Los Angeles herald., 1907-07-09

has an exquisite femininity even in mas
culine garb, 1.-THE viVacity and most
Infectious merriment, and these, qualities
she knows admirably how to utilize. Be.
sides, she has most subtilely caught and
most delightfully."- portrayed the Ideally
of the Barrie creation; they are so closely
in sympathy that she verify is Peter Pan;
she falls wholly into the spirit of the
artistic creature, the fantasticism, the
witchery. and above all the underlying
pathos, and all without lush emotionalism,
melodramaticS or wearisomeness. No
wonder, then. that she actually visuaizes
the dainty fantasy and makes him so very
truthful that we enter into his every emo
tion as though an open door.
Miss Adams Lady Babbie has long been
the criterion of her art. but as Peter
Pan she sets new standard The elfish
soul of Babbie is given greater scope. 1t
is permitted to indulge in dance and song.
fairies and to soar in midar The spirit
that longed for wings has them at last
In the garb of Peter, the slender, dream
full, power loving boy, who refused To
grow up, Miss Adams has abundant scope
She Is Barries ideal illustrator. She en-
joys his whimsicality. She revels in his
fancies. She brings to this remarkable
character the earnestness and honesty
and magnetism and unique personality
that have made her the most distinctive
OF American actresses, and yet she adapts
herself wholly to the purely fanciful eX-
ternals of the play. She does not idealize
the, real, but rather makes the unreal
realistic And that is art indeed.
Miss Adams is greatly helped by Miss
Mildred Morris who, as Wendy. especially
aids in bringing to view the human and
serious side of the play. Peters conflict
with himself is through his attachment
for Wendy, and she thus makes an admir-
able, foil. Grace Henderson is pleasing
mother. and Ernest Lawfnrd first as the
doting Mr. Darling and later as the roar
ing, pompous Pirate. is admirable. OF
by Barrie as children. this overactng is
quite proper and right in the spirit of the
things Little Martha McGray and Wa
Ecbinson are charming as the Darling
excellent.
But. after all, what counts is the soul IF
this play, and that is what | want Won to
catch. L couldn't describe II to you in de-
tail any more than / could recount one Of
my boyhood dreams-and / wouldn't SO
spoil 1t for you If l could. 1t is a play
that every one should see. study, ei1ioy
and profit by. Enter into the heart of it:
get at the joy of IT. drink in the beauty OF
1t, and let some of the lustiness ard
honesty and loveliness and sweetness of
childhood flow back into your heart For
the thoughts of youth are long. long
thoughts, and half the matter OF us is
that we are too far away from the days
Of our innocency
This will take you back 1t will revive
lnl yOu tne realities OF CnliuDOOd, Ii VIII
picture to you the sort of self you have
left behind with the years. and will show
you as in mirror what changed being
YOU are and how far YOU have journeyel
from the dear dead daVs of youth. IT
viii make YOU sad--ah, for the first time
in my decades of playgoing l. hardened
critic sat up and cried till the tears rolled
down my checks. and when Peter Pan
asked so pathetically, "Oh, you do believe
IN fairies, say you do!' l shouted yes
ike the Veriest child of them all! And
the very next act l was laughing fit to
Kill at the. very ridiculous pirate chief!
that's the. sort of fantasy 1t Isl You
go to sleep with the Darling children in
their trundle beds and you never wake un
till the final curtain. and all the while the
sweet world of childhood is re-erected for
you right before your eyes Do Won
wonder that I say, candidly and honestly,
mat 1t is TO me the most heart-grpping
and appealing stage mummery 1 ever be-
You go and see it for yourself; it'll do