The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-12-27

o.Mara. and the play was made spec taculaf. q streak of laughter was car- ried along by Dan Fitzgerald and John o'Mara aa Irish versus Scotch rivals for the hand of Jennie Lamont as q brogue widow. The lone Scotchfnan with his dialect and kilts in . community oth- erwiss all Irish. cleverly traveetying Scotch thrift and sobriety. Ia odd and effectnaL Of. course, Dan's Irish hu- nor takes a final fall out of Johns Scotch lack of 1t; for no thistle can be permitted to prick the shamrocks in Peggy Maehree's" big hurroo for old ireland.
 William Gillette is an American ac- tor and drnmatist both. There are others; for Instance Hal Reid; and Reid is louder of voice and noisier of play than Gillette. I was at GllIette's "ricey" of en afternoon and at Reid's The Kentuckian" the same days even ing. It was a contract with no com petition, one being e costly comedy and the other a cheap melodrama. Yet Reid was applauded ana Gillette was not; for he didn't appear In hls new play. Still. as its distinguished au- thor, he might have been acciais1.aa. There were two reasons why not. It was q charity audience of women whose thought didn't go beyond Mary Ryan: and the play didn't make any praise due to It's writer. Gillette had suspected it was worthless as soon as 1t was completed was sure when 1t vas being rshearsed and desired to atop 1t before the public presentation. Cecilia Loftus. priced at hundreds per week as mimic in vaudeville. but un- able to develop any special value in coinplete roles. was 10 be the starred actress. She lost interest on learning the authors lack of faith: and, as she Is eccentric at such junctures. Mary Ryan, cast for q smaller part. was told to hastily ayet as ready as she cout3 to take that of Ticey. Sure suoagh, on the Sunday before the Mon- day, word came from Ceciiia's hotel that she couldn't get to the theatre.
 Nov, Mary had been watching and praying for soH4thing like that to happen for her, and no doubt she was quite as ready to play the role. be- stdes twice as eager, as though she had been assigned to 1t at the outset. The boofn-a-laddfe of the show blnfed his trumpet.mouth loud and long for the novice whe--as ia plays and storiss-- took the place of principal ail of a sudden. And Mary was SO sweet and clever that the opening night was for her a whoopinR night The hurrah for Mary, though. didn't put "That Affair at Boyd'g'--thAt was It's name them. under nlonenturn enough to run we'll to the end of a week. Tho matter was tinkered some on it's way to Chicago, where it was called FaTlcsy." and there Mary was liked. the play was not and the company was disbanded. Tt.ean't tell only guese, why "Ticey" had 6 repetition here In New York. Its own CT, Frederick Thompson, is the hus- band of the lovely Mabel Taliaferro of whom he Is fondly making . star &C., trees, and he may have hoped to show the play a possibly suitable for her use. Mary Ryan may have been gylad to demonstrate her charm. This was Christmas time, when many charities appeal for theatrical aid. and so. tha, house was given over to b0 alled by women In fine array.
 The reason for "Ticey;s failure isn't obvious In the bright, brisk first act. Dallas Weifords, the English comedian with q face so comic Ehat. upon his first American round, he had merely to show it and the people Iapehed. On this occasion he Is found fn restan- rant near stage door. He has brought girl there, 50 that. when the players come in from rehearsal for a bit of luncheon, he may point them out .As acquaifl4ances, and scahdalize them. After he has chuckled and chortIed sieefnily over his lies awhile. he ts overheard by q staIwart actor. who