The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-04-04
LONDON ASSURANCE REVIVED
ELLIS JEFFREYS SHINES WITH
4 MOSTLY ALL STAR CAST.

Houcicaults Ever Ancient and Perea-
nially YOUNG TheAtFe Piece Permits
Winter killed FIOweFS 20 Bloom
Several Of the Stan in II Twinkle.
That ever ancient and perennially young
play. London Assurance by that master
Of ever ancient and always youthful tricks
Of the stage, Dion Bouoicault, was revived
last night at the Kniokerbooker, with Miss
Ellis Jefreys and a mostly all star cast,
for the frst time since DAILY revived II for
Ada Rehan, Nov. 80, 1895. II II reveals little
knowledge OF life (Boucicault was nineteen
when he wrote II with the aid Of John
Broughamy II bespeaks a thorough famll-
iarity with the most effective stage types
If the Towering time Of the late eighteenth
century many Of which, indeed, may DO
traced by the curious back 10 Shakespeare
himself, And next TO nature In the theatre
well tried artifce does well. Vast oppor-
tunity tie play affords for the actor to real
ile bis own Iersonality, and that to most
playgoers Is a more recognizable and a
more delightful contamination than the
real 7atiUn Of life.
Particularly fortunate Is the fact that
this Is that delightful ant.thess OF the
Star play--the play written for anall-around
stock company. For the most part, In
these days. one moderately good or popular
actor is all the public expects or gets. But
the dramatic flowers that one by one are
killed in the winters frosts are wont to
bloom in the spring in a so-called all star
conjunction,
over tho pieces that have lately failed
the actors Of last night we shed no tear, grief
icing more than assuaged by more glori-
Gus resurrection. The audience last night
was large and fashionable, and Though it's
reception Of play and performance was far
from an ovation II was Enthusiastically
friendly aud warm.
The antique memories that were revived
last spring at the similar revival Of The
Two Orphans" were less dominant last
night-awed into silence, perhaps, by the
etnal shadow OF DR.. Osler. The sir Har-
court Of farren, the UGsrie OF Charles
Mathews, the Grace HdrkdUdv Of Madame
V6stus ana the Lady Cav SpdHker OF Mrs,
Nishett INST appeared sixty and four years
ago Let them rest in peace-and chloro-
form Those who are now alive salute
them.
admirably alive, and more than confirmed
the good opinion formed Of her in her Ameri-
can debut In The Prince ConsoTt.H Tall
and 1.-THE Of figure, ebullient with health
and vitality, handsome In face aristo-
cratic in manner and stunning In modistery,
she easily doninat ed the scene.
Eben Plympton admirably denoted the
we'll preserved dandyism Of Sir HdrcouTt,
delighting, and all but CONFUSING, the
audience with the varied comedy Of the \
character. Particularly admirable was the
latent gentlemanly distinction, amounting
almost 10 manly fortitude which undeTlies
the character hroughout-though finally
cropping 10 the surface on the occasion Of
the duel In the manner OF q theatrtc
surprise Joseph Wheelock, Jr., man
aged very skifully to preserve the amiAble
dulness and sympathetic. feebleness OF
Dolly SPEAKER, even while he infused into
the part his own plaintive and Wtsuul
tricks Of personality.
Miss Ida Conquest, whose hammered
prettines in speech and demeanor it has
all 10 the good in the aTtihciality Of Grace
Hdrkdlrdy. Seldom have Der physical
vitality and Astounding personal charm
been more happily In evidence.
Mr., Murray Carson made all that, as
II seemed, was possible Of the bounding
solicitor Meddle; and W. H. Thompson
was equally happy as the jovial foNhunt-
ing Ad1 HdTkdthdv, Mr. Ben Webster was
a handsome and distinguisheY ChdTIes
Courtley Mr.. Herbert Sleath was finished
and effective as the chilly calculating
valet, Cool.
Mr.. Henry f. Dlxey who was to have
played Dazzle did not appear, being pre-
occupied, II was rumored with a perform
ance Of Razzle Dazzle. Mr.. James Neill,
who took his place, was somewhat too
rough and boisterous 1t did not seem
credible that he would have been able to
play the parasite with such easy success even
in this artificial stage picture Of the OPEN
ness Of English hospitality.
ReVivals Of the classics are all too rare
on the modern boards, and slender and
pseudo classical as Is London Assurance
il is well worth popular attention.