The Washington herald., 1908-06-16
The CoIumbIa-'That Little Affair
Mt the Boyds'."

at the Boyds'."
For the first tlme on any stage there
was presented last night at the Columbia
Theater a new play by Mr.. william
Gillette a comedy In four acts: That
Little Affair at Boyd's" 1t bears the
marks OF a decided success, a success
for Mr.. Gillette and. in way much
more for an actress who, while she has
always done good work. has been COM
parativey unknown, Miss Mary Ryan
who. If she gets what she so richly
deserves, viii see her name blazoned
in electric lights along the great White
Way next season.
Miss Ryan's opportunity came through
the Illness Of Miss Cecilia LOTUS, who
had been especially engaged TO create
the part Of Kitty Cameron in Mr.. Gil
lette's play. She was taken I'll at rehear-
sails during the past week, and although
it was hoped that she might be wei
enough TO play the part. it was found
necessary last night 70 put in Miss Mary
RYAN. who had had only few rehearsals.
This fact was announced after the first
act last night, and thereafter the large
audience seemed imbued with enthusiasm
for the splendid effort Miss Ryan made
and she was applauded 20 the echo for
her fine work. and the end Of the sec
one act was a triumph of commentator
FOR her.
Outside OF this episode. which once more
euphasized the wonderful good nature OF
American audiences, the play itself comes
in for consideration. II Is a comedy OF
London stage life; pretty fanciful love
story between a leading actress ana a
struggling playwright. in which she' with
her knowledge OF the requirements and
the possibilities OF the stage, IS able 20
tone down his poetic flights with the
creative power and criticism OF common
sense.
In a way the play Is reminiscent. II
has something Of Zangwills Merely
Mary Ann" about II. You can't help
thinking that. II you have seen both the
pllys But the motif Is different and
Mr.. Gnlstte's play makes a much franker
bid for the franchise OF laughter than did
tho poetic love affair OF LaunCelot and
Mary Ann.
The first act takes place In restau-
rant. Here the stage people gather,
among them Miss Cameron, the success
ful star Here. too, comes the playwright
Stephen Boyd. 70 see the theatrical man.
ager. Halliday. only 10 be assured, not
for the first time. that his plays are too
| poetic-that people don't talk like that IN
real life Miss Cameron sees Boyd and
! recognizes in him an old friend. and he
| the dialogue permits US TO see that he has
| long been in love with her.
She sees that he needs help; she sees
| too that he is too proud. or, perhaps
sensitive. 10 take il. and when ne has gone
I sfs-. % OILS 20
| house where he lives with his mother and
sisters and serving as a scullery maid, ir
the hope Of being near him and able tc
/ help him.
The second act is I'm the Boyds' home
Ii and serves to show Kitty Cameron in hel
new environment. splendidly disguised
and finding her first opportunity TO be OF
service The third act serves to show
| how much she has helped him; how, un
! consciously, under her direction, he has re
vised and rewritten his play, so that Il
/ has at last been accepted. and II furnishes
a chance for a melOdramatic touch In he,
! sensational escape from an actor, a mem
Der OF her company. who Is in love will
| her and who threatens to betray her Sc
cret.
| The last act shows the Office Of Man
ager Halliday. The play has been pro
duced and IS big success, and It shows
/ the coming together Of Kitty Cameron
and the lover she has worked so hard for
though she does not let him know ever
then that il was she who was the Gin
derella. As they come together, under
standing each other at last, she says
There Is something l want to tell yoi
some time" and what she wants TO tell s.
the story Of The comedy she has played t
win his love.
| II cannot be said that the play Is fre,
! from faults Of construction. Indeed. ther
| are many Of them In the first act, 70
/ Instance. there Is a lot Of talk abou
| stephen Boyd being so poor that he hal
not sufficient food. and yet when we ge
10 his home in the second and third act
be seems 10 live fairly comfortably, an
at least his mother SHOWS evidence o
being extremely we'll fed. The part
excellently PLAYED by Miss Jeffreys Lewis
! The first act needs strengthening also, a
there Is mighty little OF what Is know
as atmosphere. The playbills say tina
this is restaurant, but it has not tn
air. and the waiter who starts out wit
a Lancashire dialect drops into Scotc
and ends with a Partisan burlesquC
looks and behaves much more like poo
actor than he docs Ike good waiter
There are other minor faults which
were ungracious TO point out where IN
performance. as a whole. Is so strikingl
good.
The playing was really good throughout
BY her fine performance. by work whic
stamps her as an actress who has onl
waited and worked for an opportunit
such as this. Miss Mary Ryan has wo
for herself place in the front rank.
is not in the spirit of invidious compari
son. but simply a just thought that 1t
doubtful whether even Miss LOTUS coul
have done the part better. 1t was a fin
example Of what one can do II he
ready when opportunity knocks at tn
door. In the course OF the play she ha
line;
Il should so love to act-if could onl
get a chance
Miss Ryan got her chance last night
and used IT,
Mr.. Dallas Wexford. a comedian Of pe
culiar method. made the audience laug
heartily at him, rather than with hin
He played a part OF the English bound
; er" type as naturally as life. He mus
have had n lot of experience in this lin'
Striking. too. was the work Of Mr. Fred
erica Lewis as Stephen Boyd He is a
} actor Of serious mien, Of the f. II. Soti
, ern type. and he has the advantage OF
clear and poetic enunciation and dignit
OF purpose. Mr. Frank Craven as Thoma
J Burnett played three various character