The daily sentinel., 1902-02-06
"Way Down East.


the Park opera house in years was seen
there last night, when Brady's "Way
Down East" was presented.
surprising thing too was the fact that
the opera house contained by far the
best audience of the season 1t was an
theatra goers we're 10 attendance at the
Elk ball that. there would be slim atten-
dance. But contrary to expectations
there was crowded house, the gallery
even being we'll filled.
And it can be said without any dis
pute whatever that everyone left the
opera house we'll pleased that he or she
had been there and having feeling that
they were or would be better men and
women, from the lessons taught in tho
play.
"Wsy Down East" is true to nature.
1t is built entirely on that plau. There
is not one scene in which natural things.
| things with which we are or have been
some time IN our lives familiar, are not
in evidence. The performance proves
that people want things that are natural
not the phrensied, unnatural, overdrawn.
impossible scenes in life Any cne of
the characters might yet be found on
the farms and in villages Of the down
| east country.
The stage mechanism was almost per
| feet. One scene in particular must have
! recalled to many in the audience old
| homes and associations with which they
| were familiar. 1t was the kitchen scene
in the house of the Squire. The falling
snow said by the best critics to be
| among the best ever produced in this
country, the most natural, was attractive
and realistic. This was enhanced when
the door of that same kitchen was
hear the chilling blasts on the outside.
The tea table in the same scene was
true to nature.
Around the life history of Anna Moore
| young woman who had been betrayed
| into a secret marriage by young ma
bob, the play revolved. This character
was taken very ably by Grace Hopkins.
Anna Moore WAS cast aside after the
| mock marriage and lived to bring dis.
grace upon the man who had ruined her,
While Miss Hopkins did not rise at any
time to any great helghths Of dramatic
| ability, she gave portrayal which per-
haps was closer to the ideal than il she
had attempted heroics not demanded by
the piece. She was ideally the wronged
young girl, not seeking retrbutior, but
attempting to live down her presumed
disgrace, which had che made clean
breast OF the villany Of the man she had
loved would have saved her much agony.
! The character of Squire Amasa Bart
Use Hanchett, were delightfully."- enjoya-
BILE characters. The old. time Now Eng
land household, with it's abundant hos
pitality and laws OF Puritan exoctness,
we're we'll depicted by these two charac-
terizations,
| Grace Hull was a very sweet young
niece of this aged couple. Her playful
antics with the schoolmaster elected
abundant applause and were mirth pro-
voking.
| About the characters OF HI Holler, the
chore boy, Rube Whipple, the town con-
stable, and Martha Perkins, the gossip.
there was such an immense amount Of
truly laughable farce comedy that it
brought into the play just sufficient
comedy to keep it from becoming SOM
ber.
But no critique would he complete re-
ferring to this company which did not
reckon with the qualities attaching to
the singing OF the village choir. Seldom
has better quartet appeared in this
city and the charm Of their singing WAS
that they sang songs that never die-
songs that have been familiar to US all
our lives.
Miss Estelle Ward, the soprano Of the
choir, had a magnificent voice. Tho
choir. was recalled thrice and responded
each time, the audience testifying its en-
joyment by thunderous applause. With
out any doubt whatever Way Down
East" has been the best theatrical pro-
duction given in this city since "The
Prisoner of Zenda" two years ago.