The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-10-03
ADJUSTMENTS
Metropolitan-"Mrs. LeffingweIPs> Boot

NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. LeffingweIPs Boots
Augustus Thomas wrote many plays,
Arizona" I'm Missouri" and "Alaba-
ma" until he became known as 1.-The
playwright of the states" Now he has
seemingly found an equally i~nexhaustible
vein in Mrs. L~effingwelrs Boots" for
why should he not give us MRS. Barton's
Gloves" or Mrs. Palliser's Bonnet or
even Mr.. Grosvenor's Umbrella ?' But
If the gloves n bonnet and umbrellas
would prove as amusing as the boots, the
public and Mr.. Thomas would both be
gamers.
Mr.. Thomas has called his play a COM
edy, but the comedy e~ncroaches danger
ously on the f~arcical, with moments of
real feeling that raise it to the higher
level. The story is~unraveled in a most
aimless, but altogether natural manner
and the conversation Is that Of everyday
life, for there are not half a dozen cpl
grams, altho there is no lack of humor.
The characters are all people you might
meet in the real world-even Dick, whose
moral nature was perverted by a blow
on the head in his college days until he
was willing to forge notes, place a mar
ried woman's boots on his friends fire.
escape, turn burglar or do anything else
that would complicate matters. His
realization Of his wrongdoing after the
operation was performed gave a glimpse
of the real man, The role was we'll taken
by Vincent Serrano, who was last seen
here In an entirely different part, that Of
the lover and hero in "Arizona." Henry
Harmon, as Doctor Rumsey, gave a
splendid picture of the kind hearted old
man who furnished the clue by which
Dick was exercised Of his evil spirit. The
doctors enjoyment Of his midnight chat
over the driftwood fire was subtly evil
dent. Then. there was Walter Corbin who
was in love with Dicks sister, Mabel, and
on whose fire-escape Mrs. L~effingwell's
boots were found. William Courtenay, as
Mr.. Corbin, successfully dominated more
than one scene and brought health to the
villain and happiness to everyone" sven
himself. Louis Payne was the very IN
reasonable, Jealous husband, Mr.. Letting
well, and Frank Burbeck as Thomas
Boomers, the artist, whose home fur
nished a pretty background for the tan
gle, and Harry Tilford as Orion, the tenn
porary sbutler, we're all capital.
AS Mrs. Bonner, the hostess whose din
ner brought all the people together after
they had promised never again to be I'M
der the same roof, Dorothy Hammond
gave an amusing picture of a bewildered
hostess who feels that everything is 60
Ing wrong and that the money She ex-
pended on 4terrapin and squads would not
bring in its prope return. Jane Laural
was a very charming girl who wanted to
believe in her lover, but whose trust was
not proof against the circumstantial evil
dence her brother had produced against
him. Grace Heyer was the distracted
Mrs. Leffingwell, who owned the boots
that caused the trouble. Eva, Vincent
had the part Of Nora, the Irish maid, and
she made it very funny without being too
bo1sterous. The gowns of the women
were very smart and showed the trend of
fall fashions, and the stage setting was
charming without being o~stentatious.
The audience was, perhaps, the most
brilliant hat the Metropolitan has seen
this fall, as the majority of the boxes
were occupied. Frances r. Sterrett.