The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-12-07
THEATRES
Mfr. GIHmOre's New Play.

days, a breath of the happy and care free student life. sufficient college spirit to start an educational institu- tion, and a real imitation boat race. with scenes and fittings to match these were the things which Paul Gil- more brought to Montgomery in his play "At Yale yesterday, and with which he entertained large audiences, matinee and night.
 With him Mir. Gilmore also brought bunch of husky lads, who, If they never rowed a race, were sufficiently good to look at to make the imposition convincing. They were a happy lot, more attentive to the success of the crew than to the investigation of the mysteries and intricacies of ancient Greek. They were boys, college boys full of fun. full of life, full of mis- chief. They presented a little bit of college life that was realistic and con vincing. true to life. and a little bit that was too realistic to be true to life% But that the college scenes were overdone was a pPerogative of the play wright. The prose of undergraduate existence Is not always good material for drama, and that the exuberance of spirits was perhaps slightly overdone was a fault which theatregoers are more willing to condone than they would if the play were worked down to a less lively level.
 "At Yale" is distinctly a masculine play. Boys at college. and the breath of college days, with all that college life brings to the imagination or the memory-that is the keynote which the play is meant to strike and maintain. And in this object the piece is suc- cessfuI unquestionably. That 1t has running through 1t a plot conventional in it's essentials. was scarcely draw back, for 1t was not the plot that cap tured the audience. That was a sec- ondary matter.
 By this 1t Is not meant that those who attended the performances yeS- terday were displeased with the fact that the hero and heroine were brought together in the last act and that the hero's enemy was discomfited. Only the feature which was thoroughly en- joyed was the swing and dash, the gay ety and charm of the rallicking colle- giates, while the love story merely added the sentimental element
 AS for the plot, 1t has been read in hundred different stories for the young Dick Seeley, of Yale. 1905, Is favorite with his college mates. He is stroke of the Varsity crew. He is prominent in many branches of college activity, and a leader in the college life. He is In love with the sister of Sdth INdHhdls HIS
 Dave Burley, the enemy af Seeley, was beaten out for place on the crew by the popular hero. He als0 Is in love with Dorothy Randall He gives the object of his attentions a wrong inn precision of Seeley and turns her against him. Then, in order to secure for him. self the chance to row in the Yale Harvard boat race, he agrees to pay boxing instructor to confine Seeley in the boat house until after the contest.
 Seeley finds himself trapped by the boxer and a confederate. Worsting the two. he makes his escape through window which he first breaks with a chair. He joins the squad just as they are leaving for the race, after everyone has despaired of his coming YaIe, of course, wins the race, and seeley is the Idol of his companions. Dorothy finally learns of Burley's treachery, and a happy finale follows, the curtain dropping as the two rush to each others arms. That is the plot worked over from things that have been written many times In plays and books. and modified to meet the needs of the case Throughout 1t is conven- tional and in places melodramatic.
 But, as has been said, it was the at of college life introduced in to the play which made the piece con- vincing Songs and cheers punctuated the performance The details of stage craft and scenery were carried out with fine exact!on. The boat race was strong piece of stage realism. and the sense of the artistic in scenery had been developed to strong degree.
 As Dick Seeley, Paul Gilmore ap- peared to advantage. His impersona- tion of the college man was clever and To the role he had to i'm part that of youthfulness and lack of which goes with the un- dergraduate. and in this. feature he was successful. Another acceptable piece of work was that of R. A. Bre- see as Jack Randall. roommate and friend of seeIey. simprovident. careless. but loyal Harry R Mccain present ed the role of Dave Burley acceptably.
 Leona Ball played the leading fem mine character of Dorothy Randall. Her part was that of the young and enthu- siastic college girl. ardent. impulsive, at times stormy and petulent. In this