The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-10-15
.BABBlE WON
ALL HEATS
Maude Adams Makes Her First
Visit to Richmond Since
Childhood.
CHARMED HER AUDIENCE
Production Of the Little Minis
ter attic Academy Was
Brilliant.

\ I, ~ No. / . 4
Richmond has at last seen Afaude
Adams, and not only seen her. but that,
too. in tho play that made her famous,
The Little Minister"
Miss Adams, like many other clever
people, came from out OF the West. Some
clever Wit from the East upon being
told by a gushing western woman that
80 many clever people come from the
West replied that It was quite true, and
that 1.-THE more clever they were, the
quicker they came" Miss Adams came
q from the city where they allowed more
wives than one. AS an actress she has
appeared In nearly every eection Of the
country where there are railroads. cx-
8cept the South. The significance of her
appearance at the Academy last night Is 4
that 1t is her first visit to Richmond,
except $ a child. when she played here
z in some piece which no one seems tc 4
remember. 3s.5{
An audience that filled the Academy
and By far the most brilliant that has
gathered In the playhouse this season..
sat In front and waited to get their first
glimpse Of tho much talked a bout. much 4
written about. much loved. Maudo5
feeling thatlmad e5itseif manifest In the
audience. DavidiBc lasco describes Miss
Adams as he first saw her as "a spndle-
legged little girl, thin and tall
for her age, with q funny}littlc pigtnil.8
and one Of the qunintests faces YOU ever
saw But this was the Afaudc Adams Of
some years ago. when like her own
western country, she was still growing.
"A Charming Woman.
The Maude Adams Richmond saw last
night was quite a different creature AS
e child It is said that her own mother
would not call her pretty, and she has
not outgrown8 this. But she is something
more than merely pretty; she is beWltch;-S8
ing. No one ever saw a. prettier% pair
of eyes look over the teacup than those
OF Maude Adams. as she glances side
ways a Gavin Dlshart in the first scene
4 OF the second act, in which the minis ter
takes tea with Nancy. We bster. i
Miss Adams charms, not with her a ct
q ing, but Will, her own personality.
BE- Indeed, Il she makes no great effort at
acting. Everything she does Is as natural y
as though there were no stage and no
audience. She is h simply a 4 slight little
woman with a pretty little way that Is 4
all her own. She never once suggests
h tina she has made any effort to cultivate
b her voice, or followed the rad OF uecP5
breathing" Her voice is soft and low
and NATURAL just like the voice OF any
woman heard any day, and anywhere
The company supporting Miss Adams IN
9.YThe Little Minister iss an excellent one
an d con tnins some of the origlnators OF
the roles in the play, among whom may
be mentioned Eugene Jepson, as Lord
Rintoul. 55s#7 5ss,
Arthur Byron rs Gavin Dishart was
quite acceptable. The Mamie Webster OF
Mrs. Nv. G. ones was a fine character
study. Margaret Gordon, as "Felce,As
/ the maid, as often happens, made this
E..biti' as conspicuous as any role. IN the
piece. Joseph Franco eur physically do l
not meet the requirements Of the part
( OF Rob Dow..'l4rhe Micah Dow Of
Violet Rand, vas cleycrlys done. The,
elders. with their broad dialect were t1 al
in capable hands. .5f 81 /. al
The production was splendidly mount:
ed There will be ma tinee and 81 evening
performances to-day. @