The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-12-27
nouIncy Adams Sawyer"

In "Quncey Adams Sawyer and Ma
sons Corner Folks that was seen at the
Jefferson last night for the first time in
Birmingham, Mr.. Justin Adams, the play
wright, has given a faithful picture Of
life, and an artistic deliniation Of the
character, peculiar to the people Of New
England. He has, withal, in the play ac-
centuated certain elemental virtues in hui
man conduct that can never fail to arouse
the sympathy, stimulate the pride and
quicken the imagination of playgoers.
The little drama touches almost all the
human emotions and touches them in
way that leaves an exceedingly happy
impression upon everyone who is so for
tunate as to see the play. In these days
when the drama Of despair-when plays
that appeal to the erratie and the erotic
of society are so numerous-it is highly
satisfying to see one so eminently health
full as Quincy Adams Sawyer"
Masons Corners, the scene of the play,
is a typical New England village settle
ment--smau in population, to be sure, yet
plentiful in unique characters" To this
village goes Quincy Adams Sawyer, a
graduate of Harvard, a member of an
old Boston family and a person not I'M
versed in the ways of the world. Accom-
panying him is his friend Arthur Has
tings. Their arrival awakene jealousy in
the hearts of some of the villagers, and
at length in that of Professor Obediah
Stout, who seeks to wed Indy Putnam,
the adopted daughter of Mrs. Hepzibah
Putnam The professor imagines that
one of the newcomers is a sutton for
Miss Putnam's affections and sets the
village gossipers agoing In the settle
ment live also Ezekiel Pettengill and his
daughter, Alice, who is beloved, beauti-
fu. and blind" Around these characters
the scenery of the play is grouped.
The drama develops sanely and salts
fs ctorily. The denoument is sure rather
than swift. Ultimately, the better an
gels outlive the baser In New England
character and the denoument is one that
satisfies expectations not precisely in the
way one might anticipate, yet in a way
quite delightful.
James Thatcher, as Quincy Adams
Sawyer, was an extremely effective i'm
personation of a none too easy character
Mr.. Thatcher's acting was at all times
nicely restrained.
His first appearance enlisted the hearty
interest of the audience, and this interest
was admirably sustained throughout the
play Miss Helaine Hadley played the
part of the blind Alice Pettengill with
exquisite fidelity, winning her way i'm
pressively into the hearts of Birmingham
playgoers. Miss Ada Pugh's Indy Put
nam was hardly as satisfactory as 1t
might have been in the early scenes, but
she rallied later and left pleasing inn
preston before the curtain fell. The Mrs.
Putnam of Miss Sabra Deshon was easily
one of the finest bits Of character-acting
recently seen in Birmingham, as was also
Miss Gertrude Augarde's representation OF
Samanthy Green, IAN aggravatin' brat
in the Putnam household. If one were
asked to select what is the most nearly
perfect acting done in the play one would
not be amiss in pointing out haymonu
Chase's Hiram Maxwell. 1t should De
added that Harry S. Robinson lent him
self easily and naturally to the imperson-
ation Of Abadiah Stout, the pedantic ass
of the village.
Withal, "Quincy Adams Sawyer" is
plav that stirs healthful emotions and
makes for right living and clear Think
ing. The large audience at the Jeffer-
son last night was delighted with the lit
tie drama, and delighted also with the
manner in which it was presented by the
Puritan company.