Omaha daily bee., 1903-02-05

Jean Perrault, lackey to urenne..
Victor Papin, lackey to Turenne. 49,.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. Russell. sage
Fanchette CLOSER
Nine. De Bruhl.. ....... Caroline Butterfield
Countess De nelen Barry
"A page. ...............s.s lOItuCt LtSlel
Mile. De La Wire. Gretchen Lyons
In case you have occasion TO refer to him
by name today, and in all human probable
ity you will, please pronounce his name as
IL 1t were spelled Curl Bellyou, with a
slight accent on the BELL not much, just
a soupcon. He is an Irishman by birth, OF
an old family and proud Of both his an
cestry and his native land. 1t is now quite
eight years sincJ he made his bow before
an Omaha audience, and since that day has
made sure Of his position In the world. It
was a rather forlorn hope that led Mrs.
Cora Urquhart Potter, with a reputation
only for reciting "'Ostler Jo' land how
anne that does sound in these advanced
days., and Kyrle Bellew, hardly known at
all save as a fair actor in support" and
one suspected Of having ambitions to star,
to set out to go around the world. and
around the world they went. Well? Today
Mrs. Potter is the petted and feted leading
American actress in the English stage and
a PROMINENT bOtldl hbuib III 0ohNOAAf oiN
Kyrle Bellew is the leading English actor
on the American stage-and this is no dis
respect to Mr.. E. S. willard, either. Mr..
Bellew has won his way to his present po-
sition by honest methods, which means hard
work and patient endOavor, with a steady
devotion to a high ideal, and deserves the
place he has. His present piece is not an
ideal one for the proper exploitation OF his
talent; indeed, too much stress has been
laid on the more mechanical features of
the play-features in which an acrobat or
contortionist would easily EXCEL, but which
give little II any opportunity for the show
Of histrionlc ability. But Mr.. Eellew gets
several good chances to show us that he IL
really an actor and he improves all Of them.
He is Of good figure, with a handsome face,
delicate, almost effeminate rather than
strong, but with clear-cut features whose
mobility evinces the painstaking prepare,
ton he has made for his life's work: a
voice that is rich and resonant and which
responds with ready facility to the demands
Of the emotions. And above all, he has the
Unborn estimate Of the true gentleman, 50
that his acting becomes all the moe nat
ural. Anyone at all familiar with the story
has a good notion Of the character and
p~ropensities OF sieur CASTOR de Marsac,
$3.50 ~ ~ ANAoS SACe6A W a NhoI "
Bellew gives flesh and blood to the best
conception of the Weyman hero.
And II we say that much for the star,
what must we say of the people who with
him give life to the pictures hat serve to
illustrate what is one of the first. and
probably the best Of the long list Of quasi
historical romances that have been lighting
up for ue some of the byways of the CEN
turtles when swords and chivalry were more
familiar things than newspapers and tho
aters? The supporting company has been
carefully picked and we'll drilled, so that
the men and women move through the play
with grace or swagger or earnestness as
the part requires. Miss Gretchen Lyons is
handsome and imperious and as nearly
realizes the ideal of Mile de la Wire as
does the star that of her knight with the
forlorn countenance" who abducts her,
rescues her and finally weds her. Walter
Hitchcock as Baron Rosny. Frederick Book
Vicomte Turenne, Frank Lander as M. de
Bruhl, Herbert Forthier as Henry OF
Navarro and Mr.. G. G. Quinby as Henry
Of France bring to their arts the efforts OF
intelligence. Henry Stockbridge is a lit
tie bit inclined to overdo the role OF Simon
Fleix, but in the main gives a creditable
performance. Miss Janet Ford gets a good
deal out of the mail part OF Mathurine
and Miss Louisa CLOSER does the rather
difficult role Of Fanchette excellently.
The play itself is loosely put together.
II lacks continuity, and much of the action
Of the story has been sacrificed In order to
condense the long novel into the limits OF
a play. Nor does 1t at all appear that the
dramatist seized on the really dramatic
incidents for her purposes. Yet this may
not be wondered at when one recalls the
immense amount of material the novel con-
tains, enough to stock a dozen plays and
give each a sword combat as interesting as
that fought on the stairway IN the Turenpe
house at Blois.
An audience Of which any star might
feel proud was present at the Boyd last
evening, and evinced its appreciation OF
the piece and it's players by unstinted ap-
plause. Mr.. Bellew was called before the
curtain several times and Miss Lyons was
likewise favored.
Another performance OF "A Gentleman
Of France" will be given this evening.