The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1906-12-04
PROVIDENCE OPERA HOUSE

| One may talk about the esthetic all they
want 10, but if the average theatregoer
told and truthfully. their honest feelings
| they would say. well. for solid enjoyment
give me a play with bit OF the melo-
dramatic, "A dash OF love, a pinch OF gun
powder and Just-rght proportion OF
comedy"
1t all exists in THE Love Route" by
| Edward Peple, which opened n weeks en-
gagement at the opera house last even
Ing, with Mr.. Guy Standing in the lead
Ing role. Just why Mr.. Peple calls II "A
| play Is hard to say. IL Is not lurid
nyelodrama, OF course, but is decidedly
| comedy drama, with comedy in the major
proportion and OF the kind which appeals
! To the average man or woman
The story is told OF a dashng southern
girl. Miss Allene Houston. played by Miss
| Odette Tyler, who by inheritance owns
the Black Snake ranch in Texas.
The girls father fought the same rail-
road for years. the courts decided against
! him, but nevertheless the fight was taken
! up az his death by the daughter. who pre-
pares 10 prevent them building their
| road across her ranch. The fran
chlse states the road must be built
by certain date. The officials decide
| gineer, John Ashby, interpreted by Mr..
! Standing. Miss Houston and Ashby were
I'm love with one another In by-gone days,
ind when they meet in the New York
| office OF the roal and the plans are told
| the play really begins. and the action from
this on centres mostly about Ashby and
! Miss Houston, near and on the latter's
ranch in Texas.
The building gradually goes on;
| Ashby endeavors TO show the Houston
girl her fight is frultless and even appeals
TO her love and all that, but southern
clanlshness is funny commodity and she
| refuses 20 let the rails be laid across that
a fG ha MI
| left unbroken in the line. The crisis ar
! rives. The girls cowboys, with her fore
man. who has grown 10 love her, come 10
| her aid. The foreman is wounded by some
OF the workmen and brought to where
! operations are going on with the track
men He is Jealous OF Ashby and in his
! dying moments shoots the young engineer
| All is cOmmotion. but the remorseful girl
seeing her lover stricken, has a decided
change OF feeling, turns TO and COM
pletes the roadbullding which will brlng
her lover high position and glory. Ashby
lives, of course, and in the last scene she
tells him what she has done for him, and
one may naturally imagine II all ends as
IL should--for a play
There are a number OF Inconsistencies
In THE Love Route; at some points the
action is almost impossible For example,
II, the second act Ashby, the engineer,
who Is virtually prisoner on the Houston
ranch. slaps the face Of the foreman, who
pulls a gun on him, but the engineers
life is saved by a startling command not
10 shoot from the Houston girl. man
can't slap another mans face and live
down in Texas; and especially when the
man who is slapped has gun. But OF
course IL the foreman had killed Ashby
the play would have endede right there,
end this was not what was desired Then,
too. that road could have been built with
cut any great big difficulties IL the law
was resorted to by the officials, but this
would have given no opportunity for a
play at all, and there you are
The first act, located in the New York
office OF the railroad company is a lively
one. moves quickly and one gets an idea
OF what the trauble 10 come is all about.
| The second act, scene on the Houston
ranch, is very clever, and there is con-
| siderable action and no little comedy. The
| third act, showing the junction in the road
where the crisis is 10 occur is a decidedly
we'll staged scene, and while the action for
time is a bit slow, the work OF laying
| the rails by night and the shooting of
Ashby by the foreman brings about
crisis which makes the audience hold on
tight. The last act, in the parlor OF the
hcmstead on the ranch, il sort OF
| straightening-out OF affairs scene and gives
| the audience an opportunity 10 learn that
Ashby did not die and that the road Is
really completed and that he got the girl.
please. IL has touch OF nature TO Il that
Is bound 10 catch on, so to speak, with
the audience and there Is a sort Of rough
and honest comedy about II all that can't
fall 20 please. The author has the faculty
or appealing to the sentimentality OF
the human-like he did I'm The Prince
| Chap for example, although the senti-
ment in that piece was OF more delicate
construction but lacking in the dramatic
as compared with The Love Route"
As to the cast. 1t is excellent in every
individual case. Mr. Standing as John
Ashby, the engineer. is the star, and
convincing and sincere in his work
His quieter action is done I'm a manly
way which gives him a reserve power
Which is effective In the stronger scenes
Following him in line OF cleverness among
the men. is Mr.. j. G. Marlowe as K-Yote
jim and although rather a comedy part.
to be explicit, gives true Interpretation
OF the character OF n whole-souled quick
| fingered cowpuncher OF the West and
Southwest Mr.. Woodward. as the presi-
dent OF the railroad, is In very we'll placed
ects and looks the part while Mr. II. S.
Ncrthrup, as the foreman marshal, does
creditabe work, although at times is in
cIined TO be bit STACEY and affected.
Mr. Sumner Gard, I'm the juvenile part.
Is coed, and Mr.. Herbert Ayling, as Mr..
Carver, the clerk 10 the president, is sat
| isfactory.
Among the Feminine members or the cast,
and there are but three, Miss Odette Ty-
Ter, as Miss Houston. is indeed very
clever and gives a most beautiful i'm
personation Of n Southern girl whose Chi
valry and clanishness sometimes runs
away with her better judgment, Her work
in the lighter lines is good. but her real
ability is demonstrated I'm the more emo
tional scenes and those requiring ener-
eetic action Miss Olive May should come
i'm for a big share OF favorable comment
and the manner In which she takes the
| part or Miss Lilly Belle Hazel fe-
male tenderfoot and friend OF MISS
| Houston, is decidedly refreshing. She is
amusing, chic, good to look upon, ana
| affords lot of fun The balance or the
cast IS adequate.
The scenic effects OF the place are ex-
certionally good-in fact they are hand
| som, and form. decidedly natural PACK
ground for the action OF the piece.
KEITH'S THEATRE.