The Detroit times., 1908-11-24
N LOCAL pArH0U5t5
rHE pETRoiT.

A mere slip OF a lad, in hunters
jacket and knee pants. is the hero OF
the Pauline Phelps and Marion Short
drama entitled "A Kentucky Boy"
presented for the first time In this
city In the Detroit opera house. Mon
day evening. Second in interest TO
the boy. h tiny girl. who keeps the
interest Of her audience from the time
she is dragged onto the stage by the
young hero to play spy. "A
Kentucky Boy" Is essentially q child's
youngersters are carefully presented.
and grown-ups might learn something
by studying the work OF these two
children.
The story OF "A Kentucky Boy"
deals with feud that has existed for
years between two families In the Blue
Grass state. The Coltons and the
Bondhills have for years been strain
Ing every effort and resorting to every
method to exterminate each others
family, so that when the play opens
there are but three men representa-,
lives left, jeffrey Cotton. John Bond
hill and his nephew, Chester Bondhill.
the latter being eight years old.
/, Jeffrey Colton's son was killed In
his presence the first evening OF his
return from college, one Of the Bond
hill faction being responsible for his
death. The boy was about to tell his
father some important news when tho
bullet silenced him. jeffrey Cotton
Stays the man who shot his son and
drives the remainder Of the Bondhill
family from the mountains The fam
lily takes refuge In a river town where
the nephew is taught to carry on the
feud and shoot Cotton
On visiting this town. Cotton met
the lad, and unaware OF his identity
took a fancy to him. When he left
he invited the lad to visit him In tho
mountains and shoot turkeys. The
youngster remembered the invitation.
and when he overheard a CONVERSE
ton between his uncle and his aunt
"Bab," a teacher who has raised him
and been his companion. In which he
Is given into the entire keeping OF his
uncle, he decided to run away. This
he does, taking with him little girl
who Is known In the neighborhood as
Orphan Brat" With his little COM
panion, young Chester found the home
of Cotton and IL given shelter.
In conversing with Cotton. the lad
refused to give his name. but finally
divulged the fact that he has been
trained to shoot q man named "Old
Devil" because his uncle Is disabled
and cannot do It. With building blocks,
the old man wormed out Of the boy
his name and recognized him as the
last Of the Bondhills. Worked up to
the highest pitch of excitement by
this news, he told the lad that he
would give him a rife and they are
to fire on the third stroke of the clock
AS the boy raised his rife. he dis
played unwittingly a locket which he
wore on a chain about his neck. Cotton
spied the locket and recognized 1t as
one that belonged to his wife. He
questioned the boy and found that his
Aunt Bah gave 1t to him, and that "
contains a picture Of the boys father.
The miniature reveals that the Bond
hill boy Is Colton's grandson.
Cotton adopted the lad and the "Or-
phan Brat" Fearing that Bondhill
will by some means get the boy from
him, he left the mountains and started
for South America. He has reached
New Orleans at Mardi Gras time, and
Aunt Bah, In order to get last look
ut the boy is smuggled into the house
as Mother Goose, to tell stories to the
children. Cotton finally recognized
her, and also learned for the first time
that she had secretly married his son:
that Chef is her son.
The boy is then brought forward TO
choose between his grandfather and
his mother. and decided to go with the
latter. When, however, he discovered
his heartbroken old grandfather In
despair at his leaving. he changed his
mind and said he would stay. This ac-
ton decides Cotton to forget the feud.
and he invited Aunt Bah" to become
member OF his household.
The part OF Chef is played by DON
aid Gallagher, who has had much ex-
perience as an actor, although he 10
but O boy OF ten. He won commenda-
ton in Detroit last season, and his
appearance in "A Kentucky Boy" has
added further honors. His acting 10
remarkably natural, and when his
years are taken into account, his
whole performance Is marvellous. Eve
Ign Wright as Orphan Brat" Is a
winsome little miss. and Edna May
Spooner as Barbara Bondhiil acted the
heartbroken mother In convincing
manner. Lucille La Verne made an
exceptionally good colored nanny.
while William Morris as jeffrey Cotton
added materially to the excellence OF
the cast.
The play as a whole is rather tedi-
GUS, and especially In the first scene
the action drags. 1t tells, however.
q pretty story and the reception ac-
corded 1t Monday evening would con-
vince one that "A Kentucky Boy"
would have many admirers among
theater goers.
There will be performances Tues
day and Wednesday evenings with a
matinee wednesday. Thursday after
noon Mrs. Wigs, OF cabbage patch
fame, will make her appearance In the
Detroit opera house.
g THE TEMPLE.