The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-11-18
SOMETHING WAS LACKING.
Adelaide Thurston's New Play Fails
to Please Audience.

Topeka is known to the theatrical pro-
fession as chilly town." The Lexicon
of players parliamentary slang defines
that as meaning niggardly with ap-
plause. The audience which saw
Adelaide ThurSton Saturday night in
Sweet Clover" at the Crawford sustain
ed the reputation of the town in that
regard
Miss Thurston and Otis Thayer, her
leading man, must be used to plenty or
applause for after each act the curtain
was sent up and down half dozen
times while the principals stood on the
stage hand in hand, first crying ana
then smiling to suit the scene. 1t was
well enough that the curtain went up
and down but it was not by order OF
the audience as all the applause put to-
gether would not warrant graceful
bow on the part of either Miss Thurston
or Mr.. Thayer- 1t is odd that such was
the case for Sweet Glover" is far above
the average of plays. 1t has a novel
and intricate plot which is not so far
fetched as to be probable All the
characters that fall in love are given
hurried as in Lovers Lane" Even JOB
Mason and Abigail Holcomb We're
given so years. The company presenting
the comedy drama was excellent. Ihere
was not part that suffered perceptibly
although Eleanor Sheldon was rather
boiSterouS old maid. The play has no
cigarette smoking villain, there Is noth-
ing in it to bring blush to the audience
there is plenty of comedy, there IS an
abundance of pathos, the costumes
ranged from home spun to the garb OIL
a queen worn in the New York tableauX
scene, the stage settings of the piece
We're simple but all that was necessary
and still the play was received rather
coldly by the Topeka audience
The comment of the undemOnStratlVe
audience was that the comedy was GOOD
but it was not the kind that brought
forth hearty rounds of applause Miss
Thurston made her first great success
lx- Do hi f3sS in he
ister' and was seen here in that part
two years ago. Then she came unher-
aided and unsung and received numer-
Gus curtain calls In Sweet Clover
Miss ,Thurston has not the opportunity
to show both sides of her stage nature.
In Lady Babbie'' she was first all
smiles and commander of all the arts
known in Cupid's sorcery and then she
VS. all frowns and sulks and tears In
Sweet Clover she has a fearful part
almost from the time the curtain goes
up on the first act until the hnlsh- MISS
Thurston is a charming actress. She is
pretty but besides that she has ability
She first played the part of Care Pres
tom in tAlabama" which was afterwards
taken by Charlotte Crane.
The ingenue part of tSunnie Andrews
in the hands of Minnie Maud Allen was
decidedly clever and her little tiffs with
her lover Jack Hamilton" Edmond
Ford, who afterwards became her hus-
band were rich with humor- Francis
Hope as ALBERT Slade,' the Tilted lover,
gave an admirable conception of the
part His love making scenes would
be we'll for beginners to follow
Sweet Clover is much on the style
of The Old Homestead and way
Down East" but confines itself to
dozen characters. The play opens on
Connecticut farm, the End and 3rd acts
are transferred to New York society
and the play finishes in the Connecticut
farm house. There was a fairly good
sized audience at the night performance
and a good matinee house.