Omaha daily bee., 1903-04-07
At THE PLAYROUSES


William H. Crane and company in David
the novel by Edward Noyes Westcott.
The cast.
David Harum, banker and horse trader,
of bonneville, N. w.. William n. Crane
John Lenox. a hero in reducing eircum-
General @oisey, a New York lawyer,
Chef Timson, clerk to David Harum..
Dick '" IsrrISee. factotum ichf f6 D safd'0n
Deacon Perkins a pillar Of the church;
zsrc swinnev an insurer Of HomeyiiSe.
......... .Sherlden Upper
Amos Elrisht, landlord Of the Eagle
Dug Robinson. drives the barge to the
station.. George F. Devere
Peleg Hopkins. boy in David Harum's
Bill Montaig. a bonneville tough...y..
Mary Blake, ward Of General WOiseyy..
Aunt Polly Bixby, sister Of David
Harumm Inv, wbo ba: seem Setts MeeN
observation-disclosures Lois Francis Clark
David Harum sold the horse that would
stand without ~hitching' to Deacon Perkins.
secured the Widow Cuilum mortgage from
Zeke Swinney, convinced General Wolsey
that a lawyer doesn't know all there is to
be known about young folks, and finally
loaded down the stone drag to which he
had hitched Mary Blake until she was ready
TO follow the example of the sorrel co.'s
and work in double harness; and finally he
told the story Of the. circus tickets and
the dime Billy B. CuIlnm gave him, and
they lived together happily for many
years" before a large cadence at the BOYD
last night. In many respects the play
made from the ,westcott book Is most sat
isfactory. As furnishing an opportunity Tor
the employment of the ability OF one OF
the foremost of living comedians, II Is
eminently successful. Generous applause
and unfeigned mirth greeted It's presenta-
ton. IL boots not what we individually
think Of David Harumj he may or may not
have had n living prototype, but It is GER
tain beyond dispute that Mr.. Crane gives
to the hard -headed, warm-hearted, shrewd
old horse trader and village character such
vitaNty and zest Of life that he actually
shines with geniality and bubbles over with
hIS rich humor. Mr.. Cranes methods are
those Of the artist of ripe experience, and
never at any time does he depart even by
n hairs breadth from the legitimate ways
Of his profession. 1t Is tins very fidelity TO
| the eanons Of his guild that makes his
| results the more certainly delightful. Not
that Mr.. Crane follows any hard and fast
| rules for evoking laughter; such an attempt
| would be a divergence and would almost
surely result in failure. . He is natural and
therefore artistic; his humor Is OF the
| spontaneous sort, and therefore infectious,
and he gives to each speech and to each
situation its exact value, and produces his
effects as precisely as does a skilled must
clan in playing on his favorite instrument
1t isn't Crane you see on the stage at all
It is David Harum, and ia thus sinking his
own personality in the character he Is pre-
senting the actor achieves the acme OF his
art.
The company supporting Mr.. Crane Is ex-
ceIIent, each Of the several characters being
we'll studied and accurately portrayed
None approaches any especial eminenee
alone. but each IL essential to the har-
monious whole, and each adds In his or
her W way to one Of the most enjoyable
performances witnessed at the Boyd the
ater this season. Tit staging Of the piece
is perfect, and the picture at the end OF the
second act, Of Deacon Perkins and the bay
horse In the rainstorm, IL not only realistic
but one that adds much to the general
effect Of the play. Mr.. Crane followed his
usual custom last night. refusing to come
before the curtain for a speech, his stage
manager, Mr.. Rose, explaining that Mr.
Crane would not spoil the character Of
David Harum by appearing before the cur
tain even for an instant as William H
Crane.
David Harum' will be given at the
Boyd tonight and tomorrow night, with Z
matinee tomorrow afternoon.