The morning journal-courier., 1908-02-15
THE GREAT DIVIDE An Artistic Triumph With Hen- ry Miller and Miss
 Mathison.
PRESENTED AT HYPERION
Dramatic and Scenic Treat That New Haveners Should Not
 Miss.

"The Great Divide" William Vaughn Moody's great drama, with Henry Miller and Miss Wynne Mathison as the two stars. was presented at the Hyperion last evening before far sized but very appreciative audience. The play is both an artistic triumph from the view point of the author, ac- tors and the manner in which MT. Miller has staged it, and it is no dlf- ficrlt matter to appreciate the reason for it's great success in New York. It is only to be hoped that the theater going public of New Haven who appre- ciate the artistic rendition of play that has real merit In 1t will be pres ent at the two performances to-day i'll larger numbers than they were last evening
 The story of the play is that of woman left on ranch in Arizona at night. Three drunken ruffians break in and plan to play for her. In her desperation she offers herself to what seems to her to be the best of the trio on the understanding that he will mar ry her. He disposes of one by buying him off and of the other by killing him. The other, stephen Ghent, then takes her off with him. The next act deals with his growing love for her and her fight to eke out an existence without him and ends with her return to her home in Massachusetts. He fol- lows her there no longer the brute but man whose whole being Is in his love for her. She still tries to fight him off but in the realization of what he really is finally surrenders to his love.
 From beginning to end the lines are sparkling and dramatic and the entire drama being a perfectly executed study of two characters. widely different. All of the characters are perfectly drawn and the wild, simplicity of 1t all, if such an expression may be used, makes its wonderful realism.
 MT. Miller as the man forced into the part of husband by the animal in him perfectly portrayed the steady change from the crude, unrestrainable son of the west with the ideas of his kind. to the broader man whose mind Is paramount He at all times looked the part asld put touches in his work that miC the Ghent of Moody's mind living, struggling. changing being. Miss Mathison looked and acted the part of the suffering woman, her work in the first and second acts being ex- tremely artistic. She played her part with an appreciation that showed great study and considering the difficulty of the role Is to be highly complimented on most artistic portrayal.
 Miss Laura Crews made a fascinat- ing, ingenious Polly that relieved some of the tense situations in a grateful fashion. Her facial expressions were the best part of her work by far The other members of the caste handled their parts perfectly one of the most at tractive features being Charles wyn- gates voice.
 The piece was perfectly staged, with an attention to detail that was but an- other demonstration of the artistic ap- preciatlon of Mir. Miller. Both he ano his supporting star were given numer- ous curtain calls and at the conclusion of the second act he made curtain speech in which he stated that his first appearance as a star was made in New Haven, according to his state- ment, years ago.