Worcester morning daily spy. (Worcester, Mass.) 1888-1898, 1898-03-20
NATURES MIRROR.
The w eek's Dramatic List Best
Towards the Last.
sothen in Anthony Hopes Play" Sowing
the Wind"-"The Land of the LN-
ing"- Bits About Player Folk.

The Worcester Theatre will be dark
the first three nights Of the week, be-
cause Manager Rock is interested in the
appearance of Ysaye with the Theodore
Thomas orchestra in Mechanics Hal
Monday night, and naturally doesn't
want to conflict with the success of that
concert. On Thursday the ice will be
broken by the coming of f. H. Sothern
in Anthony Hopes drama, ''The Ad-
ventures of Lady Ursula" and Sowing
the Wind" will have three perform
ances by one of Charles Frohman's COM
panies Friday and Saturday. Lothrops
Opera House returns again to melo-
drama, with one of Frank Harvey's best
plays, THE Land of the Living"
E. H. SOTHERN,
1.-THE Adventures of Lady Ursula
which Mr.. Sottern has lately been CIV
ing with fiattering success in Philadel-
phia and Boston, is the first essay of An
thony Hope as a playwright direct al
though several of Mr. Hopes novels
have become food for the adapter and
been successfully dramatize1. Mr.. Hope
ought to make capital playwright, fol
his novels abound with romantic inter
est and the wittiest and keenest of clev-
er dialogue-tE1e two most essential fac
tors in modern drama The opinions Of
the critics regarding Lady Ursula
would indicate that the charm of 1.-THE
Prisoner of Zenda| and Dolly" is con.
| tinued in this new field.
The spAnpG Of The NAV ara laid in the
picturesque period of the 18th century
Q720), at a time when gentlemen wore
swords and were expected to draw them
| on the slightest occasion The young
gentlemen and young ladies of those
days We're far more picturesque figures
| than their successors of the present
Their costumes were superb in color anC
adornment, and all the necessary habil-
| iments were beautiful to look upon and
decorative, both as to the persons anC
| to the groups of which they were mem.
bers.
The play tells of how Sir George Syl
vester had sworn never to fight due
! or look upon the face of woman again
owing to the fact that ne had killed his
best friend in a duel over a woman. Fol
/ two years he religiously kept his vow
when Lady Ursula Darlington, who is
living with her brother in the
neighborhood, plans, with hel
cousin Dorothy, that she will il
some form enter the house and see Sin
! George Sylvester, and makes wager tC
| this effect Her first attempt, in which
/ she feigns to faint, is frustrated and in.
4 stead of entering the house she is sent
to the porter's lodge. Her brother, Lore
Hassenden, who passes the lodge at this
time, thinking his sister had been in
| suited, challenges Sir George Sylvester
| to duel. Lord HaSsenden knows moth.
| ing of the wager between Lady Ursula
and Dorothy. Lady Ursula tries by al
means to stop the duel. She knows it is
difficult task to see Sir George Sylves.
ter and for two acts masquerades as 6
boy, cher younger brother Walter, who
! is supposed to be away in Paris, an6
/ finally comes face to face with Sir
| George Sylvester in his own home.
very happy ending is brought forth.
The piece is played with effect by Mr.
| Sothern as Sir George Sylvester, anC
| Miss Virginia Harmed as Lady Ursula
/ The other parts are assigned to Morton
! Selten, Roydon Erlynne, c. P. Flockton
Rowland Blackstone, Arthur P. Law
renee, Marshall Stedman. Daniel Jarrett
/ George E. Bryant Norman ParT, Kat,
Pattison-Selten, Rebecca Warren anC
others. The entire production is under
the personal direction of E. II Sothern
/ which in itself is a guarantee that every
minor detail has been supplied artistic.
| ally.
SOWING THE WIND
Sydney Grundy's masterpiece has al
ready become familiar to our playgoers
by frequent visits The house is al
ways packed on it's appearance, and it
is a matter of regret that many of the
worthy members of society vino do not
approve of the theatre, cannot be pre-
| vailed upon to witness it also. The bold
STAND that its outspoken author takes
| upon vital social question deserves
| the thoughtful consideration of all in
| telligent persons There is not a line in
! the play that does not count on the
| side of truth and justice. AS a specimen
! of the playmakers art it is also admir-.
able, and it's literary standard is of the
| highest
The plot of Sowing the wind" re
| lates of the experiences of Rosamond, Z
| girl waif without lawful parents, who
/ grew up and became a concert singer O.
| London, during the early part Of the
present century. She was met ant
| loved by Ned Annesley, a handsome
dashing, honorable, young man, tn,
adopted son of one Brabazon. Thi.
Brabazon in early life had fallen in love
! with girl below his social station an(
| marriage being out of the question, h,
at length separated from her before thu
child Rosamond was born. Brabazor
i learns of Neds engagement to Rosa
mond and also learns that there il
something wrong with the girls history
| He forbids the marriage, and then ~th,
famous battle of sex against sex
/ begins.
| The proud concert singer proves al
antagonist worthy of Brabazons mettle
and the contrast between the two is a!
brilliant as it is bitter and relentless
/ The final interview between them in tn,
| fourth act is one of the most impressiv,
scenes of its kind ever conceived by
| dramatist. The fact that Brabazon il
| Rosamond's father is made known frs
to the girl and then to the old man al
the denouement of the plot. It would b
/ difficult to imagine more effective eli
max Herbert 2. Sears, who has playet
! Brabazon for the last four times tn
/ play has been seen here, still continue
in the role and brings with him most 0
his old associates.