The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1906-09-16

the leading role may have read IA
though II contained suitable matter
for her. The character is that of a
woman who blends Shakespeare
always petulant and sometimes violent
temper. and q silly. featherbrained
vanity. And that isn't all that the
novice dramatist, Inglis Allen, an
Englishman Of literary repute. has
done to render his heroine unloyely.
Not content with marrying her to a
half of man, who humors her sight
est within, for the sole reward of being
accused Of always fussing" he let's
her concoct a sham romance with a
bachelor friend of her husband on the
eve of his matrimony.
You see at once what the plot will
lead to--the wife's surreptitious visit
to a bachelors apartments-that DEAR
est device of the dramatic tyro. In
this case the woman strumps up fool
ish farewell errand. although the man
feels not the slightest amatory regard
for her. and sensibiy sends for her
husband to come and take her home.
That is the second act. In the third,
the husband develops some Petruchie
authority. and sternly commands Kath-
crime to go to bed. She meekly begins
to obey. and then the curtain cuts off
what might be the most interesting
scene of the whole play
Yet there are merits in The Dear
Unfair Sex One Is that 1t starts at
a quarter to nine o'clock and the the
atre is shut at ten-thirty. others are
comprehension of stage technique.
touch of literary elegance in the
wording. and the rather unusual case
of an author writing about refined peo-
pie with the convincing simplicity of
one who knows them. This Is Ellis
Jeffreys's third visit to America with
play that hinders her progress into
prosperity. Still longer ago, twelve
years, John Hare brought ner over for
a small part in "The Notorious Mrs.
Ebbsmith." but Illness prevented her
debut. Between that time and 1905.
she made two wise moves In London
the slow one of perfecting herself
| in the art of comedy. and the quick
one of marrying Herbert Sheath. So
| she Is among the cleverest comedi-
ennes of the day. although artificial
| and not sympathetic. and she Is the
wife of man with the money to put
her forward. She appeals strongly to
| fashionable people, who also are cul-
tured. Sheath, whose real name is
Shelton. and in England is regarded
as 'the handsomest actor" casts him
self for a small role in the present
company. Gerald Lawrence. another
noted London beauty, is interesting
here because his New York debut fol-
lows closely upon his marriage with
Fay Davis. A third stranger worth
mentioning Is Janet Sothern. wife OF
Edward H. Sothern's brother Sam, who
was inconspicuous in Edwards en-
ploy until ten years ago. when he went
to London and made some independent
reputation. Mrs. Sam Sothern Is ele-
giant, not beautiful. and acts neatly.
The actor in THE Dear Unfair SIX
who gets some success out OF Its
failure, is George Giddens, not much
known on our stage. but In London
as famous a comedian as they have
now. This Ia his first work here since
he came over with Charles Wyndham
twenty years ago. AS a brainiess,
well making, "right-ho" type Of Lon
doner, always In some stage of intox-
ication, he provides most of the amuse-
ment.
"The Jury and the Judges"
A play worth no more than nifty
cents won't sell at two dollars. The
Judge and the Jury" gives proof OF
that. It had been derided by Broad
way houseful on its opening night
when, at the next days matinee / was
one of a scant hundred In the par
quet. BY the time this account is pub
lished, the piece will have been with
drawn and the company disbanded.
Yet 1t was brought across the conti-
nent from Los Angeles. where 1t mad
been made and originally produced,
with trumpet blasts of triumph. only
to be fouted and downed inglorious-
1y.
woolly melodramas of the West
sometimes get fashions money In New
York. but to do 1t they must carve out
a plenty of prime meat underneath the
wool. This ones transcripts from
life among the miners and cowboys
of New Mexico presented nothing that
hadn't been overdone on the stage. Its
authors evidently had made spot stu
dies for 1t. and along with II came
some fit actors, especially William
Desmond, who looked and spoke like
a girls ideal of an outdoor hero OF
open AIR romanticism. But he was
made to behave. on the stage once
trodden by Lester wallack, in a way
that couldn't please maidens who de-
mand chivalry in their theatrio Idols
His authors compelled him to persist
in a groundless jealousy Of the girl
who loved him truly, and to credit
the calumny that she was right down