The Washington times., 1907-12-31
THRILLER AT THE BELASCO;
BERNARD CAUSES LAUGHTER;
MRS. WIGGS breaches HOPE
The Cast in "The House OF Thousand
Candles"

John Marshall GlenarIn ...... Frank Z. Aiken
John GlenaI1n, his grandson. Stephen Grattau
Arthur Pickering, a lawyer. executor Of
the Glenarm estate. William Hazeltine
Larry Donovan, Irish adventurer
member Of the Irish bar.E n Calvert
Rev. Dr. Stoddard,. OF St Agatha's
Chapel.......-...-..-... Lewis Fielder
Morgan. caretazer OF Pickering's Lodge
Fred A. Sullivan
Bates, butler at Glenarm House Mr.. Holland
Sister Theresa. sister superior at St
Agatha's School for Girls Edna ConrOy
Marian DeyereauX her niece. visiting
ner------- Mabel ROeDuck
Gladys Olivia Armstrong. a scholar al
81 Agatha Mary Elizabeth Forbes
There was a youthful would-be crit
ique Of the intellectual drsma sitting
behind the writer at the Belasco The
ater last night and every time Bates. the
butler. "doused the glim" in the House
Of a Thousand Candles" the said crit
ique became terribly wrought Up and
muttered soto vOce 'AIelodramaT' It
was decidedly Lincoln Carteresque. If
not more so. but why expose the fact
10 those IN the audience who hadn't
any eyes or any ears to hear what hap
pened on the stage.
THE House Of a Thousands Candles"
practically opens with a pistol shot
and concludes with the utter rout Of
the bloodthlrsty villains who have
sought 70 marry the heroine in order
20 get her money and tried TO mur-
der our hero because he stood in the
way OF the accomplishment OF their
fell proposes During this development
Of this unique theme there were inter
spersed numerous mysterious noises.
clandestine meetings OF lovers, the wav-
Ing or blUdgeOns, the display OF much
muscular courage by a lighting parson,
and d gatling gun salute from assherif
and his posse who triel 70 dispossess
a citizen Of his house. In Justice TO
/ Venezuela and President Castro IL
should be stated that these incidents are
supposed to have occurred in Indiana
During the first act OF the play much
! OF the dialogue was devoted 10 the
peculiar architecture OF the house built
| bv old Glenarm- The audience was
somewhat mysuhed as tc the necessity
Tor continuing TO cast aspe- 5ions at the
/ architect Who got his deserts IN leaving
I behind such a structure FOR a monument,
I but Il was all elucidated IN the great
/ third act, for only the greatest archi-
teCtuTal mOnstrosity OF the age could
account for TIE excited rushing back
and forth OF the three Wltless young
men who were supposed 20 be able TO
defend their positions with bludgeOns
I while the enemy, IN the shape OF a
/ shertfI's pOssee, was banging away with
1 Winchesters at the rate OF a Presidential
/ salute per every five seconds. Finally
I the young men ceased their efforts and
/ assembled IN the library Ia time to see
7 the sheriff 8 party enter from another
/ direction and all were IN at the tabIeau
/ when old Mr.. Glenarm reappeared upOn
| NE s arena a pretty phrase and very
much 10 the Charles + Blaney-)
! In spite Of his handicap OF having 70
/ appear as the leading figure in such 4
! EelOdrama T.. III. Holland acquitted
/ himself with great credit. The audience
! showed its appreciation and affection
! Ter the veteran actor at the end OF the
/ third act. when he responded in a
/ gracious curtain speech. Mr.. Holland
/ mas created some remarkably clever
! stage characters in the course Of his
4 varied career and he handled the role
| or Bates with considerable fnesse. The
I part as drawn by the adapter is full
! or false touches which Mr.. Holland
! minimize5 with much discretion The
| other characters, however. are handled
/ with as little skill as the playwright
/ mas written them They are ali PLAYED
! with equal disregard of artistic taste
| and repression with the exception OF
! Il II. Calvert, Fred A. Sullivan. and Edna
| Conroy, who appeared as Larry DouO-
van, Morgan, and Sister Theresa, re-
| spectively.
! Shall we draw the curtain OF charity
over the frailties Of other stage ma
! tureS? We shall