Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-03-25
ANTHONY HOPES PLAY.
It Makes a Delightful Vehicle for Mr.,
Sothern and Miss Harmed.

"1rhe Adventure of Lady Ursula" is the
best play Mr.. Sothern has had in his stel-
lar career, excepting "The Master of
Woodbarrow." Anthony Hope has estab-
lished his ability to write as good a drama
as he has novels, and in much the same
vein. The keen repartee and witty retorts
with which the dialogue Is punctuated re-
mind one of the epigrammatic plays Oscar
Wilde used to turn out, on the Lady Win
demeres Fan" order, but in the Hope
piece the cynicism is more kindly, the hu-
NOR more genuine and the action fresher
and brisker than is to be found In the
Wilde concoctions. The wit Of the piece is
Its chief charm, but the development of
the story is novel, and the use Of old ma
terial so skilful that even the jaded play
goer Is kept guessing and interested
until almost the final curtain.
The defect that most stars would find
with The Adventure Of Lady Ursula" Is
that 1t makes the hero Of secondary i'm
pertance, and the passive rather than the
factor in the interest. However Mr..
Southern is too newly made a husband to
grudge his Wife for the nonce the princi-
pal position. For it is Lady Ursula who
pervades and makes the play Her mad
prank in shamming Illness to gain an en-
trance into famed recluse's dwelling,
ana the madder one of donning male attire
to avert the serious consequences of the
f1rst escapade, lead her into a series of ad-
ventures more trying than ever befel Rosa
lind or Viola, similarly garbed, But Ur-
these heroines, and nerves herself to the
varied ordeals with the fortitude of a Ro-
man maiden. 1t is clear that in the duel
with pistols across the table 1t is not she
who Will fiinch-at least not before the
clever; beautiful, but vet there is the feel
Ing when all is over that after marriage
Sir George will find he had better have
stuck to his vows and retirement.
Miss Harmed as the capricious Ursula
was surprise even to her warmest ad-
mlrers; Her work was admirable
throughout. the touches of feminine CO.
manly disguise being most artistically and
naturally rendered. The only flaw is her
to- too a. rapid utterance,,, which, as her ,enun-
situation Of the first act somewhat diff
cult to comprehend Mr.. Sothern looked
superbly handsome in court wig, dark REQ
lounging robe and suit of black and silver
In fact the costumes of nearly 200 years
ago became the whole company nightly
Nh. Sothern's part demanded that he be
dlgnihed graceful, romantic, and to make
love first with looks and then with words
all OF which he can do as well as any
actor we have. Owen Fawcett. Rowland
Blackstone Royden Erlynne, Morton Sci,
ten, Kate Pattison and all the other ia
nlhar Sothern people, were not given as
much to DO as usual, but were up to their
standard high degree of excellence. Tine
mounting was perfection, the bright mag.
ntt1cence of the Hassenden drawing room
with It's ancestral portraits and contem-
porary gilt furniture contrasting with the
solid richness of the two bachelor apart.
ments with the accompanying implements
for masculine entertainment. The audi
ence was on the standing room only" or
der and was one Of the largest and most
gaily dressed Of the season.
Tonight and tomorrow afternoon and
evening Will be. return Of Sydney Grun-
dy's Sowing the Wind" universally pro
nounced one Of the greatest plays of mod.
ern times.