The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1893-12-26
THE ROAD TO RUIN.

Mrs John Drew IL at the Fourteenth
Street Theatre. After that one need
not be surprised II "a Flag OF Truce"
gets into the Lyceum and "A Country
sport" goes to the Metropolitan Opera
House. Yet n diamond is "a diamond. no
matter what be It's setting, and this ia
nous old actress sCintillated yesterday,
and compelled success in spite Of the
gentle cracking of tn" succulent peanut
and the Tangorinc-chargrl atmosphere,
which, as a rule, careth nothing Tor
standard comedy.
Mrs. Drew appeared az the giddy Wild
uw Warren in ilolbrook's Road to
Ruin" and her performance was simply
Il marvel of discretion, refinement and
genuine humOr, from the time she made
her first appeuraucn until the final cur
tain fell And nobody needs a bump OF
vcnoratlon I'm order to enjoy Mrs Drews
work in "The Road to Ruin" 1t Is not
necessary 10 say to yourself, This - Il
famous old actress, who has been b"ior"
tn" people for half century. and whom
nobody would dare to condemn Not
a bit of It. If you saw Mrs Drew yes
trrdnv for the first time In your life"
ana had never heard Of her before
you would chuckle jOyuusly and purr
with pleasure at her art. The Widow
Warren Is IA frivolous old creature, who
Is in love with every young man she
meets, and who imaglnes herself to be
absolutely Irresistible. She places Il
higher value upon the maturity of her
own charms than upon the eighteen
ycur-Old beauties OF pretty Sophia Free
love, and when young Harry Doruton
seeks her hand in order to obtain her
money, which he needs to retrieve ms
fathers fortunes, she IL perfectly Will
Ing 1t is young Dornton who runs upon
the road to ruin. and who bets and spec
ulates until the widows pounds. shill-
ings and pence are necessary. 1t Is OLD
Dornton who supplies the role of the
stern parent, and II Is Sophia Freelove
who appears as the ingenue.
THE Road to Ruin" Is. OF course.
dusty, but ii is not as mildewed as many
Of the Old comedies that are sometimes
dragged into the Apht of the stage, when
they should he left In the library. Hol-
brooks work is GEAR and concise and his
| humor has not lost It's power. This
humor pierced way through the pea
]
house laughed at Holbrook. so significant.
! ~ interpreted bv Mrs. Drew. What a
/ LESSON she could give to many of the
smaller fry in the art of repose, of non
/ exaggerated humOr, Of legitimate quaint
ness. and also In the proper use of ths
| English language. Every time she sale
to the weeping Sophia go II your
room" the audience howled with laugh
! ter. Her way Of saying it, the quiet
| humOr of her manner made an appca
| that all the horse pay In the woriC
! could not secure. Mrs Drew was tn,
star: the others were very ordinary bits
of tlnsel. Mrs. Sidney Drew was gooC
as Sophia FroelOve, and Clarence l.. Hol
vigorous as Harry Dornton. hut Sidney
Drew was an embarrassing ana half
hearted Goldtinch. W. r. Bernard
colorless silky, and George Osbourne {
conventional Mr.. Dornton.
The front scenes used in "The Roat
to Ruin were rather peculiar. Mcthink!
have seen them in s'teen melodrama
when Hyde Park was Il spot at lcas
three thousand miles out of London. Tn
Interiors. however. We're not bad. Thos
shaded RosenqueSt portiercs are Away
pleasant to look upon. ALAN DALE.