The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-04-05
the LOCAL STAGE.
Appearance OF Enmenic niair in ~
Lady OF Quality"

n
Lady of Quality"
Not because OF the name we gave thee.
nor because OF the memories OF the old
days do We love thee. Clio, and do these
tears come 20 our eyes when We behold thy
troubles, but because--thou'rt s damned
ina woman.
SO said Sir Christopher. aud so say We
all Of US. And so will ever say the people
who see and appreciate the character OF
Clorinda wildairs as portrayed upon the
stage or who read OF 1t from the printed
page The story OF "A Lady OF Quality
as written by Mrs. Burnett. Is a powerful
one, and Stephen Townsend's dramatlsa-
ton. as presented at Sweeney Coombs'
opera house by w. NJ. willsison's COM
pany last night Is none the less powerful
and far reaching In It's effects. The course
OF many a life has been diverted by the
moral contained in good story or a
rood play and tho person who can see
Miss Blalr's artistic rendition OF the name
part in "a Lady of Quality" and not be
made better thereby Is lacking in many
ways. The subject handled Is a delicate
one It is erue. but Il is handled delicately
and to the clean mind there is no wrong
In Il. The story of the woman who lights
the great battle OF a woman's life unaided
and alone; who loses at the time because
OF the effects OF environment and training
or rather lack OF training, and VINO, IN
the end, brushes out the evidences OF that
fatal misstep and comes at last TO happl-
ness and peace through cruel difficulties
nj eanpttnUly m n hl0 Oh-
s.acles, is a remarkable one In many ways
and. aside from the good that II is capable
OF doing, contains many points OF artistic
merit which never fail TO impress the
close observer The field for study aud
thought contained therein is an almost
unlimited one and while the piece may
appeal differently 10 different people the
anal result can but be the same.
Mr. wiilslson has paid considerable at
tention TO detail in his production and has
mounted II In such way as to make IL
all the more effective from an artistic
standpoint, The settings used In the piece,
especially the rose garden scene In the
second act, are magnificent ones for Il
road Organization and the costumes worn
by the players are handsome and thor
oughly appropriate throughout, tho value
Of tho whole from this point OF view
being greatly enhanced thereby. The pro-
duction il. In short. a finished one and
but little is left to BIO desired In this d.
rectiop.
The people who presented the piece last
night were as follows.
Duke OF Osmonde .......,.W. II. DOWNING
Earl OF Dunstanwolde. Stuart Robertson
Lord Humphrey Ware. L. Sackett
| Lord Eldershawc. ....,.,. George >. Feli
Lord Charles Lovelace. Lawrence Gordon
! Lord Twemlow.... Henry Morgan
| Sir John oxon... William Bramwell
\ Sir Godfrey Wildairs....... y. Arnold
| Sir Christopher crowell. ....J. n. Amory
Sir Henry Granville. willis Morris
| Sir Joseph Grumble. lew. w. Maurice
/ Chaplain to Lord Twemlow. ........
...t... ..,... John Sutherland
| Dick Hardy. ..... Edwin G. Gallagher
Jenifer. ......... 49,. ..,...Albert Gordon
| Gregory. 80. -. 49,. William Proctor
Lady Betty Tantillon. Lucia Moore
| Anne Wildalrs. Carrie Lee Stoyle
| Mistress Wlmpole. Wells
| Clorinda Wildars. .....,.... Eugene Blair
Miss Blairs work as Clarinda Is some
! thing of revelation. There were those
| who, before her coming. We're inclined ia
the opinion that sbc would not look the
part and that, In View OF what she has
already done. she would be somewhat
unsuited to 1t. There was no question
MS to her ability, but some of those who
| had seen her In other lines OF work were
| trayai OF the character Of Mrs. Burnett !
heroine
But Miss Blair proved that these douu'i
| and fears had no foundation by showlna
herself fully equal 10 the demands inad'
rpon her, MANY tempting chances TO over
act are presented 20 her, nlt she passes
them all by end plays the part In such
way as to not only gain the thorough ap
proyal OF her auditors. but 10 stamp her
| self with the mark Of unfuistabable talen
10 a degree which even her most deyotei
admirers were not prepared TO expect
Her work is quiet yet thoroughly effective
throughout aud In every instance wher
powerful and intense action Is REQUIRED
she rises TO the occasion. In the fourtl
act when, crazed by the tsunts and threats
Of Oxon, she strikes him dead sho Is ssei
10 particularly good adv antage.
AIiss Blalr's support Is not aitogethe
what Il should be In view OF her own CT
tectiyencss, but It must be understood
that good actors for parts like many 0
those In tho piece are hard TO secure, MIR
Bromweli, as Oxon. possesses a good stag
presence and at times does some Strorl
work. His voice, however is hardly equa
10 the demands made upor II IN some o
the lines requiring an unusual display Q
spirit Mr.. Downing. as the Duke OF %
monde. works hard and consclentousy
but IL not altogether effective at tiiuef
Miss Moore. who, by the way, was seel
here in totally different line Of worl
earlier in the present season, makes an &c
oeptabc Lady Tantillion and Miss Stoyl
e. satisfactory as Anne Wildairs. The re
naming characters AFRO fairly we'll han
died
"A Lady OF Quality will be repeate
this afternoon and again tonight aud tn
opportunity OF seeing II should be take
advantage Of
This evening. after the matinee, Mira
John T. Lockman, Miss FRANKIE Eite an
Mrs William Christian will receive u
honor Of Miss Blair az the home OF III
latter on Clay avenue.
Blanche Walsh and Melbourne Mac
DowelI with Fanny DavenportH company
WIN present ia Tosca" AZ Sweeney I
Coombs opera house Thursday night an
J Friday afternoon, and on Friday nigh
viii he seen In Fedora"