The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-11-16
Cbe CbeatrcS

NIT. Beresford in "A Woman Hater."
 .HThe Woman Hater'' was one of the best. perhaps the very best, things that Roland Reed. that sterling comedian of a decade ago, ever did. But 1t Is not the best thing that Harry Beresford ever did, and yet he did the big role of the play quite as well as Reed per 1.-The Woman Hater' presented last night at the Montgomery Theatre, sets no new standard for Mir. Beresford. lt confirms the general Southern oplnlon that Mir. Beresford is one of the most most accomplished odern comedians of the higher order. And the opinion which cheerfully vouchsafes him tnis honor, tenaciously retains the convlc- tion that as the absent minded pro1es. sor in the Professors Love Story" has won his brightest laurels.
 There is only one J. M. Barrie, and nobody else seems capable or turning 8 out such a gem of comedy as Ihe Professors Love Story" with its beau tfful mixture of sudden and unexpected humor. its gripping and appealing pathos and its lifting inspiring sehti- hat Beresford had, in that play. and he played 1t right royalty. It was this absent-minded professor, the founda- ton of that general opinion, Tn tnis among the very best of high class
 Ali that he has since done has each year steadily confirmed that beiieL :. His work of last night emphasized It, even if David Lloyd's comedy IS not so inc and so subtle as the Barrie piece. Mir. Beresford has won because he is original. He has scored nis sue % cess because he has individuality. be- cause he has character and distinctive
 His original methods. his hall marks of individuality are so pronouneed Irrh NoI them and nr0haDly with some truths, mannerisms. But the same charge of mannerisms was made. against Henry Irving, the hrst actor of hls generation. Nor IS u sacrilege of the stage to mention Be resford and Irving in the same breath For what Irving was in the wider greater field of tragedy and drama, Beresford will be acknowledged edd "a aD Dy preaching that goal as fast as any young actor could possibly approach it. And what young actor on any stage has been given the place anu awarded the praise that mas come to
 He gave a local audience d delight full evening last night. It was two and half hours of solid endowment call, and 1t gave him unstinted applause at the end of each act, but this was one of the slightest compliments ne received. The best he got was the
  first to last, broken now and then by sudden hearty laugh. :, As m Ihs me Professors Love Story, Beresford showed his part as a slender, magnetic player, with strong, rehhe1 race tne artistic, the mobile face or the true stage artist. And then his delightful little mannerisms were strongly In evidence, the quaint gestures. the ab- sorbed self-forgetful speech and the sudden flashes of brightness.
 Some of these days MT. Beresford is going to find a great comedy, comedy worthy of his best efforts, comedy which, unlike '"The Woman Hater: will be more than a farce with t some ,,SaL bett1r !, Jokes with which the Roland Reed Comedy is interlined He is going to find a comedy quite as good and per haps better than The Professors Love Story" And when he does the whole world is going to confirm the very flat . tering estimate of MT. Beresford which the South has made.
 There is another serious indictment to be brought against The Woman Ha- ter" It does not give that charming little actress Miss Julia Batchelder halt
 That is one of the principal things fine @ play that MT. Beresford is going to find some of these days will not be a fine comedy unless Miss Batcheider has an important role and which, like the privilege of appearing a demure subtle young woman, showing tne mystic charm of the feminine charac- ter. She was cast last night in the unimportant role or Eiriisn f insSsnugI i ssrasI enough and pretty enough to play any yy Rirlish role, put the demure and Suoti' charm of Lucy White was missing.
 set of Mir. Beresford's company. Is