barataria

    Kirk Allen as A Young Thief

    Michael Barroy as The First Guard

    Meyer Berenson as A Drover

    Harold Brown as Another Singer

    William H. Browne as A Citizen

    Jack Cronin as Another Citizen

    Royal Cutter as An Old Man

    Marguerite Forrest as The Young Duchess

    Aileen Grace as The Page with the Insignia

    Helen Grenelle as The Page with the Staff of    Office
    as A Dancer

    Charles Halton as A Tailor
    as A Scrivener

    Malcolm Hicks as A Street Singer

    Smiley W. Irwin as A Citizen

    Fred Kotek as Another Citizen

    Walker Moore as Another Singer

    Elizabeth Page as The Page with the Pin

    Roberta Renys as The Page with the Cape

    Merle Stevens as The Page with the Crown

    Arthur C. Tennyson as The Third Guard

    Frederick Tiden as Chamberlain

    Ruby Trelease as A Drab

    Olga Treskoff as A Fruit Woman
    as The Page with the Mirror

    Richard Trott as The Fourth Guard

    William Venus as The Second Guard

 

Sancho Panza - Production Team

    Melchior Lengyel
    Writer

    Hugo Felix
    Songs

    Miguel de Cervantes
    Source Material ("Don Quixote de La Mancha")

    Russell Janney
    Producer

 

 

Powers Theatre-Chicago, IL

Show ran from December 1923 through May 1924

 

 

English's Opera House-Indianapolis, IL

Show ran 11-13 Dec 1924 with Three nights and a matinee...........................Indianapolis Star, 23 & 30 Nov 1924

    The following review was in the Star on 12 Dec 1924:

Dapple the donkey, who is the boon companion of Sancho Panza in the play of that name at English's Opera House this week, is the work of that master of pantomime, Robert Rosaire, who has been imitating animals on the stage since he was 7--he is now 53 (sic) years old.  Mr. Rosaire comes from a family of English pantomimes; his father and also his grandfather being leaders in that line of entertainment.  Mr. Rosaire's "Dapple" is so perfect he has been dubbed by members of the company as the "prince of Donkeys," but Mr. Skinner laughingly calls him "the very devil of a donkey."

 

Lincoln Square Theater-Decatur, IL

The show ran during the week of 17 Dec 1924.........................................Decatur Review, 23 Nov & 17 Dec 1924

 

Orpheum, Lincoln, NE

Show ran for one night only on 6 Jan 1925............................................................Evening Star Journal, 5 Jan 1925

 

Unknown Theater-Helena, Montana

Playdate was 4 Apr 1925.........................................................................................Helena Independent, 5 Apr 1925

 

Bismark Auditorium-Bismark, ND

Playdates were 8, 9 & 10 Apr 1925  (Last known dates)....................Bismark Tribune, 26 Mar, 3 & 10 Apr 1925

    Excerpts from two reviews.

Bismark Tribune, 3 Apr 1925----DONKEY HAS BIG ROLE IN PLAY COMING HERE---Dapple the little gray donkey in the comedy "Sancho Panza", which comes to the Auditorium on april 8, has a role of such length and importance that he practically shares the honors with Mr. Otis Skinner, the star.  Indeed, Mr. Skinner insists that Dapple take all curtain calls with him.

Bismark Tribune, 10 Apr 1925---OTIS SKINNER AS CLEVER AS EVER IN CERVANTEAN ROLE AT AUDITORIUM---Sancho Panza and his little gray donkey companion, Dapple, stumbled into their brief occupancy of the governorship of the Spanis province of Barataria last evening at the city auditorium entertaining with their antics and droll wisdom entertaining an audience prepared for a skillful Otis Skinner characterization.  And the audience was not a wit disappointed in that respect......................................................... Otis Skinner was as usual well cast.  Which is more than can be said of several who supported him in the modern adaptation of the famous character of the rotund goatherd squire of the swashbuckling Don Quixote.  Inarticulateness on the stage is often a virtue.  Last night for instance, the dumb donkey ran a close second to the great star in effectiveness, and far outshone the rest of the cast which was mostly negligible.

 

The Lockwood Family