The age-herald., 1902-02-08
AmNSeMents
The Jefferson-"rhe Old Homestead" !"

l Joshua Whitcomb .... Denman Thompson Cy Prime CHARACTERIZATION. Charles Carter Happy JACK ........ .......... Fred Clare l ED Gauzey ...... ............. Frank Knapp | Rickety Ann ............ Annie Thompson Aunt Matilda ............... Louise Morse l Henry Hopkins ,...........Gus Kammerlee Reuben Whitcomb .......Alfred Kappeler l Seth Perkins ............ Charles H. Clark | Every tier and every box was filled with bright people when the curtain was drawn up on the dear old play of past oral life the first and sweetest of long line Of clean, healthy stage stories. It is just the story of good old farmer whose son has gone citywards to make his fortune that is all. There are no unhealthy emo tons in it-no ties formed to be broken nothing in it unreal or unhealthy-just father yearning for his boy. Two acts disclose the Swanzey farm in New Hamp- shire and two represent the great city to which the father goes to find his lost boy.
 The audience did not come to see a new play. They came to see what they had seen before, and they came to applaud the old actor whom they had learned to admire and love. It was an appreciative audience from the start for Denman Thompson as Joshua Whitcomb appeared
 
 ard he stayed with the audience to the end of the play. leaving the stage but rarely and then for few minutes only.
 Few plays have been written that are so thoroughly a one-man play as The Old Homestead" is. And the audience | never tires of seeing the good old farm l CT whose heart is full of tenderness, full | of simplicity. full of honesty-his whole | life touched and permeated by his long l ing for his son. This is the poetry of | the play. and Denman Thompson brings | it out in all it's pathos and tenderness | There is a rugged humor in the part | too, that charms all. Denman Thompson ! has played the part many years, and 1 he no longer acts it-he is Joshua Whit | comb himself. He thinks, moves and breathes. not as Denman Thompson, but | as Joshua Whitcomb, the dear old New Hampshire farmer. an honest tender hearted man. He never forgets what he has become. He is not Denman Thomp- son at all This is of course the height of good acting
 The support Is worthy of the chief and that is saying a good deal There is not an unworthy actor in the company Charles Carter as Cy Prime is an admir- able comedian. He is typical lean shrewd Yankee Miss Louisa Morse as 1 Aunt Matilda was beyond criticism. She must have came from New Hampshire. l It is useless to go fur..er, for every member of the company deserves words
 of praise.
 The singing that is done in the course
 of the play should be mentioned. Every
 act brought to the audience delightful
 songs In the first act The Old Home
 stead quartette was recalled four times;
 in the second act Henry Hopkins song
 led to a lively scene and cry of Fire"
 in the third act beautiful music of the
 church was repeated. and in final act
 an old-time rustic band played dance
 music. It was an evening of song and
 sweet healthy acting and the vast au-
 dence enjoyed every minute of 1t.
 The play will be repeated this afternoon 1 and again tonight and the old sign will
 doubtless be put up. Standing room on- ly'