Omaha daily bee., 1903-02-20


Madge Larrabee .........', Aida Corttelyou
Inerese ...:..,...''''.'s'... MarBSreI Goruon
MIS-. Smeedley ........,.... Ethel Dorrlmore
Having known OF the gentleman for a
number of years his reputation and the
renown Of his really remarkable feats of
deductive reasoning having preceded him
even this far from Bow street, Omaha
people turned out in goodly numbers last
night to meet Mr.. Sherlock Holmes in his
own proper person. Not only did they
have the pleasure Of seeing and hearing
the man whose fame has eclipsed the names
Of all thieftakers from Hswkshaw TO Old
sleuth, not to mention one OF two whose
light has illumined some Of the dark cor
ners OF local underlife, but also had the
pleasure Of seeing him take a couple OF
''shots" at himself with dope gun" and
pull of the arrest OF the only criminal
whose trail had baffed him for a longer
time than that consumed in a journey
from his comfortable quarters in Baker
street to the police headquarters. But
Professor Moriarty was taken, and his gang
broken up, and the whole transaction was
achieved with such neatness and reason
able dispatch as TO elicit the most en-
thusiastic approval from the persons who
had assembled to witness the performance.
Sherlock Holmes is hardly an ideal hero,
but Mr.. Gillette, by his intelligent con-
keption Of the Conan Doyle creation, en-
lows It with an interest IL does not in
trnsically possess, and gives such fasci-
nation to his progress that the auditor
and spectator as well-wats as eagerly
lor the Inevitable end as ever did boy
lang breathlessly to his penny dreadful
kr shilling shocker" in anticipation of the
f)nouement that never varied. Mr.. Gil
Iotte has broadened in his art 1t is a
ing step from "Too Much Johnson" to
Secret Service" and an immensely longer
ne from Secret Service to "sherlock
] dimes" That he has negotiated the dis
!nce and apparently we'll in hand, as the
lacing men say, is an excellent earnest OF
his ability to do safely the greater things
- aspires to. Mr. Gillette might easily
AXE his Sherlock Holmes a bully de-
| tetive, a genuine hero for "below stairs"
| 1t he doesn't. He makes him just what
| lr. Doyle did, rational human, and even
imane, and most attractive in his reason
leness. Not single incident in his
] I rilling career Is marked by a discovery
nat an ordinarily acute observer would
IT have made, nor an action that COM
| ! only cautious person would not have
/ taken. But the whole is so perfect in
| conception and delineation that the result
| challenges the highest admiration. And
| n1ly admiration was expressed by the very
| fashionable audience which filled the BOYD
4 dheater last evening.
| Miss Ida Conquest, who Is we'll remem.
| hered here for her work with John Drew
| in "The Tyranny Of Tears" and who later
had the role Of Lady Mary in Mr.. Mans
/ aeld's "Beaueaire,' succeeding Miss Mol
lison, is Mr.. Gillette's heroine. She isn't
1 on the stage a great deal, but her little
/ time Is so taken up as to give her an ex>
cellent opportunity to show her talent az
an actress. She submits to considerable
| maltreatment during her first two appear
| ances, but in the third, and final, she is
allowed to gain sweet recompense for all
her troubles, by doing very noble deed
and then disappearing from view locked In
the arms OF the man she loves. Her clev>
erness is admitted. So must be the art OF
| Miss Cortelyou, who has the really diffcult
role Of the female criminal. Mr. Percy
gives a good idea OF the British professional
man in comfortable circumstances. physi-
clan who can afford to have his callers
directed to a rival practitioner while he
busies himself in the affairs OF An ANA
teur thief -taker. Grifhth Evans, Ralph Del
| more and Quinton Mcpherson not only act
but look the parts they have to assume
and Harry McArdle. as Billy. the de,
tectives astute buttons" certainly made
hit with the gallery. The entire cast
is worthy OF the star. and the setting Of
the piece is most appropriate, while its
action is made we'll nigh perfect under
the skillful stage direction OF Mr.. William
Postance.
In passing it may not be out OF place to
refer to one feature Of the affair which
is Mr. Gillette's own idea. That is the
raising and lowering OF the curtain in alb
solute darkness. How much this enhances
the artistic effect of the stage picture car
hardly be told. 1t must be seen to be fully
understood. II is far from being the leas
pleasant feature OF the performance.
sherlock Holmes" will be given agaiI
this evening and at a matinee and evening
performance on Saturday.