The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-01-02

IL was said OF Robert Louis Stevenson
and his stepson. Lloyd Osbourne, when that
stirring story, THE wrecker," was issued
with both names on the title page joint
authors, that Osbourne had sharpened the
pencils while Stevenson had done the writ
ing. In witnessing 1.-The Vinegar Buyer"
which the advertisements attribute to Her
bert Hall Winslow with suggestions by
Ezra Kendall" one is inclined to believe
that the playwright framed up the plot
and situations while the comedian himself
filed in the greater part Of the dialogue.
ssThe Vinegar Buyer" as presented at
English's yesterday afternoon. is common
place. even hackneyed. in respect of the
story it tells-and this is probably due to
Mr.. winslow. who has never yet produced
anything strikingly original; but the lines
of the play are, at times, sparkling with
humor that Is quite refreshing-and this.
one Is bound to believe, is due to Ezra
Kendall, whose original ideas and ready
wit have for many years kept him in a
class all by himself as public entertainer.
Although Winslow has not shown any par
ticular brilliancy in the invention of his
plot, his characters have some semblance
Of reality, and with a really clever
comedian to pilot them through the three
acts, the play is not wholly uninteresting.
where, with less competent captains at the
helm. il would fail TO rouse any attention.
MI. henQallS associate players are, with
two or three exceptions, equal to the plays
requirements. but the entertainment is so
thoroughly dependent upon Kendall him.
self that without him it would resemble
your New Years plum pudding with the
plums left out. Kendall dominates the
performance from beginning TO end, and
there are &c dull moments when he is on
the stage. The play was seen in Indian
apolis 80 recently that to review ii in
detail would be to tell a stale story. 1t
Isn't a story that could be made interest
Ing ir print anyway; ii must have the bene-
TT CT Kendalls presence in the telling.
The comedian is always amusing; no per-
former ever had a keener sense OF the ridic-
ulous than he, and none ever possessed
o tefce and manner more suited to the
business of arouslng the mirth of a theater
full of people. The programme would have
you believe that he is giving you a bit of
character work-that he is one Joe Miller,
OF an Indiana country town. But he is
really the same Ezra Kendall that you saw
as monologist in vaudevile; the difference
being that you get more of him under
the present conditions.
The. company remains about the same
as when the play was first seen here
Charles Bowser Is good i'm the character
OF Sandy Talbot, as is Ed Chapman in the
part of the liquor seller. Alec Stripe, and
the other male characters are we'll suS-
tanned. save that of the plotting young law
yer. William Henry Stripe. Roy Fair
child is cast for this role and is just about
as pad as could possibly be. Miss Marion
Abbott is the best OF the women of the
play IN the part Of the divorced wife of
the town drunkard. and little Rose Norris
makes a natural country girl of the kind
found in the smallest villages. Miss Darl-
ing does what little she has as Mrs. Ar
lingtou acceptably. but Miss Lottie Alter is
too affected and artificial in the ingenue
character of Mildred Arlington to win much
distinction. Mr.. Kendall himself scored a
audiences. But he needs a better play
thar THE Vinegar Buyer"