The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-08-07
ADJUSTMENTS.
1.-TWO Little waifsv at the Park.

Not only Is 1.-TWO Little Waits a better
melodrama than the average. but. in the
hands OF the company which opened half
weeks engagement at the Park yesterday
afternoon, 1t is acted in far more capable
manner than is usually to be expected of an.
organization playing the popular-price
theaters- Lincoln ]. Carter. who wrote the
piece, does not possess any startling orig
inality when IL comes to the building of a
melodrama. but he thoroughly understands
stagecraft and, what is more, he seems to
be able to write just the sort of stage story
that is sure to please a large class Of
theatergoers His plays are never lacking
an interest from beginning to end. and
Two Little Waits kept the overlooking
audiences at the Park yesterday afternoon
nd last night in state of nervous ex-
element from the rise of the first curtain
Until he fall of the last one.
The play appeals particularly to women
and children, and the theater will doubtless
be filled with feminine and juvenile audi
ences at the remaining matinees. The story
has TO deal with twin sisters who are un-
known to each other. One of them is
good woman and the other an adventures
Of the true melodramatic type. This bad
sister" Is persuaded by the villain of the
play to destroy the domestic happiness
which surrounds the good sister. Working
cleverly upon husbands jealous nature,
she succeeds in kicking up a pretty row,
and the unfortunate wife and mother Is
thrown upon the world with her two small
children, a boy and girl. The husband,
who Is supposed 10 be the hero of the
story. becomes a soldier and strikes out
for the Philippines. the action of the play
taking place during the late war with Spain.
1t never occurs TO the Park audience-and
evidently never occurred to the playwright
that IL would be far more heroic of the
husband a home and l00k after
the children than to leave his wife alone
In the great city of New York with pair
come to think OF 1t. it won't do to be too
exacting when you go to see melodrama,
and so long as the hero fights for his
country and gives vent to virtuous utter
ances. everybody ought to be satisfied
and most everybody is. too.
The company Is one of the very best that
has ever been seen at the Park. Blanche
Shirley. the leading woman, who plays the
dual role OF the twin sisters. Is an excellent
actress and a very attractive woman. She
portrays the two parts in wonderfully
heroine and the wicked adventures.
Her quick changes of costume and facial
expression are nothing less than remark
able Stanley Lamb and his sister. Lolita
Lamb, enact the characters of the waits,
and better Juvenile players than these two
little people have never been seen on the
stage of a popular-price theater They are
easy and graceful in everything they do
and they speak their lines In a way that
shows that the parts have not been learned
IN a mechanical fashion. but studied intelli-
gently. Melville Hunt makes "A handsome,
although despicable villain. and receives
a beautiful assortment Of Kisses from the
gallery in the course of the play. Sully
Guard plays the part Of the hero i'm a
somewhat heavy manner, but comes out
pretty strong in the climaxes. Francis
Jones and Miss June LANES furnish most
of the comedy in the characters of a Bow
cry, boy and his best girl. and both are fully
equal 10 all requirements OF the parts. The
other roles are, without exception. in good
hands.
The play is exceptionally well staged,
some Of the scenes being very attractive in
deed. notably the settings showing the IA
nous Little Church Around the Corner
on Twenty-ninth street, New York, and
New York street scene on Christmas eve.
THE Little Waits will run the rest of
the week at the Park. with the usual daily
natinees. II IS certain TO play to large
audiences.