The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-04-19
AT THE PLAY LAST NIGHT.

When Stuart Robson appears in To-
pel1a he generally receives a warm vel
come and large audience. He received
the large audience last night when he
played TONY Lumpkin" at the CraW-
ford in She Stops to Conquer, but
when it comes to a warm welcome!
Why, there was not applause enough to
awaken the sleeping mice in the dusty
recesses of the theater
The audience was one of those which
has won for Topeka the name among
stage folk as being cold The audience
last night was about as chilly as one
could be. Mr. Robson on the stage was
consented to laugh at the depredations
of Tony Lumpxin and to laugh loud and
long, but never an encore.
Mr. Robson and the company usually
receive an encore after the second act.
They appear before the applauding
audience several times. Last night when
the curtain dropped on the second act
a couple of uSherS in the back of the
theater clapped their hands. Up went
the curtain The actors and actresses
were bowling and scraping in anticipa-
ton of an ovation.
They did not receive it. Even the two
ushers stopped their hand clapping. A
frost settled down upon the audience
and the curtain soon hid the actors from
view Not another attempt was made
by the players to induce an encore. They
went through their lines without an in
terruption.
1t was not that the audience did not
simply that they preferred to enjoy
themselves without the physical exertion
of an encore. Mr. Robson has to his
credit one of the largest audiences of
the season and by far the largest
audience that any attraction has played
to since the holidays.
Mr. Robson always has a good play
and good players. In Goldsmith'S COM
edy he has parts which demand COM
petent actors, and Mr.. Robson has not
failed to surround himself with actors
Of his own class. John E. Henshaw and
May Ten Brock formerly starred to-
gether and George Hollands name has
been at the head of the play bills
George Hollands Mr.. Hardcastle"
was an admirable piece Of acting. AS
the country gentleman taken for an
innkeeper Mr.. Holland was funny.
Young Marlowe" is a part that might
well be compared to that of David
Garrick'' as played by Henry E. Dixey
in Mr. RCbsOn'S OLIVER Goldsmith last
season. John r. Henshaw makes the
same courteous, well dressed and gentle
manly young fellow out of Young Mar
lowe" that Dixey did out Of David Gar
rick" The love scene, or rather anti
love scene, between Young MarlOwe''
and Kate Hardcastle'' was carried out
to a nicely and really brought the
loudest, longest laugh of the perform
ance. When Kate Hardcastle" in the
next act stopped to conquer and Young
Marlowe" made love to her Mr.. Hen
shaw accepted his chances for fervent
speeches Eleanor Barry as Kate
EardcaStIe was as v1vac1OuS and as
pretty as the part required. Miss Barry
is an exceptionally handsome woman
but above that she is an accomplished
actress. May Ten Brock as Mrs.
Hardcastle," just fitted the part With
out the ruff1es and furbelows of the COS
tune she is stout. So stout that when
she entered the theater she could not
pass through one side of the double door
and both sides had to be sprung back
to allow her to enter. Ellen Mortimer
was pleasing in the part of Constance
Neville" The somewhat Indifferent
part of George Hastings gave Brinsley
Shaw but little chance.
Mr.. Robson's Tony Lumplxin'' was,
of course, good His peculiar voice has
always added a great deal to his comedy
characters Especially the part of
Berthe in THE Henrietta" It is the
Robson lisp" and it goes, wei with
Tony as it does with "Bertie." 1t is
Robson's natural way of talking. He
can not overcome it if he desired to do
SO. In the part Of 'sOliver Goldsmith
he was forced to deviate from his nat
ural way of speaking as much as posi-
BILE He could not cover up the lisp The
peculiar infection of his voice is never q
fault; il is rather a feature and did
much toward the completion Of Robson's