Omaha daily bee., 1908-12-29
Phoebe Fuckers. a maid Of all work :
Alice Travers, princess Alice.

phoebe Fuckers, a maid Of all TX.
Alice Travers, Princess Ance".......(..
Miss Stesrns
This is Mr.. Crews week at the Bur
wood. and he is making much OF II. 9TH
Prince Chap" is a pretty story Of how a
man gave up much for others, and did
ii with no thought save to help them. and
in the end It all came home to him, just
as 1t was ~prophesied of bread cast on the
waters. And another beauty OF the play Is
that II is without a villain, or any bad
person in any way, shape or form. It
hasn't a pang in It. Several places might
cause a tear 10 flow, but they Will be
tears Of Joy. not Of sorrow. And It has
the richest Of good natured comedy in it.
50 that it is in all way enjoyable.
Mr.. Grew is presenting the role OF q
young American sculptor who vent to
London, leaving in New York a girl who
had pledged her heart to him. He struggles
with fortune. keeping his heart true and
his hand open TO every one. A woman
comes to his studio dying. and begs him
to care for her baby girl. He promises. and
before he has time TO regret the woman
dies. The little one easily finds her way
into his heart. but after three years the
girl he left in New York calls on him to
1 OtHduu INA nt mdh ms NnOlCt DtlNttn
them. He declines to send the little one
away, and she charges him with being
faithless and leaves him to wed another.
Ten years later she>returns a widow and
seeks to win him back. but he discovers
that ward, grown TO be a woman. has be-
come more than a ward. and the play ends
both logically and happily. II requires OF
Mr.. Grew that he be simple and natural.
and n is, easy and accurate in his work
and making his points with great cer-
tAinty and without apparent effort. 1t is
pitched in a minor key, and IL very well
rendered. incidentally. he proves that he
Is not altogether unfamiliar with the ways
of little folks end It is not all the lines Of the
play that leads little Claudia in the first
act to call him a mother in trousers" He
prepares the tot for bed with all the easy
skill OF a paterfamiliss of experience.
Other little touches add much to the ex-
c~ellence Of the Characterization.
To make Claudia properly II will be right
TO treat her in an ascending scale. even as
did the author. Little Mercedes spong. who
IS a cousin once removed Of Hilda Spong,
shows traces Of the ability Of her better
known cousin. She was a tremendous sue
cess last night, prattling her lines with
the artless ease of a genuine infant. rather
than making the stilted defamation Of g
prodigy" And Cecilia MargultE. who Is
q trIfle more familiar witt play acting
was very charming as the S-year-old
Claudia. Her preparations as well as heI
aspirations for the coming Of Santa Claul
and her solicitude for Daddy and Puck.
ers and all the rest evinced a natural sp.
tituae for assuming q part. To say Mist
Elliott gives 20 the 1s-yesr-old Claudia thi
graces and girlish sttrsctiveness Of the sg'
tells it mildly. She is still the artless cir
at her entrance, but suddenly DEVELOPS
into a woman under the impulse of a love
that is not discovered until another ask
her TO marry. Then she realizes that sh'
is no longer a child. The closing scenes o.
the play are between Miss Elliott and Mr.
Connor and Mr.. Grew. and are delightful
To change from the role OF Camille TO tina
Of Claudia is a complete reversal. and t
do it as well as Miss Elliott has don,
speaks much for the adaptsbiity.
The comedy is furnished by the othel
members OF the company. Mr.. Connor Il
very good in the role Of Jack Rodney
otherwise the earl OF Canterbury; Mr.. ellis
bee makes a bully good serving man and
general factotum around the studio; Mis-
Jeffery has a character that gives her fin'
chance for her bent for comedy. and Messr
IngrGhsm, Todd and Bacon are a trio o.
h-Appy-go-lueky artist chaps who help thu
prince chap 10 lead q merry life IN thu
studio building. Miss Stearns has the only
thankless role in the bill, that Of the cir
who jnts the prince chap, but she doei
her part we'll Miss Downin has the roll
Of Claudia's mother and her short seen,
is effectively done.
Two very large audiences assembled
at the Burwood yesterday and gave enthus
iAstie expression Of the approval OF tn
play. It viii run all week, with the regula
matinees and an extra matinee on New
Years afternoon.