Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-11-16
THE STAGE
Nov. 16.-''The Bonnie Brier Bush
Nov. 1S.-'As You Like It."


Nov. 1S.-"As You Like It."
In Under Southern Skies the au-
thor, Lottie Blair Parker, has shown
much ingenuity in handling the ma
terial in the play so that it is given a
freshness and charm that are delight
fully attractive. The play was seen
here last night. The story of a young
girl with rival lovers mas been used
i'll many plays and with varying COM
binations. So. too. has the story of
the erring wife, returning repentant,
been treated often before in drama.
But it was Mrs Parker's happy
thought to weave these two stories
together, in just such way and with
just such surroundings and accessor-
les as had never been used before.
This can certainly be called Original
ity;" and in other ways the play diff
fers from anything yet seen upon the
stage. Notably in reproducing a Hal
lowe'en party in which the young peo-
pie play some of the tricks of that
time honored institution. These tricks
and the jack-o-lantern dance are nov
elites which audiences hail with de-
light, and they have proven strong
feature in the success of the play.
The story of Under Southern Skies"
is distinctively southern. All the char
acters are of southern birth, and are
imbued with traits of character in
bred in the people of that section of
our country. Every one of the charac-
tiers in the play is a well drawn por-
trait, as true a picture of southern
speech and manner as the same au-
thor has drawn of New England coun-
try people in ''Way Down East" The
two colonies. one full of buster and
howery oratory, the other cool, de-
liberate and unmoved, are finely con-
trasted, and their long standing feud
furnishes much amusement for the
audience. Maj. Crofton, whose life
holds n hidden sorrow, is an impress
i've and interesting figure, and the two
lovers of the heroine are carefully
drawn portraits of different natures,
although both are examples of the
hOt-blooded young southerner. The
smaller parts are equally well pre-
scented and the old darky Uncle Josh
away" is a life-like and amusing char
acter. The young heroine. Leila Croft
ton, is the center of interest among
her young girl friends. The part is
difficult one to portray, for she passes
through all the stages of JOY and
grief, that are woven about her
throughout the plot of the play. The
faithful old 'Auntie" and the mis-
chievOus child Amer Lizer" are
creations true to the
darkey of the south.
y pleasing feature of Kirk La
Shelle's successful production, The
Bonnie Brier Bush" that adds very
to the Scotch atmosphere,
is a quartet of male vocalists led by
Robert c. Easton, a tenor of repute,
who introduces the beautiful old-time
ballads so dear to the native Scot,
also bagpiper. late drum major of
the 18th Highlanders, who is said to
be very clever performer on the
pipes. "The Bonnie Brier Bush" with
j. I'll. Stoddart, Reuben Fax and Sc
lect supporting company, comes to
the Illinois theatre this evening.
''All the worlds stage" wrote
and forthwith he pro-
ceeded to evolve creatures to make
their entrances and their exits, and
for an age or two they have been do
ing it, with no profit to the man who
evolved them, save perhaps never
dying glory, glory which will be tri-
when the present generation
of playwrights and their puny works
are gone and forgotten. Of all the
successes evolved by Shakespeare
(and he never knew d failure), LAS
You Like It. is without question the
most charming and noteworthy play
of the age, and the character of "Ros-
alind'' the most interesting ever con-
ceived in any age by any author. The
play is one which admits of a mass
i've scenic investiture. and the play
goers of this community will have an
opportunity Wednesday at the Illinois
of seeing what is claimed to be the
most sumptuous production made this
season.