The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-01-13
ADJUSTMENTS
At the Jefferson.

The offering at the Jefferson theatre last night was Ezra Kendall in ''Weather Beaten Benson," and the popular come dian was greeted by a well-flled house. The play which MT. Kendall has chosen for presentation this year treats of the picturesque Oklahoma rush" of 1899. Quaint characters are introduced and op- portunity is afforded for some fine char acter drawing, but the play is so loosely constructed and so tedious at times that the brlliancy which it shows in spots cannot overcome this handicap. In the first place the action drags painfully ex- cept when the minor characters are on the stage and then 1t Is breezy enough to suit the most exacting. A little re pression" and silent" acting now and then is acceptable; it makes one thought ful and expresses fine shades of meaning that would lose much of their charm in a more bosterous presentation, but when a play is spun out for three long acts with such scenes and one man doing all the talking the patience of the specta- tor is tried. Mir. Kendall was on the stage practically all the time, and the Hons share of the lines was apportioned to him.
 However, 1t was the fault of the play wright rather than the players and it must be confessed that MT. Kendall. as well as his associates, did very cleverly with the roles assigned them. MT. Ken dall as the kindly old bachelor, slow of speech and bashful, with a heart filled with a great humanity love and a soul that knew no guile, was extremely eff fective even though he talked too much and fingered too long. He created an admirable character as Weather Beaten Benson and was at all times pleasing with his quaint humor and impressive in his scenes of pathos His courtshlp of Mrs. Ormshy was delicately done with sympathy and artistic finish. Alice John son as Mrs. Ormsby imparted much wo- manly sweetness to the role and little Miss Edith Taliaferra as Little Miss Moses showed herself to be a child ac- tress of great ability. She was at all times, naive, child-like and perfectly natural. Decidedly the best bit of char acter portrayal in the play was the Mrs. IIffles' of Lucille La Verne As a noisy, good-natured matron of the strenuous west she was inimitable. Her laugh was infectious and her rugged ways quite ir- reslstible. The remainder of the company was fair.
 Weather Beaten Benson is prettily staged The first scene shows the line" in Oklahoma with the wagons of settlers drawn up ready for the rush" This is one of the most effective bits of staging that has neen seen here in some time.
 In the second act there was real rain storm with sure enough water and as Weather Beaten Benson stands out in the downpour that he has waited for SD long, in his joy gets a thorough soak ing the realism of tha scene drew forth great applause. A curtain talk was nec- essary at the conclusion of this scene last night. The third act was also a credit to the scene painters art and the evident newness of 1t all added to the attractveness of each setting.
 There is some rare humor in "Weather Beaten Benson." some bright lines and passages that breathe wholesome senti- ment but as a whole the play Is Q disap- pointment It lacks movement, consisten- cy and technique.