Omaha daily bee., 1905-09-22

acts, by Clyde Fitch: under the dlrecuon 1
OF Wagenhais & Kemper. The cast:
Margaret Rolfe -. Blanche Walsh |
Mrs Hughes her mother. ... Eleanor Carey /
Elsie Brewster! !,,.......... Grace Gibbons |
Dora Miller. Kathrine Bell |
Louise Name. Patriquin |
Maid Ethlyn Clemens |
Julian Rolfe. fe.................... Martin Alsop /
Mr.. Thompson. Frank Sheridan |
Jimmy O'Neil. ..................... Leonard Ide |
Louis Klauftsky ky................H Harry Rogers !
Walters, servant to the Rolfes =: ;:....... 80.
........................Wn William Wadsworth I
Inspector Williams. ....... William Travers 4
Attendant. ant......................Ja james Du Sang /
Foiceman. ........... Frank X. wright !
Clyde Fitch is improving in his mechan-
les 1t is still possible for him to inn
prove in other directions, but he has sue |
ceeded In making a play that hangs to-
gether, of which each succeeding act is |
the complement Of what has gone before, |
and of telling a story that is at least CO.
herent, and with certain elements of plaus- !
ibility behind 1t. Mr.. Fitch has long been !
known as capable constructor Of situa- |
tions, but for the most part he has con- |
structed them separately, so that when put
together the joints were plainly visible, |
even allowing the light to shine through !
occasionally. Not 40 THE Woman in the |
Case" This piece is very well carpen-
tered, and proceeds smoothly along its
course from its Characteristic opening to
it's characteristic ending, two good Fitch
acts leading UP to the most powerful in
a dramatic sense of any he has yet de- |
vised. The fourth act is the inevitable
anti-climax without which no American
built play seems complete 1t is sufn-
Client to say that Mr. Fitch's people are
the superhcially smart folks he has made
so well known to his public With two ex-
ceptions. Mrs. Rolfe and Claire Foster
| might have been drawn from life. At any
rate the one character 80 nicely opposes
the other that the balance between them
! is perfect and their development evinces
| an understanding OF human nature the
author has not generally been credited
| with. The great success of the play from
every point may be understood after seeing
| it.
| Miss Walsh is more happily situated in
| one way in this than has been her expert
ence. She has the happy ending hitherto
denied her, and she is given a chance to
| work out the destiny OF true-hearted,
clean-minded woman She is required to
| pit her wits against those OF wicked
woman, versed in the ways of the world
and shrewd with that preternatural under
standing that is part of the equipment of
| the man or woman who lives on the folly
Of others Miss Walsh leads splendldly up
! to the climax of the play, unfolding a fine
| conception of the wife whose faith in her
husband spurs her on to entrap her ad-
versary and wiring from her the truth that
shall free the man who is falsely accused
| Of the murder of his dear friend. Deity
| persistently, reentlessly, she plies her
questions, never losing sight of the goal
she has in sight, yet not at any point SEEM
ing to care for more than a cursory ac-
count oF the crime; coarsey f1attering the
woman she loathes and yet whom she must
| beslaver in order to induce her to proceed
| with her drunken boastlng and maudln
recital until she has possession of the
facts, and then her triumph. And col
| lapse. In this Miss Walsh has by her per-
sonalty lifted an almost commonplace
situation to the plane of artistic achieve
ment. Nothing she has ever done, save,
probably, Maslova. rings more true than
her Mrs Rofe. It is not to be wondered
at that New York rose to her, in this part,
and that the verdict OF Gotham has been
echoed in the few cities in which the play
has been seen.
Miss Dorr very ably seconds Miss Walsh.
The part Of Claire Foster is unique on the
stage, although 1t may be common enough
In life and It requires courage as we'll as
talent to present It with such fidelity as 1t
is given. The woman is essentially bad,
hopelessly selfish, and extremely vulgar.
Her tastes are gross and her manners are
those of her kind. Miss Dorr paints the
picture true to life, and in the third act
her stimulation of maudlin intoxication,
where she rails at mankind in general
splits out her spite against the man she
has sent falsely to face the gallows, and
vainy regrets the death OF the man who
, foollshly ruined himself because he did
love her. all make up wonderfully strong
and practically perfect assumption of a
most difficult character Miss Dorr do
serves to be praised with Miss Walsh for
4 the success Of the play.
The company is a strong organization in
every way. Not a character but is finely
= done, and each Is most essential to the
. rounding out of the story. Mr.. Fitch
= doesn't overlook his opportunities to let
n so some cynical shots at the public at
v large and certain grades OF II in particu-
r lar, and these are delivered in the most
L effective manner. AS the play was staged
e under his personal direction, and as he is
: one Of the best stage managers in the
o country, nothing more need be said on this
Il score.
n Miss Walsh has played in Omaha to
e larger audiences than was present last
IS night, but never before one that greeted
Ii her more cordially or more enthusiastically
expressed it's approval of her efforts The
Woman in the Case" will be repeated to-
night and If it gets its deserts the Boyc
theater will not accommodate the people
who will want to see It,