Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-01-12
MAUDE FEALY AT THE BOYD
Young Star Makes Her First Appear
ance in Omaha I'm New Comedy
to Small House.

Maude FeaIy and company in THE Illu-
sion Of Beatrice" comedy In three
acts, by Martha Morton; under direction
of John Cort. The cast:
Henry, the butler ........,...H La morton
Mrs. John Stewart. Blanche Douglas
John Stewart. Harrington Reynolds
Harry Cadwaller. Frank Oliver
Arthur jerome Wilson. Jack Webster
Beatrice Victoria Nevens. Maude Fealy
Miss Merryweakher.. Cora Christensen
Tim, the elevator boy. Joseph Coughlin
Martha Morton Conheim, to give her her
full entitlement, has conceived novel
notion for her latest comedy, and goes
about developing It on a novel plan. The
resultant play is a singular mingling OF
comedy with something that very nearly
approaches pathos. 1t doesn't quite reach
the point where it appeals to the deeper
sympathy of the audience, but It does
offer some quieter passages that are very
enjoyable It's comedy IS delightful at
times. and other times falls rather nat.
A young man, studying art in Paris, finds
a founding on the street and cares for
II. Unable to learn anything OF the babes
parentage, he allows the woman Of the
pension to fill it's little head with mean
ingless stories of a royal runaway match,
and in the belief that she is a princess
the babe grows to womanhood. The young
man has provided for her education and
has never told her the truth In the mean
time he has become a successful stock
broker and has married rather late in life
60 a woman who is too old to be fooled
This is the situation at the opening of the
play, when the young woman arrives from
boarding school The wife declines to re-
ceive her, and she rushes out into the
storm, to be followed by the wifes brother
and taken to- the bachelor apartments of
the latter. who is a millionaire To save
scandal, they are married. To pacify his
wife the stock broker admits that he is the
father of the girl and the curtain goes
down on Beatrice disillusioned and willing
TO give over being a princess to be the
wife OF a plain New York croesus. The first
act is one of true comedy and promises
much better things than are later al
forded.
Miss Maud Fealy, who made her first
Omaha appearance last night, is a young
woman of admitted talent, but has not as
yet reached anything like the possibilities
of her powers. She is pretty and in the
lighter passages is good. but she lacks
something of being able to impress with
her efforts at the more intense moments
of the plays action. Her storm OF grief
IN the first act gives evidence of sincerity.
In the second act she is girlish and sensi-
bic. and in the third act she is neither, but
finally gives over and decides to get along
without her illusion.
Miss Fealy's support has been we'll chosen
and presents the play with much spirit.
1t has been most artistically staged by
Mr. Max Figman. recently seen here in
'"rhe Man on the Box"
john Cort has been unfortunate In send
ing his stars to Omaha. He presented
Miss Florence Roberts here last year, and
the season before. Although New York
and San Francisco had welcomed her, and
her praises had been sung by critics and
reviewers across the continent the Omahs
public would have none OF her. So with
Miss Fealy. She has played In Londor