The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-12-26
13ANU5[N[NT5}'

| Like rare wine Miss Adelaide
Thurston seems to improve with age.
She has ever been known as an
| actress of ability, but few persons have
credited her with being able of the
wonderfully good work which she
performed at the Grand yesterday in
two performances of The Girl From
Out Yonder." Miss Thurston sur
prised even her most ardent admirers
of whom there are legions. And in
this play she has part that is per-
fectly suited to her unusual talents.
AS "F1otsam" she is a girl Of seven
teen, living with her father, a light
house keeper off the coast of Maine.
She falls in love with a young city
man and it develops that her father
der of this chaps father twenty years
ago. This fellow and his aunt pro-
pose to take "Flotsam' away for
two years coure of education just
told by a young fisher lad who is in
love with "F1otsam." He learned 1t
from the ramblings of her father dur
ing a fever. The son of the murdered
him to give up "F1otsam," deeply
though he loves her. His aunt is still
DESTROYS of taking the girl home with
her and the father tells his little girl
that she is not really his child but one
he picked up in the sea. Then he
tells her to go away with her new
friends for he is unable to support
her and care for her any longer. This
Just about breaks tF'lotsam' g" heart,
and it is at this juncture of the piece
that the climax of the play is reached
and in which Miss Thurston reaches
the highest mark she has yet attained
as an emotional actress. 1t is not I'M
usual for actors to bring tears to the
eyes of women but it is out of the
ordinary for them to be able to wiring
them from men. That is just what
n q
this part of hers. That is just what
she did at the two performances yes
terday. Many women fairly blubbered
with genuine grief and their strong
1--WE been going. to shows for twenty
years, and I've seen 'em ALL" said a
veteran of many first nights and front
rows, "but this is the first time that
amt she great"
That "ain't she great may not be
permissible in a Boston drawing room
but it is tersely expressive of the opin-
ion held by all who had the privilege
of seeing Miss Thurston yesterday.
Following the great climax Is another
touching scene when "F'lotsam prays
for her fathers forgiveness, he Joining
in the prayer Afterwards "Flotsam"
finds out the real reason for her
fathers remuneration of her. She re-
fuses to go away with her city friends
and stays in the lighthouse for two /
whole years while her father is in |
prison, he having given himself UP.
He receives a pardon through the ef-
forts of the son of the man he was |
supposed to have killed and returns |
home. 1t is his wish that "F'lotsam" |
marries the fisher lad who told the |
great secret. She agrees to although |
she does not love him. Then she
writes a note of farewell to the man |
she really loves but whom she thinks |
she can never marry because of the |
murder cloud that hangs over their |
heads. She puts out to the mainland
to mail this letter in her little boat. A
storm comes up. 1t Is capsized and
her life is saved by the man she really |
loves. He drags her unconscious into |
the lighthouse and then the fisher lad
realizes that she does not love him and |
gives her up. He confesseS TO knowl- |
edge that her father did not commit |
the murder he always supposed he |
had and everything ends happily as 1t
most properly hould.
The part of "Flotsam" is a most /
delightful one in its many and vary /
ing moods and Miss Thurston is equal
to all of the great demands which arc
made upon her. There is a good deal
more to the play than has been out
lined in the way of by-plays and by
stories which round it out into most |
play with a heart as it has been
Pauline Phelps and Marion Short,
its authors, have drawn a number of
nose quaint CndTdCI6IS Indl uSSQ TO |
abound along the coast of Maine with
4 trueness that fairly breathes of life
and these parts were most acceptably
filed by most capable lot of players
with which Miss Thurston has sur
herself. In fact. all of her
players have rather exceptional talent.
rhe best work among them was done
by Arthur L. Cogsliger, as the father
# "Flotsam;" Edward NJ. Racey, tho
son of the murdered man and Eliot
sans" lover; Leo Hardman, an old
irony of "F1otsam's" father, and Anna
:. Turner, the old maid housekeeper
N the family. The piece was excel
emily staged and its production will
tand out pre-eminent when Topeka's
theatrical history of the present sea-
ION has been written. A delightful
title playlet, "The Philosopher" was
,ut on by Miss Thurston fora curtain
.aiser and although 1t is most clever
y written little piece and was present.
I'd in a skillful fashion, the audiences.
Uhich were large at both of the ner- |