The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-01-20
"The Player Maid"

Two good houses greeted Florence Davis
as the Player Maid yesterday at the
Jefferson in Louise Maloy's play of that
name. The play itself is plausible con-
sisting of possible situations throughout.
The first act presents the dressing room
of the Player Maid who is the leading
actress of the Drury Lane theatre, Lon
don, in David Garrick's day. In that
dressing room comes Charles Barry the
leading actor of the theatre, who loves
the Player Maid madly. Lady Dorothy
Hastings also comes. She is a school
girl and the personal friend of the Player
Maid She is the heiress of Golster Park.
but her parents are dead, and She has
not been in her ancestral home in many
years. She comes to the theatre 10 beg
her friend to go to Gloster Park to repre-
sent her, for she has been summoned
there TO meet Lord Roxbury, whom She
has never seen, but whom she is to
marry. She desires time In which to
elope with the man she loves, but who
does not appear on the stage
The Player Maid agrees to do this, be-
cause she loves Lord Roxbury, and she
hopes to make him love her in return
She meets there the crusty uncle and
aunt of Dorothy Hastings, and in the
scene that follows she shows she has
command of plenty of temper and fine
comedy powers. She meets Lord Rox-
bury, and the Player Maid is called upon
to do some exquisite acting between her
own lovemaking and her schoolgirl role.
In the third act Charles Barry reappers
but the Player Maid eoaxes him to go
away, but he does not go far for he re-
turns and tells all who the Player Maid
really Is. But she had pictured nm 10 All
the household as madman and the treat
ment accorded him as such kept the audi
ence in a Jolly mood. Throughout the
act the Player Maid was thrown into deli
cate and different situations. but she
comes out of all of them in good shape,
and when the curtain fell she was recalled
so many times that she was at length
compelled to make a speech. She made
the best one ever heard in the Jefferson,
as follows: Il thank you very, very,
much"
In the last act Charles Barry comes
back like a poor shilling, but he becomes
angry and disappears altogether. He
goes back to London. Now comes Lady
Dorothy Hastings. Her uncle and aunt
retire utterly discounted. but the Player
Maid stays as the guest of Lady Dor
othy Hastings. and the promised wife
OF Lord Roxbury. who had from their first
meeting reciprocated her love.
There is nothing impossible in all this.
Even tits not impossible to end roman
tic comedy happily. The curtain comes
down as Lord Roxbury takes the Player
Maid in his arms after she had declared
that she was not ashamed of her trade.
The company is not large, but 1t is large
enough to meet the requirements of the
comedy, and all fill their parts with reas-
enable satisfaction None. however, quite
measure up to Florence Davis, who is al
most constantly on the stage. and who Is
a delight at every turn. She made the
scenes in which she appeared throb with
real life. and at no point was anything
overdone Elliott Dexter as the hero of
the play. Lord Roxbury, made love in a
very satisfactory manner. and the old
guardian and his sister were as crusty
as aged English people know how to be.
The comedy was well staged. and the au-
dence went away saying to each other:
What lovely play"