The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-10-11
MONTGOMERY THEATRE.
Signal Success of Miss Thurston in
 Sweet Clover" a New

Montgomery theatregoers who two sea- sons agone were profoundly impressed with the excellent portrayal of Lady Bao- bic in The Little Minister by Miss Ad- elaide Thurston, anticipated delightful en- tertainment when 1t was announced that Miss Thurston was to return here with
 her new play Sweet Clover" It Is doubtful however, if they expected that ance prove to them that she is one of the
 most capable of the young actresses on
 the American stage. Her new play IS
 brilliant success, and the pretty young
 woman scored triumph.
 Large and cultured audiences attended
 the matinee and night performances at
 the Montgomery theatre yesterday ana the numerous curtain calls were excusa- climaxes with which the new play
 Sweet Clover" is a comedy drama in
 four acts. It Is the result Of collaDora-
 tion by Pauline Phelps and Marion short:
 It bristles with pointed epignams, quaint
 philosophy and clever dialogue. IS
 pure. full of dramatic intensity and the
 moral is irreproaehable. The play M is
 fashioned something after Hazel Kirke,'
 but with perhaps more activity. It will no doubt prove to be equally as popular. The story of Sweet Clover" tells Of 2
 sweet young girl Lois Holcombe) reared by an old father (Jerone Holcombel with | zealous care lest she fall into the path that years before led her mother 10 Tor.
 sake her babe and husband. The thread of the plot leads with rapid sequence
 through events wherein the girl learns that her secret lover Albert Slade) is the son of the man who lured away her
 mother; marries the man her father chooses for her (Eldridge Grosvenor) and while happy in his love and learning to
 return 1t in full measure meets her re- turned lover and discovers that he was
 only the adopted son of the william. The
 climax of the piece comes when, after a tableaux party, husband and wife having
 returned home the frantic lover enters
 the house through door left nomenta- rily ajar by the husband who is prepar-
 ing to leave the city that night. The wife
 descends in her chamber robe to say a
 parting word to her husband and finds
 herself in the presence of the old love in-
 stead. The scene that ensues is the most entensely dramatic of the play.
 The young wife, true to her husband, keenly feels the indignity thrust upon her honor, and the impetuous lover seals
 his doom when he tries to force his ca resses. Banished and loathed he leaves,
 but the husband, whose suspicious have
 been aroused, returns to discover the re- cent presence of the man. and to cast on
 the compromised but innocent wife. Ins scene held the audience spellbound and
 showed that the star Is capable of sus- taining emotion of the highest tension. In the eEd the fidelity of Lois Holcombe is discovered by the husband and the play closes happily
 It will be observed that there Is con-
 ventionality about the story but the au- thors have handled it with delft touch
 and the art of stagecraft has has, done one, the check by the blending of comedy and the writers have furnished an abundance or intellectual combat and effective con trasts of character. Stagecraft has given
 the play the proper environment and ad- vantage is taken of every opportunity.
 There has been a proper regard for
 scenic effect and some Of the pictures, notably the Holcombe farm or the nrst act, are in excellent taste.
 Miss Thurston filled every requirement. of a difficult part She has style pecu- liarly her own. She is intensely feminine ard Is moulded to the part. Possessing a well modulated voice, extraordinary beau- | ty and soulful eyes that appeal to wo' | men as we'll as to men. she leaped into | the hearts of her audience and had US l sympathy throughout. There are nc 1 prominent characteristics about her work She simply ceased to be Adelaide Thurs: | ton and lived and breathed. suffered and l loved as Lois Holcombs.
 1 The production was all the more pleas | ing because of the excellent company sup | porting Miss Thurston. MT. Thayer wal
 good as the trusting, simple-minded olt l father Jerome Holcombe. MT. Hope ha'
 n good conception of the yearning lover | aud Mir. Hearn was excellent as the rura | bachelor in love with hesitancy about declaring himself The Eldridge Grosve
 nor of MT. Percival could be improved | | acting while in the lighter shades, bu | improves in portraying the emotions. The l part is not adapted to him. The play al
 whole Is so thoroughly delightful, how | ever that one hesitates to point to mi | nor defect particularly when 1t Is consid | cred that Sweet Clover was given It's | initial production in Norfolk, Va., less | than three weeks ago.
 The women of the company have been
 well selected. The character part of Ab, 1 igail Holcombe was excellentiy handleo | by Eleanor Sheldon and the ingenue role of Sunnie Andrews was made an import ant part of the performance by the Eaiyete of Minnie Maude Allen.
 The handsome gowns worn by the wo- men of the company were greatly ad- mired by the women in the audience. The | gorgeous creation of cloth of gold worn | by Miss Thurston in the second act | caused many thrills and the exquisite | gown worn in the last act was declared 1 to be dream" It was splendid real | lace dress over pale blue, the lace being | embroidered in pink and white roses. | After the matinee yesterday afternoon
 a large number of ladies and children | were received in a most cordial manner 1 on the stage by Miss Thurston.
 | Sweet Clover is a success and Miss | Thurston is secure in her right to be call
 ed a star. She has won many new ad
 mirers in Montgomery.
 The attraction at the theatre tonight ii
 Daniel Frohman's Company in Lad! | HuntWorth's Experiment.
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 | One of the streets in Canton China. is oc | cupied entirely by druggists and dentists. Tn