The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1905-02-14
IMPERIAL THEATRE.

Patrons OF the Imperial theatre yester-
day had the privilege OF seeing new
play by local playwright who before
this had done cledltable WORK. Mr. Ed
ward Fuller. "'Fhc Price OF silence IS
ths name MT Fuller chose for his latest
wori1 and Il well epltomlzes the story.
This latest production OF Mr.. fuller was
well received last evening and the ahlhor
was forced 90 appear on the stage AT th'
close Of the second act I'm response 10 the
persistent demands OF his well pleased
audience
The making OF a play must be one or
the most diffcu,t things Imaginable. 1t
must tell a story and point MS some way
out of lies intriCdcIcs, that Is unless u -
a comedy. then-Wcll IL must be deightiul
ar the evening sunset. sometimes
playwright gets into his piece WORDS that
sing themselves and thoughts that dance
20 the loftiest OF music but OF course not
every production needs 10 be or almost
Impossible goodness sometimes we really
need only the small ideallzing mirror
Perhaps, too. the mirror Is more useful
MI. Fullers plot is an interesting one
There Is plenty og life. lots OF brightness,
a good deal OF unpleasant material and
some genuine cause for laughter. Does
the story elevate ones ideals and are we
given "a glance more fun than we usually
got OF the worth ~ men and the goodness
of women? Some there are who woulu
call for these things from a man or MT
l'uler's training ana acknowledged aDlllty
Such will be disappointed.
There Is very dsft work I'm moulding OF
Characters and there are some finely
worked climaxes and the play judged py
It's literary features is worthy OF praise
but there is not new flower OF love, not
new trait Of nobility OF character ana
save In one character alone Is there a
fro
character Is that OF Gwendolen Mulford
and Il Is not saying too much 10 say that
Miss Viola Burton seemed TO be response
ble for most Of It's delights.
The play Is boldly conceived even N the
conception IL not entirely novel Mr. VII
nams plays the part OF Edmund Roberts,
the legitimate son OF Sir Robert Mulford.
NJ p. and Il is a character calling Tor
careful work There is plenty OF force 10
the son. who finds In his fathers house
that he. the son, has been selected as the
Radical candidate 20 oppose Sir Mulford.
This son finds there, too, woman with
whom ne falls deeply i'm love, although
she Is afflanced TO the other son az whose
request Roberts Is visiting the milford
home So much hangs on tho proper
performance OF this part that even Mr..
Williams last night found an his ener-
giles were called into play but he brought
the part successfully through and won
the warm approval OF the audience. The
character as IL is developed keeps one
ever on the alert. 1t is plainly not as bad
a one As IL might be. becomes sort Of un-
selfish. but not even I'm the end is one
satisfied just as to the proper estimat. TO
put upon ~.
Miss Florence Reed certainly deserves
great praise for her Interpretation of the
part OF Ethel Harcourt She has done no
better work during her engagement here
and she made the part OF the strong wom-
an intended TO be portrayed something
worth a visit TO the theatre TO see. ePr-
haps the character is after all a bit OF
a puzzle. but then one must expect puZ-
zles when English society is pointed.
ReEan IIughston succeeded I'm making
the character OF Geoffrey Mulford about
as disagreeable q one as the author evil
IDENTITY intended IL should he, though that
Is saying a good deal. Charles Hayden
az Lord CarfaN was IS good a fellow as
Mr. Fuller intended a lord should be, and
Charles Rowan made as rascally q private
secretary as Mr.. Fuller intended a low
born fellow should be. Miss Katherine De
Barry gave an ideal portrayal OF an old
English duchess and Miss Burton needs
no prpteo for her eplpudid work