Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1906-01-10
REAL MERIT POSSESSED BY 1.-THE WOMAN IN THE CASE" AT THE ELks LAST NIGHT.
  Margaret Bennett, as Marqaret Rolfe the Wife in the Case. Is Superb in Her Work.

II is gratifying to know that "The Woman in the Case" was greeted by a good audience at the Elks last ! night.
 There are times in the lives of theater-goers when, expecting much from a play, they get nothing. and their prejudice is strengthened against all other plays of it's class On the other hand, when expecting lit tie, they get much. it is almost equal 1 ly difficult to for man unbiased jude- ment of the work on the stage Such was the experience of many who saw ''The Woman in the Case" While the 1 universal verdict is that it was good, it requires the trained critics mind
 to judge dispassioratsly of the real l riece.
 Those who went to see the play last | night were treated to something of real worth. The experience was all ! the more pleasant because of the fact
 that these who had never seen the 1 play before expected little of the com- Dany presenting it.
 "The Woman in the Case is exact ly what it's title impl es-the old, old story of domestic felicity wrecked temporarily. in this case-by the
 evil machinations of a bad woman i The happy termination. in which the happiness of two lives is once moro
 blended into a stronger current by
 reason of the troubles which did be- set them. relieves the drama of the melancholy. At the same time
 erand moral is taught in tho won- dreus devotion and bird belief ef
 teue wife. The story is q beautiful enc.
 aianeaset Bennett. as Narearet
 E2olse, tie wife i9 the case. is sHpel4
 iE5r work en the stage last nigh
 marks lel as a genius Her denictioa
 If the supremely happy bride, the
 transformation from heavenly bl ss 10 | e'eepest trouble and sorrow-but nev-
 1T doubt-a@d the depths of devotion mayed with skill and artistic abil-
 ity umexcelled by any who has ever appeared on the local stage. The transformation were plainly stamped
 in her countenance; she verify lived
 through the part she was acting. Her
 devotion in stopping to the life of , "the woman in the ease" for the sake
 of her husband and her work of expos irg the evil intent which lay back of
 her troubles were not overdrawn. The
 scene in which she finally extracted the confession from the wretched creature who was the author of her
 troubles was splendid and could scarcely be improved upon. As iead-
  Margaret Bennett is distineuishing herself. She gives promise of a bright
 future.
 Thcs. Coffin Cooke. as Mir. Thomp-
 son, merits more than passing notice.
 As attorney for the wronged husband,
 whose lie hung in the balance on a charge of murder, he acted his part well. unless we except, indeed, the latter part of his performance. which suited not well the character he as- sumed in the beginning-that of the placid. impurturbable and impenetra- hle lawyer. It is scarcely conceivable that the cool calculating lawyer of the opening should give way to his, feelings to such an extent in the end Yet he did well.
 Hope Latham, "the woman in the case" acted well her rather difficult
 role. The drunken scene in which she reveals the motive behind her course was we'll rendered, and the audience enjoyed it,
 Julian Rolfe, the wronsed hus3ano
 in this case, was portrayed with ad- mirable skill by Albert Brown. The love scenes between him and his de-
 voted wife will remain in the lmasl- nations of the auditors last night as the enactment over again of many a real scene in life. Silly, foolish " universal. many looked and listened only to Hush at their own folly thus held I'D to view. And yet the folly