The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-03-03
ADJUSTMENTS.
Enriish.sA.Rasemnrr.,

Nothing save the %prettiest things imagina-
BILE can be said about the beautiful comedy
Rosemary with which Otis Skinner
opened his engagement at English's last
night. The play is pretty as a prose poem
from beginning TO end, with the last act a
pathetic refrain. Mr.. Skinner has one act
where he portrays a middle-aged bachelor
who can laugh at the hardships of a pair
of young lovers caught in the act of clipping.
and then for TWO acts his character is that
of the handsome and dashing lover. whose
heart has suddenly become young again at
the sight OF the pretty girl. Skinner is the
matinee girls idol in a lovers role, and it is
not surprising that he can make this man
OF forty, Sir Jasper Thorndyke, a perfectly
acceptable fellow to the startled Dorothy
Cruickshank. who has eloped with her will
yum" Although the stage was darkened
throughout the first act, the handsome figure
of Skinner was quickly recognized when he
appeared and found the clippers huddled up
In their wrecked chaise. He received a round
of applause. which was only a sample of
what was in store for him later on. Doro-
thy's sea-dog of a father, with roaring voice,
and her protesting mother, in search of the
arriving soon after, make the
comedy situations highly promising from the
start. Gretchen Lyons, as Dorothy, shows
she Is a dream OF beauty when she appears
VI y III LOlA VI " AGGOldLC
Sir Jasper's cherries dining room the next
morning, and IL is small wonder that he falls
In love at sight. Dorothy retires TO the Ii
brary TO write up her adventure in her
diary. while the rest OF the guests enter and
sit down TO breakfast with Sir Jasper. The
old sea dog. Captain Cruickshank. takes 10
William without knowing his identity. Then
they hear Dorothy playing her only piece,
The Battle of Prague" in Sir Jasper's IL
brary, and the first climax is on. The little
lady enters for her crusty fathers blessing
and gets IL.
They all go up to London, where the
lovers quarrel because Dorothy refuses TO
snow ner diary to "Wfllyum." The young
Jasper what she has written. This episode
or the diary Is "A vaudeville speciality all by
itsei1- Miss Lyons makes it a gem. The audi
ence Is convulsed as the innocent. weepy
country girl reads her story. She appears
TO be just about as clever i'm the mart
as Maud Adams. 1t is a trying scene
Tor Sir Jasper. who is on the point
OF declaring his love, when his old friend
Professor Jogram, steps in and bri. gs him
70 MS senses The young people so off TO
the Teddlng and are heard of no more. but
Sr Jasper retains the leaf from DOrothv's
diary and finds II again in the same room
fifty years later, when he comes TO the
Queens jubilee. This scene is SINNERS
triumph. Everybody knows how we'll he can
play the lover and his poetic scenes with
been expected. But that last act he has the
stage all to himself. He is now tottersng
white-haired and ninety. His memory is
quickened by the little page from Dorothy's
diary and he again lives over the time when
she parted from him In that very room ard
left with him a sprig OF rosemary for re-
membrane. Skinner makes IL so touching
that IL is more like a hymn TN pantomime
than a scene from a play. The character
transformation is mastery and gives the