The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1904-11-18
At the - -
Theatres
PROVIDENCE OPERA HOUSE.

IuVvtOSVOG VI LIN ttVO0Is
John Allenby. .......... kmmet g. klng
Mr.. Allenby. his father. Frank F.. Aiken
Jack, Johns son. William Levers
Henry Allenby, Austin Webb
Jim WellS..... .s.....s.-... .Sydney tNiCe
Pete. ete.......,...,............. FRANK Bownlee
Boy ................,....... HERBERT Marion
Granny" ".......................M Gilbert
Helen Mason. ......... Dorothy Hammond
Dora, her daughter. Marie Doro
Jane Granny's servant. Jennie Rieffarth
Katie. her da lighter. Olive Murray
In her farewell season before retire
ment from the stage Mrs. W. VI. Gilbert,
who has so thoroughly endeared her
self TO the American public, opened Sc
ries OF four performances at the Opera
House last evening I'm Granny" written
for her by that wholesale author, I'm most
instances. OF clever pieces, Mr.. Clyde
Fitch.
Everyone most everyone, knows OF
Mrs. Gilbert. snd-well. IL is safe to say
that everyone-rnost everyone-loves her.
She is one OF the best of the older gener-
alton OF actresses and when II Is consid-
cred that she Is now 81 years of age, the
evening OF her life--a star at s3-one can
only say. Wonderful"
The piece last night was sentimental
from start 20 finish--the kind that brings
tears one moment, laughter the next and
then perhaps mixture OF the two at
the same time, in fact II could be termed
q "weepy' play.
From some viewpoints H. Is rather crude,
giving one the impression that Mr.. Fitch
had some other ma tiers on his mind when
he wrote It. or rather, as is the fact.
adopted IL from the French.
However. the little crudities are
buried I'm tho most excellent interpreta-
tion Of the part of Granny by Mrs. Gilbert
and the able support that she has
There Is not much OF a plot the piece
being built about the csfrangement OF
John Allenby and his son Jack, owing to
the former wishing to marry again, and
the object OF his choice being "A divorcee
against whom the idle tongues OF the
town were wagging I'm true village style.
Granny. who IL the mother Of John
Alenbys dead wife. resents the desire
of her Son-in-law to install new love
i'm his heart and home. begins TO stir up
trouble and succeeds in arraying son
against father.
Then follows a painful scene. In which
all the members OF the household and
the prospective stepmothcr form a part
Granny and the grandson use hard words
80 does the father. and the upshot is that
both leave the house. while John Allenby
gives his son 10 understand that he shall
not return until he apologies 10 his step
mother-to-be. Jack. the soy, enlists in
the army and years pass by. Granny is
won over by her stepsons second wife.
TTeTen. ana Secs rer grEHr
mistake. and the last two acts
are taken 10 bring about
reconciliation between father and son,
which is done in clever manner through
the medium " Dora the daughter Of
hos haar ACTUALLY
made 10 fall in love with the son, Jack,
through letters sent him to the Philip
pines by Granny. Eventually n full
reconciliation Is affected and two young
hearts are brought together which atones
for all the trouble that Granny has
caused.
While Mrs Gilbert makes all that can
possibly he made out OF her part II
would seem that the author could have
furnished better material for her fare
well-she certainly is entitled to It. She
was as she always is. artistic and above
all natural-she doesn't seem TO be acting
at all and one might with wee little
stretch Of imagination think that IL was
all true so far as her Interpretation is
concerned.
The cast is not a largo one but beyond
a doubt q strong one. Miss Dorothy Ham,
mond Is very convincing and sweet as
Helen Mason John Allenbys second
wife). while Miss Marie Doro made A
distinct hit as Dora. her daughter. Miss
Doro is one of the cleverest little actress
es seen here in long time-she is chic and
vivacious and is entirely free from af-
fection Mr. Emmett G. King I'm his inter-
pretation OF the part OF John Allenby was
strong and quite what one might expect
such a man TO be. Mr.. William Levers
took the part OF his son. Jack, and gave
a most creditable demonstration of his
ability, coming in for much favorable
comment. All In all the company Is a
excellent one and while none of the diff
ferent parts, other than Granny. are par
ticularly capable of great things each
member last evening seemed 10 get out
all there was I'm his or her respective
lines.
At the close of the pay Mrs. Gilbert
gave an epiogue, whth was we'll re-
ceived.
Granny will he repeated tonight with
a matinee and evening performance to-