The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-01-28
MUSIC AND DRAMA
THE LIARS.

1t is several seasons since john Drew
and his excellent company was seen az
City hall in "Ihe Butterflies, but 'he
remembrance Of that performance ~ Nv
vivid today as it was then and IL Is shere-
fore not at all strange that as orhi,""'
and fashionable an audience Us oouiu w
gathered in Portland, packed the 1ener'
son TO the doors last night 10 see 'n"'
fine actor and his admirable company
of nlavers in Mr.. Henry Arthur Jones's
exceedingly funny comedy OF Inc
Liars &" which has been the talk OF Dos
ton and New York for many month.
In The bars Mr.. Jones has made pub
lilo ,roperty the det9ils OF what high
society order for dianer. 1t is often
prohlem how habitual diners out man
age their diet so that delicacies shall
not nall Mr.. Jones tells the secret and
about his description of the dinner at the
Star and Garter ordered by Edward
Faulkner for Lady Jessica, he weaves the
story of the play. Lady Jessica is intro
duced as a woman of innocent motives,
but somewhat questionable discretion
and the result of the latter is an Ill ad-
efforts of all her friends to save her from
the wrath of her husband who, unfortu-
nately, has received an inkling OF the
surreptitous meal. These efforts which
are made by a series of most amusing
and well-conceived falschoods, aitstn
the desired end and "all's well that en- Is
we'll" The comedy shows careful con-
fr,l
sense of forms. The plot is simple the
development symmetrical and the action
djscreetly grinded. The dialogue Is In
teresting and often eloquent. There are
many brilliant epigrams. There are sew
eral delightful dual scenes and two very
strong climaxes, one at the end oi<eacn
of the last two acts. The Liars can be
called decidedly clever and amusing
comedy. This was the cast;
Col. Sir Christopher Deering,
MIR. John Drew
Edward Falkner, Arthur Byron
Gilbert Nepean. Lady Jessica' S hus,
band. ID. Ii. Harkins
George Nepean, Gilbert's brother.
Milton Lippman
Freddie Tatton, Lady Rosamund's
husband. Lewis Baker
Archibald Coke, Dolly's husband
James Lindsay
Waiter at 1.-The Star and Garter" at
Sneppefrord, Frank II. Lamb
1aplin, Sir Christopher's servant,
Darwin Rudd
Gadsby, tootman at Freddie Tat
TONS. Gage Bennett
Beatrice Ebernoe. Ethel Barry more
Dolly Coke, cousin to Lady Jessica
and Lady Rosamun1, Gertrude Gheen
Ferris, Lady Jessioa's maid,
George Mendum
Lady Rosamund Tatton, Jane Eustace
Lady Jessica Nepean, Isabel irving
MIR. John Drew, as Col. Deering, the
friend of everybody, is selected as the one
who is to engineer all the lies that
abound in the play. He is the same
serene, affable and yet forcible and
manly actor, who has given life and
quiet cl N to many a society" char
acter. The part of Col. Deering fits him
like glove. His byplay is always ex-
ceedingly effective and never oyerdone.
Three is a graceful, refined and genial
bonhomme in his manner, quiet
drollng in his acting and a repose that
shows the thoroughness of his training
There is one scene in The Liars in which
he is exceedingly effective. Ii is the
scene where he succeeds in averting the
threatened ruiz of two lives, when he
rises to marked height and display s
no little earnestness and strong feeling
in a long speech full of irony, grim humor
and honest manly friendship, which
he delivers with great technical skill.
Miss Isabel Irving, as Lady Jessica,
the frivolous young wife who is rescued,
almost by main strength as she is about
to step over the line which she did not
first intend to cross, gave "a characteriza-
tioL adorned with many graces. She lay 5
much stress on the frivolous side of the
character of the young wife and, II per-
haps shs is not as emotional in the strong
or scenes us might be desired, yet, in the
last act, she gives fine contrasting
touch of pathos to this part. Her face is
IA speaking one. Miss Ethel Barrymore
ms Mrs. Ebernoe was qui Q bright ana