The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-11-19
IN THE THEATRES
WAY DOWN EAST RETURNS
TO THE NEWARK.
It Pleases Its Audience as of 0ld-Good
Vaudeville at Two Houses-Melo-
drama and Burlesque.

The howl of blizzard, the Jingle OF
sleighbells, the scent of hay, all
-atmospherically realized along with the
live horses and cows and sheep and form
ing the principal factors in the success OF
Lottie Blair Parker's play. Way Down
East were all seen and heard again for
the umpty-'seenth time at the Newark
Theatre last night. The humor and pathes
of the life Of humble rural folk were as
lwividly and sympathetically portrayed as
they ever were in the past, and William
A.. Brady's staging of his production was
as good as always. The play has been
shown from coast to coast for nearly a
half-score years. but time has not de-
tracted from its strength as a drawing
card.
There are few theatregoers who have
not become acquainted with the play and
its story of Anna Moore, who had been
betrayed by means of a mock marriage
and finally found refuge in the home of
Squire Bartlett, only to be driven from his
door out In a raging snowstorm, after the
village gossip had uneartbed the tale OF
the girls past.
Suffice it to say that the play has lost
zone of its simple-life charm, and was
greeted list night with warm enthusiasm.
The cast is practically the same as of old.
Miss Phoebe Davis still portrays the role
VI II pefSetuleu HeTollS, NIlHd MOoit,
and she plays IT without evidence of weari-
ness. In a part so theatrical and which,
to the actress of ability, must seem so
trite, this Is somewhat remarkable. Even
her best efforts, however, are occasionally
nab to put life into the frayed-out senti-
mentality of the role, and her speeches
sound hollow. Other old and popular mem
bers Of the cast are Uric b. Collins, as
ovid Bartlett, the farmers son; John e.
- 80 = H.. r
Caroline Won Bulow, as Kate Brewster;
Ella Hugh Wood. ms Martha Perkins, the
village gossip; Charles Burke, as Rube
Whipple, the town constable;'' Frank
Currie, as Professor Sterling, the summer
boarder, and Henry e. Butler, as DR.. Wig
gin. The role of Squire Amassa Bartlett
is now assumed by Mac M. Barnes; that of
Louise Bartlett, his wife, by Mary Daven-
port; Lennox Sanderson, the villain, by
Earl r. Williams, and Seth Holcomb by
Joseph Sullivan. The popular quartet is
still with the company, and renders sew
eral old-time favorites, such as THE Old
Oaken Bucket"
Way Down East is distinctly a play
to please the unsophisticated playgoer,
and as such it is likely to continue in
popularity for years to come. 1t is pos
slble, however, for any ~playgoer, seeing
IT, to forget the melodramatic conven-
~tionality of its situations and it's archaic
childish theatricalism, in the enjoyment
OF Its healthy, honest motive, its exalta-
ton OF the simple virtues and the in
genuousness with which it reproduces the
life of the country which all may re-
gard either with fond memory or envy
that we have never had a part in it. For
SO much we can forgive even the unpleas-
ant SAVIOR of the history of the wronged
heroine which forms the groundwork not
only of this but of so many other melo-
dramas that AVE come before or after.