The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-01-17
AT THE THEATERs
Metrop olitan--MaxIne Elliott In al
Own Way,v

Metrop oIitan---MaxIne Elliott In "Her
own Way"
That beauty should ever become a han
d1cap to an actress seeking recognition
for her histrionic abilities seems improb-
able. Rather would 1t be presumed thai
the item Of personal loneliness would form
most important asset. And yet Maxine
Elliott has found it difficult to get her
public to accept her as anything more than
a beautiful woman. It was her beauty
that first made her famous and won her
stage recognition. 1t gave her promi-
nence that quite overshadowed her then
small achievement in the real work of the
stage. This. was a real misfortune to a
woman possessing Miss Elliott's artistic
temperament and capacity for hard work
and ambition to succeed in her chosen
profession. At last however, Miss Elliott
appears as a star in a play that gives her
opportunity to demonstrate her worth and
compel recognition Of her ability to i'm
personate.
While she will never storm the heights
of tragedy nor sweep along with the tor
rents Of passion, Miss Elliott is charming
In society comedy and convincingly sin
cere in the depletion Of a simple, loyal,
lovable woman. She betrays buoyancy of
spirits of which she had not hitherto been
suspected. It is rather dangerous for so
tall woman to romp with children in
public. but she accomplishes the difficult
feat gracefully. Perhaps the best touch
In her impersonation is the radiant JOY
she shows in the midst of disaster, when
the letter, in which the absent soldier con-
fesses his love for her, arrives. Nothing
else in all the world matters then-and
Miss Elliott touches every heart with
some of the gladness that irradiates from
her own. The sincerity Of her work thru
out, held in leash by an admirable re-
Vo mi n1nty r.
who have not seen her. since the days OF
her starring with Nat Goodwin.
The play is rather better than the aver
age" of Clyde Fitchs output of recent
years. There Is less of that straining for
strange effects which has so often led this
versatile aud clever, but seldom convinc-
ing playwright into absurdities. The open
ing children's birthday party scene fur
nishes the inevitable Fitch surprise, u
but it is remarkably we'll carried out and
seems natural enough. The ruin wrought
by the specializing mania is the main
theme, and it gets special significance in
this case by the plan of an INSCRIPTIONS
young operator to win the girl he wants
by running her brother and family thru
| unwise speculation. His belief that when
shOrn of all resources she will fall nat
urally into his arms is, of course, founded
on a Misrepresentation of her character and
in the end. This all sounds trite enough
but Mr.. Fitch has brought all his ingenu-
ity into play in working out an entirely
original and successful treatment. He has
introduced some types Of character of that
New York society he knows so well, and
has made them reveal their vanity, insin-
cerity and avarice in that lightly cynical
way of his which makes even the very
people he Is satirizing smile.
These characters are without exception
admirably vitalized by the fine company
provided for Miss Elliott. There is the
silly, mercenary little society mother who
fights in vain against advancing age
played to the life by Fannie Addison Pitt
There Is her shallow, selfish but not bad
heart daughter, by Nellie Thorn. There
Is the unlucky husband of the daughter
who cannot keep out of "the street as
long as there is cent left in his own for
tune or those under his control. This
characterization by r. G. Herr is one OF
the most notable of the production since
it is. that most difficult of achievements
a strong picture Of a weak man. James
Carew's portrait of the rich, shreWd young
Westerner who sticks at nothing to wiz
the weak mans sister Miss Elliott) Is 6
striking one, full Of western color over
laid with the sordid hues that obtain ii
| financial New York. Charles Cherry play:
| the young lawyer who goes a-sold1erlne
| in the Philippines in manly fashion. The
| real comedy hit of the piece, however, Il
furnished by George lawrence as the
! talkative fairdresser, whose Sunconsclou:
hurnor bubbles out las 1nerrtly and In quite
the same way as May TWINS. In - -:
| w. b. Chamberlain.