The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-11-07
AT THE THEATER

here. comparatively unknown TO Sa-
vannahans, and only small audience
witnessed his excellent production of
that charming comedy THE Tyranny
of Tears" Last night the theater was
filled almost to the doors, and with
one Of the most representative au-
diences of the season.
The story of the busy husband, Inn
mersed in his scientific work, the SEN
sitive loving wife, longing for ex-
pressed devotion, and the Objectionable
literary character who offers her SYM
pathy and diversion, as told in The
Mummy and the Hummingbird" has
been made familiar by frequent repeti-
ton in newspaper notices Of the play.
The story is easily told, but 1t would
be difficult to tell it as wittly, as clev-
erly, and with such sparkle and cpl
gram as it is told in this delightful
little comedy of modern manners.
Comedy with a touch of the tragic, in
the young wife's temptations and sor-
rows. 1t was in this point that Miss
Margaret Drew, who took the part
of the wife, was at her best, showing
more power in her emotional parting
with her husband at the end of the
second act than in any other portion
of the play.
It is the widow, her cousin Ruth
Thornton, who has all the clever things
to say, and Miss Adele Thurman. who
filed the role, said them most clever
ly. The misfortune of a serious cold
gave her voice certain harshness
that one could not but deplore, think
ing that If she could speak so well with
a cold, how delightful IL would be to
hear her without one. The audience
was immensely taken with her man.
ner and wit and gave her a special
share in the general applause. that
was continuous after the second act,
until six or seven or more curtain
calls had been responded to.
In the first act, John Martin as the
italian organ grinder brought in to
dine with a lord, shared honors even
with Mr.. Gilmore himself. He looked
the part perfectly and acted it as
we'll Their dialogue by signs was
most entertaining detail of the piece,
although its full significance was not
shown until the last act, when by the
same code, the one-t time organ grinder,
now a valet, communicates to his mas
ter the news of his lady's flight to
Paris, There was just a reminder of
Ibsen's THE Dolls House" in the
plot of the play
Mr.. Neil Florence was excellentiy
made up as the Italian lover, the
"hummingbird." who slipped honey
where he could. regardless of whose
garden he was robbing and he sus-
tanned the part finely throughout.
Best of all was Mr. Gilmore himself,
the mummy" who is buried so deep
in his experiments that he commits
the almost unforgivable sin of for
getting to make love to his own wife.
Grave, humorous, tender at last, he
shows the mummy all the way
through very much of a man and a
very fine fellow, and makes the part
most lovable.
The play was in every way one of
the best given here this season. If
there. were criticisms to be made, it
would apply chiefly to the scenery,
which was poor. But in a PERFORM
anee so enjoyable. one could afford
to overlook the scenery.
At to-day's matinee and tonight
Mrs. lie Moyne will be seen in Lady
Berinthias Secret" The play Is I'M
der the management of F. c. Whit
ney, who so successfully presented the
opera when Johnny Comes Marching
Home" two weeks ago.
Mrs. LIE Moyne made her first en-
phatic success in Clyde Fitchs THE
Moth and the Flame" when 1t was
produced in New York several years
ago. AS Mrs. Lorrimer, charming
divorce, she proved herself to be a
comedienne of the highest order. and
so successful was she in the part that
theatergoers were surprised when, aft
er the run of the Fitch drama, she was
cast for a serious role in Annie Rus
sells Catherine" Again her work
was a revelation to critics and public
alike. and from that time until the
present season the fact that it is in
comedy that Mrs. lie Moyne is unques-
tionably at her best seems to have been
lost sight of.
1t is claimed that in Lady Berin-
thia's Secret" Mr.. STANCE has provided
her with part that suits her to per-
lection. The play is a comedy. the
scene of which is laid In London in
1898, period offering unlim-
tied opportunities for the best work Of
the scene painter and the costumer
1t represents a time when silks and
satins and costly laces were not mo-
nopolized by women. The toilette OF
the man Of fashion was as serious a
matter of consideration with him as
with the society belle of to-day This
is not an age when tinsel passes for
gold, or cotton flannel for velvet, and
the costumes of Lady Berinthias Sc
cret," it is said, have been provided
with lavish hand. AS a background
for the wealth of color of these gor-
geous garments Homer Emmons has
provided three sets of scenery, and the
mention of this famous artists name
will give to all who know his work an
idea of the artistic beauty of English
architecture and landscape amid
which Lady Berinthia's secret will be
revealed. In the cast are such WELL
known actors as w j. Ferguson, Har-
old Russell, Alex P. Frank, Robert
Patton Gibbs. Jerome Harrington, Har-
~ Dornton, Edgar Allan Woolf,
Eleanor Barry, Virginia Buchanan,
Frances Stevens, Laura Thompson and
Cornelia Hunter.
Monday, matinee and night, 1.-THE
Two Johns" will be seen, The
company is said to be first
class in every respect, including such
well known people as Edw. Begley,
Bert Cannon, Harry ]. Hooper, Chas
A. Boyd, Herman Steinman, Roger
and Belle Dolau, Edna Burnett, Fran
kie Trumbo, Clara Kellar, Irene Carl
isle and the Garden City Quartette
Edw. Begley and Bert Cannon who
ply Phillip and Peter Johns, weigh
nearly 400 pounds each.
The number of women in this COM
munity who are interested in new de-
signs of authoritative modestes are
promised three interesting sartorial
novelties in the costumes Of three Of
the fair personages of Facing the
Music" the new success with which
Comedian Henry E. Dixey is reclaim