Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1901-01-20
ALL THE WORLDS A STAGE
AlN THE PALACE or THE KlNG"-"1RS. DANES DEFENSE"
ADA REHAN In SWEET NELL or OLD DRURY."

1t is entirely within the bounds Of
truth to say that Viola Allen in Lori
mer Stoddard's dramatization of F.
Marion Crawford's novel I'm the Pal
ace of the King has made the hit of
her life.
Miss Allen is the current attraction
at the Theatre Republic in this city
and will probably remain there during
the remainder of the season. At any
rate, it is certain that if she should
leave before summer it will be due to
some previous arrangement made by
her management, and not to any lack
or popularity on the part of herself or
I'm the Palace of the King
Miss Allen is by no means a great
actress, but have never seen her in
role in which she was not thoroughly
acceptable. In other words, while she
lacks genius, she has a great deal of
histrionic ability, and when she is cast
for role like that of Donna Dolores
in sin the Palace of the King" where
there is opportunity for her to display
/. her excellent declamatory power, she is
as satisfactory as one could wish. That
is why the star and the piece have
made such an enormous hit in this city.
Ut would be waste of space to at
tempt to give the story of I'm the Pal
ace of the King" inasmuch as the nov
ell is said to have had an immense sale.
1T need only be said that Mr.. Stod-
dard's work has been done exceedingly
well and that the several changes
which he has made greatly improve the
story and enhance its interest. For in
stance in the book the king stabs his
brother Don John of Austria, and i'm
AGNES that he has killed him, the
blame for the crime being assumed by
Mendoza, the thick and thin adherent
of King Philip. In the play new
character is introduced in the person
of Cardinal Luis de Torres. 1t is the
cardinal who in the play is stabbed by
the king, and it is Don John who as
sumes the responsibility for the sup
posed death of his friend. In the book,
as in the play, there is really no death,
and the finding that the cardinal is
alive is made the partial excuse for
forcing the king to consent to the mar
riage of Don John and Donna Dolores.
lions in "In the Palace of the King"
and in each of these Miss Allen natu-
rally figures conspicuously. That she
also figures creditably may be judged
from what I have already said.
Robert T. Haines, the unknown
young actor who plays the role of Don
John Of Austria, is certain to become
one of. our most popular leading men.
He has particularly handsome face
and an excellent physique, and were it
not for his unpleasant shutting gait he
would make an ideal matinee idol. 1t
is more than probable, however, that
this defect will be remedied as soon as
it is brought to his notice by his we'll
wishers Mr. Haines reads beautifully,
and his enunciation is as clear as
bell His selection for the role Of Don
John of Austria, into which he fits as
nicely as, though it were written spec
tally for him, is tribute to the ability
of Mr.. George C. Tyler the manager
of the Liebler company, as a judge OF
embryonic talent.
Marcia Van Dresser, Clarence Handy
side and C. Leslie Allen as the Prin-
cess of Eboli, Captain de Mendoza and
Antonio Perez, respectfully, were &C
ceptable. Blanche Moulton was an
ideal Dowager Duchess Of Medina Sid
onia, and Gertrude Norman was fairly
good as Donna IneZ, the blind girl but
the hit of the evening, aside from Miss
Allen, was made by William Norris as
Miguel de Antona, the court fool. Mr..
Norris performance is one of the best
things in character work seen in New
York in many years.
Then Plympton as King Philip would
have made the hit of the piece had it
been a comic opera. Nothing funnier
than his performance has been seen on
Broadway since the production of the