Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1907-02-19
In WAS A GOOD SHOW.
"IF WERE KING" AT THE CO.
LONIAL THEATRE.
Lester LOnergan Presents One OF The
Best Productions Ever Seen
On Local Stage.

Ii is not often that theartegoers have
chance to see so artistically round
ed and finished performance as that
given last night at the Colonial The
atre 10y Lester Lonergan and an eX-
ceHent supporting cast in "ff l Wers
King by Justin Huntley Mccarthy
For the play il has the enviable record
Of less adverse criticism than most of
its type ever since it was produced
last year with T.. II. Southern as the
star.
Its scenes are laid in and about
Paris during the reign of Louis NJ,
but in theme, characters and working
out il is up to date and its chances of
emotional acting are great indeed.
The leading character is Frances Vii
lon, moro or less vagabondish fell
low with a heart TO big for his body
and brain too big for his station
when he is discovered in the first act
the leader of a coterie of a dmiring beg
gars and seape graces, who welcome
70 their midst again the good fellow
who has been sojourniDg in the lock
up.
Seated in the tavern among the
brawlers is Louis, who has but re-
Gently come TO his power, but who is
and thorough villain, Thibout
Assigny. The poet beggar Villon,
needing the call of his fellows, cele-
brates his return by again reeiting
his latest creation, telling what would
happen "If villon were the King of
France. He also tells OF. the fair lady
10 whom his heart has flown, although
he knows her to be literally as far
above him as the conditions showed
When he saw her pass his prison. The
King, half afraid of and half admir-
ing the fellow, arranges that Nillon
shall be made Grand Constable for n
week. This comes after the vagabond
has met, wounded and exposed
D'Aussigny in the tavern and been
arrested with his fellows by the
watch.
In this first part of the play Mr..
Lonergan S Interpretation of Villon's
calm insolence and imperturable phil
osophy were admirable. Ills change
in flash to mockery and a ringing
denunciation of the double standards
of HE, from poets prayer or his
mother when the old dame comes hob
bling in seeking .her wayward boy,
held his audience spellbound. His
changing manhood when he awakes
IN the bed and to the robes of the
grand constable was interpreted with
power and consummate skill, as he
finds he has been given a chance to
make Villon almost a king.
Miss Alice Treat Hunt, as the Lady
Katherine de Yalcelles, proud of her
beauty but prouder of her pride, which
she finally tramples under foot for the
man of the slums whom she scornd
even in regal robes when she finds
him out TO be make-believe grand
constable, handled her chances with
power and skill.
Miss Irine Ireis, as Huggette du
Hamel, the dare devil girl of the
slums, who fears little and loves only
Villon, whose intended death by stab
bing she takes to her own heart even
after she sees that he is lost to her
and in love with the grand Lady
Katherine, gave one of the most
effective bits of acting ever seen in
Annapolis.
Westropp Saunders, who played the
King, presented one of the most fin
ished and perfectly rounded characters
seen for many q day and acted with
full force and skill his part in the
duel of wits, which held the audiences
closest attention, making peculiarly
apt the lines of the play 1.-THE King
is great in the eyes of the people"
The scenery in all four acts of the
play make beautiful and effective set
tings and was elaborate in its hand
some detail, although space forbids
personal handling of the work of the
cast individually, their work was of
the kind which did much in forming
the perfectly rounded whole. eff j
Were King has already been offered
a return engagement by Manager Hole
baugh and should receive undoubted
and enthusiastic support to the extent
of standing room only" signs on
another appearance in Annapolis.