The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-07-14
First Presentation at Acad.
el1ly Last Night Well
Received.
DARING, BUT
FULL OF BRIGHT B LINES
Miss Scott Carries Off the Hon
ors, But Shares Them With
Miss Dunbar and Miss
nsor-Whole Com
pany Gives satisfac-
tory Performance.

I y
pany Gives Satisfac-
tory Performance.
Jules EcKERT GooDMAN,s play
play proved Its title last night.
| Tor The Right to Live" Will
I without doubt take its place
among anon the successes OF the
For the first time in any playhouse
this human interest story was told at
the Academy. and when 9ne remem-
bers that but five days were expended
upon the ambitious production, moth
ing but praise of very high order
! should be accordef Mr.. Giffens excel
lent company Of yeers. for not only
but every character was portrayed with
cleverness and with an artistic touch.
Strange as 1t may seem. there We're
no no, rough. edges. no painful pauses or
with the smoothness OF long. run.
and the narrative was driven home
with unerring hands.
/ But the story was too long drawn
out; there was too much OF what Ber-
abundance Of deciama tion and mono.
In 81 the much 9re could
those across the footlights might have
enjoyed certain parts the more, had
| they not been SO tightly held by the
hand and led over dangerous literary
vs76h. tbs bit BIT q criticism; { howsysr ,
son. for. on the other hand, the nlay
OF the charm Of word-painting.
Even those "talky-talk" bits are de-
1ghtfu for fas.ctssy Of
us can utter them"
Back to the Monkish Days.
Some one has said that there is
new n1aey the and ndesd
forebear. "The Right to Live" goes
back many centuries-back to the days
OF the early Monkish players. who
streets and in the court yards; pic.ur.
Il it smacks I Of the morally play"
Ev YfaX ssa II the ssis
I Virtue triumphs grandly before the
Daring as the story is. there is moth:
while there are but few tears. there
/ Is plenty OF food for thought, and no
little chance for laughter.
young son mere Child n whom he Is
/ has not turned aside from the allure-
ments Of the present
l -
"a kind and one not OF "a kind. :" to
,whom he offers the pleasures Of the
great white way. In the very midst Of
that thai she she is his daughter, ana on this
sinister thread hangs the tale. alng aan,a.
holding over him the possession Of q
pound OF flesh as revenge for the
1 wrong done her mother.
! The boy comes under her evi! sway
\ fudely I ruined: but at last blood proves
Thicker than revenge. and with all the
i5sacrifice OF ohild's love, the daughter
flights on the side Of virtue. The pawn
Right Right to III Live"Ncasts all aside for the
4 Intoxicating promises OF "Cissy, the
chorus girl OF kind and is about to
leave all for her when !. ne Is arrestGa nt :,
daughter. "A night IN a dark and drea-
3ry cell brings reason. and lin the SUM
Hight ofEthe morning the amorous en- ans
OF the chorus girl are. broken. ~ I
play over which the theatrical magnates
OF New York have been fighting. and nc
OF which no less than the great Fr9f. l,1 !,
I've I've read !eas Int in ten n years" OF course.
4 there are lovers, villains, clerks and
chorus girls, all Of whom play their
parts sna siia. p1aS pseStt!s theR Be.t We,,; Work
Lone, falls the lions share OF the lines
4 Land the lioness share of the glory.
Practically on the stageth3ro'uIghout the
appeared to betters &C advantage for not
onlysis she charming in the lighter bits,
buttin the more earnest situations she
To originate such a part was in deed
/ an undertaking, and the numerous cur
tain calls which followed each act
were richly deserved. -
Wilson Reynolds is most satisfactory
In a part which demands ability of
| the highest order. Mr.. Reynolds plays
with great force and earnestness a
part which one OF the bestfcritics has
! said: "Only two tors In America are
able to play without fault"
Miss La Verne, as she always is is
| both clever and delightful as Rachel,
The kind -hearted housekeeper, whilos
brokers' , clerk, and Mr. Patton as Tod \
hunter Russell. a wild Youngster who
finally marries the ''dea OK machina,,'
both emphasize again the fact that they
are sterling young actors with bright
Especially. however. should words Of
praise fall to Miss Dunbar and to Miss
Johnson =, whq Play the ehorga 1a;
Ssst work Mss she s aone dne
the edevil-may- care Ia " out for n good
friends. Miss % Dun bars
"clssy,' on the other hand, Is OF
"dreany ~ cter, full OF "eyes, who
\ plays the game for the games sake,
without thoughts Of pecunlary reward i
1.-The parts were cleyerly drawn and
[cleverly acted. n .ltsl 4, Va Ak
TO Miss Maxine Reynolds, very
young lady of nine, who does the boys
part the critic makes his best bow and
offers her all congratulations. "Eros"
she played and Eros she Is.
"The Right to Live'' Is well worth
seeing. and will grow better with old
age and experience.
Mr. Fowler In OHice.
,WA;sHtlNGToN "; ynly y zls. James
recently appointed Assistant Attorney
General, took charge OF his office to-}
|. day .S 5;S5i. 5z
WEATHER.