The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-12-27
and RoselIe Knott in when knighthood Was in
Flower This Week

months. Iris" is classed specifically
with that other Pinero work, The Sec
ond Mrs Tanqueray," and similar 9TH
ers, The Benefit of the Doubt" THE
Notorious Mrs. Ebbsmith," etc, a list
which may be condemned by excitable
moralists as "unwholesome problem
plays" yet it is claimed for Iris" at
least, that when the curtain has fallen
for the last time, no problem has been
left unsolved to perplex any unsettled
mind, nor has false sympathy been eX-
cited for weakness or vice. Mr.. Pinero
does not claim to write plays for young
women, but for those who have reached
maturity. He appeals to audiences
made up of those who have something
of the world-those who are familiar
with social conditions as they exist.
Therefore, his clientele is intelligent
and can appreciate and comprehend his
dramatic motives. Thousands of peo-
pie who have seen Iris" and defend
Mr.. Pinero contend that moralists may
rave and imagine vain things, but the
piece will remain an achievement. Miss
Harmed comes with practically the
same company the original cast which
was engaged to bring the play out in
New York. Mr.. Jewett has succeeded
Oscar Asche in the part of Maldanado
and has proven himself a most worthy
successor. People who attend theaters
will recognize Miss Harmed as Mrs. E.
H. Sothern.
"When X niGhthOOd Was in Flower"
when a woman will she will, and
when she won't, she's charming" So
thought Charles Major and wrote
when Knighthood Was in Flower"
Paul Kester believed it when he dra-
matized the book, and Julia Marlowe
convinced theater-goers in her por-
trayal of Mary Tudor, the hoydenish
sister of King Henry VIII, that the
modernized proverb was proper. Ro-
selle Knott, who this season assumes
the role of Mary Tudor, it is said, takes
full advantage of every possible oppor-
tunity for rebellion, for coquettish
coaxing for whimsicality disregard for
conveniences and the display of vixon-
ish temper that the madcap sister of
King Henry the VIII possessed. At
the presentation of when Knighthood
Was in Flower" Friday, matinee and
night, theatergoers will have an OPP
portunity of judging for themselves the
accuracy of Miss Knotts delineation of
the character.
Perhaps the most representative of
American humor. the most spontaneous
IN us numon Dlend OF sincerity and
kindness is to be found in Western
stories of Bret Harte. His men and
women all have courage and spirit.
They did commonplace things in an
original, direct and unexpected fashion.
Their tragedies were not theatrical, be-
cause they were incidental evolutions
in the progress of life and love. The
things that made them suffer most
they laughed at most, and pain was
yelled in smiles. Bret Harte represents
the peculiar qualities of a pioneer, the
fellow who could take care of himself
anywhere and win out" because of
the ineXhaustible steam in his ambi-
ton. There are pioneers in art to-day
who have not yet reached the big cities
of the East, but who will get there
soon, Miss Knott who is starring in
when Knighthood Was in FlowerY
this season, spent her pioneer days in
art in the West and North, has been
trained under the humorous eye of the
Western critic, and consequently all
her theatrical airs so to speak, have
been "cut out" so that in life, as on
the stage, she comes down to cues
with direct simplicity. If she were a
man she would be a regular William
Gilllett, cigar, nerve, GOODNESS and all
She is said to be of the Bret Harte
type.
"The Earl of PawtucIet.D
The story of 1.-The Earl of Paw
tucket," by Augustus Thomas, which