Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1904-03-01
SETS THE
PACE FOR
THEATERS
Denman ThOmpSOn'S
Old Homestead
Still aFaYOrite
Plays Come and Plays GO
But This Creation Beau
tiful In It's Simple
ity Stays

10 was Ike balm to tn tlrcd spiri
10 see Denman Thompson and 9TH,
Old Homestead" at the Columbir
Theatre last night. The first ques
tlon that arises on n fresh view o
thls play, which Is almost an Ameri
can classic. Is, not why II is so good
but why, oh why. is the rest Of thC
contemporary output so bad Why
does company after company come
here with flaming proclamatons OF
success on the road and then present
only melodrama, which distorts life
and tortures the audience by the
veritable cruelties inflicted on the
characters?
-"rhe Old Homestead" is I'm com.
parison so natural. so easy, so re
freshing II Is almost like an ex.
puisitely OWNED and painted land
landscape with soft blue distances. a
rostful pool in the foreground and a
few lazy kline browsing In tho mead.
Ow And people wonder whv such
pictures are always In icmand, why
they glvo such relief TO the gaudiest
drawingnooms and tho most fotid cen.
ters Of civilization.
"The Old Homestead" Is a play OF
character rather than plot. There is
no love interest. and the dramatic eli.
makes are OF the simplest. But Rick.
ety Ann. stumbling about the farm,
tho Salvation Army procession filing
past Grace Church. and the corrupt.
ible metropolitan policeman, TO say
nothing Of Cy Prime, who is accused
OF doing chores for his board" are
types whose individuality bites into
tho consciousness and renders a
precious service TO truth.
Donman Thompson is, OF course.
Uncle Josh. He Is so thoroughly ldeu.
tiaed with the role, so completely in
and OF II. that analysis as we'll as crit.
iclsm Is an importlnence. His hum.
or is ever fresh and fragrant, mingled !
Intimately with his sentiment the
whole portrait having the sincerity |
and the vitality OF life Itself.
Mrs Louisa Morse Is not far be.
hind Thompson himself In sympathet. /
ic naturalization She Is the homely 1
domestic woman Of New England TO
perfection aud there is an art. bor.
rowed 30 closely from nature that II .
scarcely seems art In her manner OF
picking strawberries, aud her rolling
OF the rcd ball OF knitted worsted.
Mr. Frod Clare gave breezy and
really attractive portrait OF Happy
Jack the tramp who rcappears IN
swagger evening clothes In the latter
half of tho play, aud Mr. Charles Car.
tor mcontostaby knows what he Is
doing in the role OF the lean, senti.
mcnial and Quowlous Cy Prime.
Tho city characters aro always at
a disadvantage Just as much 80 In the
penetrating realism OF "The Old
Homestead" as In tho furious mslo-
dramas whore virtue langulshes In
cheap calico and yico strides mallg.
nantly about the stage In all the bray.
cry OF the latest tallor'J and milunor's
mndola Tho Hopkins the rich peo
pie of "The OLD Homestead"
giyen brIof woodony roles. whose
actiug consists chiefly In laughing at
tho mistakes OF the old farmer turned
adrtt In the city for tho nrst tlmo.
and tho act In which they appear Is /
certainly the poorest In tho drama
The placing OF uuole Josh IN rldicu. ,
lous hght destroys somo of the In. a
uinsic dignity OF the character. and ,
reveals HIS frionds from New York In I
a very cheap light
The wonder grows why somo Amer
lean playwright cannot writo another
'old Homestead" or Henrietta" SO 1
A. TO swap the Intrusive molodmma 4
and make the importation of Franch Z
and English problem plays unneces. a
iary, a