The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1904-12-14

MRS, GILBERT'S
FAREWELL PLAY
THE LAST PERFORMANCE IN THE
OF A WONDERFUL WOMEN.

The most genuine and tender ac-
acknowledgement of warm attachment
to an actress sweet, gray and modest
ly famous was the accession of Mrs.
G. H. Gilberts farewell to the stage
and t fell to the pleasant lot of Pow
ers theater Chicago to be the scene of
her agreeable and stately bow before
prolonged applause.
1t was not a matter of good or bad
play. fine or inadequate support, merit
or artistic startles-ths amiable de-
parture upon the part of management
in paying a handsome compliment to
a noble veteran of a hundred unwrit-
ten but sincerely felt successes. Mr..
Frohman, in accepting Mrs. Gilbert's
announcement of her last year as an
| entrtainer of indefatigable devotion,
| arranged a neat opportunity for her
great public to express gratitude to
wonderful old lady SO years old, who
was amply able to charm, appeal, study
and invent deliberately.
In a singularly mannerly and innocent
way the audience awaited itself of a
frank opportunity to be sentimental in
a fine and wholesome fashion and it
was altogether human honest, different
from any affair of the theater ever at
tempted in the way of adieu to a play
er. Usua'y farewell tours are immense
jokes and are ANONYMOUSLY, not to say
| mpudently, kept up i'm spite of ridicule
| year after year. AFFECT slavery to
! young beautiful brilliant, imperious
| ladies who act or sing or dance on the
stage is the most ordinary afflication
| of the amusement-seeking public, but
| Mrs. Gilbert, cultivated and winsome
| octogenrian, marked a brave auto
graph on a clean pace of dramatic
history in this traverse over the roads
| leading to her many laurels; for dear
old ladies who love to be regarded such
rarely grow behind footlights-those
arch conspirators with pretense and
artifice-and when they do the public
forgets to adore them enthusiastically
Mrs. Gilbert came with a little APP
pealing totter i'm her still graceful walk,
a sweet tremor i'm her rich old voice
and all the lovable, motherly qualities
of opulently useful and howery old age
and reveals her own self candidly to
smile a real good-by that much of the
world artistic will regret. 1t was a
unique, inspiring and enriching thing
to do, bringing something real and
openly affectionate between the stag
and the audiences devoted to the stage;
moreover allowing a good brilliant
beloved and faithful servant as well as
favorite of the public the privilege of
bestowing her blessing, kissing her
hand to those who appreciate her with
maternal fervor and leaving a fragrant
memory of gentleworth, modest de-
mands and great virtues almost un'
needed til now.
Clyde Fitch's comedy, Granny" is
rather noteworthy, though Georges
Mitchell affords the inspiration in a
French play of similar but decidedly
distant picture. In it's way the comedy
is as unusual and fitting as the occa-
sion of Mrs. Gilbert's appearance as g
star Discrepancies artistic flare VI
once i'm awhile, but they are not to be
iotted down against a really happy anc
well-groomed little wagon I'm which
Mrs. Gilbert rode to her violet-strewr
. jumping-on place. Not little resent
ment thrives at the feline qualities Mr.
Fitch gives his Granny i'm order t
loosen up the dramatic machinery, bu
the end justifes the means delightfully."-
Some Of the scenes are touchingly ma
tural and sympathetic and others arr
, lightly humorous and the persons il
the play are tolerably agreeable, con
sidering they do not I'm the least mat
ter one way or the other, so long "a
they succeed in keeping in the back
ground while the dear old star shines
Except for a boy and a girl In the stor
little has been done 10 polish or max
! vivid any subordinate characters !
! the piece. These two youthful lover
are ln Fitch's most delicious style ann
though the others are of colors Whlc
, fade suddenly, an except John "a reg
l uur Fitch prlg with the Kind Of smal