Omaha daily bee., 1908-11-17

Wamblikti ............. Thomas Beauregard
blynn .....,.."".".s.""".John Il. Adam
Bljou strons. ........... Helen Coller-Garrick
ootEysi5S pia s.Jyvs sL,. WspTep
TTkshuIa- Masnta ........ Margaret warren
Inc Honorable Ferguson Armitage......
Rex MacdougaU
Gainsford .Reginald Mason
Albert Max Esberg
EdWard .................. James Merrill
Mrs. Berkshire. Esmond
NORA ..........H Helen Byrne
Nine curtain calls at the close of the sec
ond act tells the story Of William Collier
and his new play at the Boyd last night.
Nor was 1t the applause OF a clique, but
the spontaneous response Of a typical
Omaha audience to the art OF the man and
his company and to the freshness and
breeziness Of the lines.
The play is based on an idea not new to
playwriters. the contrast between the un-
conventional manners and speech Of west
ern America and the alleged culture and
refinement OF the English aristocracy.
Sir Augustus Plantagenet Armitage is the
mellifluous name assumed by Mr.. Collier.
The story, shred of its trimming, Is some
thing like this. He is a scion of the Eng
fish nobility, born and raised in Bull Frog,
New, this place being assumed as the high
est conceivable antithesis Of a London
drawing room. He has no apparent chances
ever coming into the title and is engaged
In gold mining, which occupation is re-
munerative on condition that you find the
gold. This he could not quite do. But
presto! Just as his fortunes are darkest
there arrives a message: Come to London,
you are a duke" or words to that effect.
He goes, taking with him some OF his
friends of the mining camp. When this
Bull Frog aggregation meets the other
dukes and personages there are a number
OF inimitable scenes.
This forms the basis Of the second act
and it was at its close that Mr.. Collier
received an ovation such as the walls of
the Boyd rarely echo.
He comes back to Nevada. L.. S. A., de-
claring that fifty minutes of dear old Bull
Frog is better than a cycle of London.
incidentally, he finds that the girl he has
loved all along, only he didn't realize il,
Is there and waiting for him. They have
a big dinner. he proposes, she accepts and
they live happily ever after.
/ The feature of the first act is the scene
following Mr.. Golfers entrance. This &C.
cupies probably five minutes and during
r this time he speaks not one word and ia
I we'll on the stage after his second entrance
before he reads a line. But when he does
t speak one of the secrets of his succesa
D becomes apparent. His voice is deep and
{ rich and clear. There is no effort. but
g tEose at the door hear as distinctly as
| people in the boxes.
5 The entire play is full of clever bits of
= dialogue, not dollhouse humor, forced into
a brief and artificial breath of life, but
4 pointed wit which bubbles along, every
e bubble being death to trouble.
e But to mention only the star would be
e leaving things unsaid which ought to be
said. The support entire is good, 1t Is we'll
balanced. 1t is well selected.
n Miss Helen Hale as Nell and Annie
Esmond as Mrs. Berkshire are excellent in
widely varying parts. Miss Hale is very
" girlish where she should be and very much
grown up when 1t Is necessary and is very
g much of a woman all the. way through her
part. Thomas Beauregard as WambIikti
n the Indian, and Helena Eellier-Gsrrick as
Bijou Strong caused much tnirth.
! The drawing room scene and the dinner
at Bull Frog testify to MIR. Golfers ability
as a stage manager.
incidentally. and lastly, It may be men
a toned that in keeping with the announced
Y character of the play, which is called an
international comedy, the orchestra CAV,
y a melody Of patriotic airs and national
hymns.
y ''The Professors Love story" nj tn,
BurwOOd.
7 A comedy in three acts and three scenes
h by j. M. Barrie. Cast of characters:
Effie Proctor, the professors house
n keeper. Jane Jeffery
le Lucy White, his secretary 49,. Lorna Elliot
DR.. Cosens, his college friend and physi-
Of cian....:.:..,......"....Lloyd lngrahan
Prof, Goodwillle ....."........F Frank Bacol
is Dowager Lady Gliding .......Pearl stearn
Lady Gliding, her daughter-in-law.... -.
~ Sir George Gliding, member OF Pariia-
70 ment for Tullochmains. So. William GREY
2 Pete. laborer on Sir Georges estate.
? Agnes GoodwIliie, the professors sister
s. Henders, laborer on Sir Georges estate
ID DR.. Y~ellowless, physician at T1Toeh-
. mains. Lloyd Franci
On Joseph, a ervant........... Edward Kauffe
When an sbsent-minded, whimsical
kindly and delightful old scientist falls 1
,g love with an attractive young woman an
ne does not know 1t, although she does; whe
her position in the matter is wrongly con,
~ pretended by his relatives and friends
ed when a misunderstanding widow complicate
m the situation, there Is a wealth of coined
ne created.
But either to tell the plot OF The Pre-
fessor's Love Story or to extol James N
/ Barrie, who wrote II, Is to engage i'm
superfluity. The essential point remalnin
IN is that the play was given at the Burwoo
yesterday with a success at least equalin
any offering of the current season.
IN 1t has been most happily cast. Fran
OO Bacon is temperamentally, technically an
1h physically fitted for the title role, Mis-
no Elliott's power Of restraint is one OF III
III qualities which makes her successful as III
as self-contained, self-respecting heroine, an
- the same felicity Of assignment Of part /,
' actor exists throughout the rest Of the cas-
~ The week will see a success In whic
~ Bacon and Miss Elliott share the fir.
" honors. The former creates a perfect ILL
sion. and this is a feat particularly worth
OF note in the case of a player in a stoc
company. for those who have seen him
other roles are inevitebly attempting I
focus out the real man beneath the makeu
r. and beneath the characterizlng, and by Tn
as render the actor a task Of some magnitud
Is, which the strolling player does not face.
on Prof. Goodwillie is a part which any actC