The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-11-22
NEW PHILLIPS
Vaudeville all week.
"a Message From Mars"-Gennett.

That delightful comedy drama "A
Message from Mars is the offering at
the Gennett theater matinee and night
November "a. The reputation this
yiay has acquired in London and New
York city by it's long and phenomenal
all of the cities where it has been
seen, was sufficient to cause very gen
eral interest upon the part of theater-
goers to see 1t when it came here. II
Is needless to say that local theater-
goers were I'm no wise disappointed
The play made good" in every par
dcular yet there were, of course, q
great many who did not see it. 1t
received high praise and general com
mendation from all sources after it,
presentation here. The play has many
merits, and strange to say, 1t appeals
to all classes, the lower floor, the bal
cony and the gallery alike. 1t is clean
cut and beautiful in it's simplicity. It's
humcr is of refined quality, always
pleasing, dignified, yet excruciatingly
funny. 1t is conceded to be logical
in its conclusion and at no point are
either its characters or situations ov-
erdrawn. They are all in the line of
becoming modesty, all tending to re-
fleet upon the genius, originality and
cleverness of its author. It's scenic
embellishments are remembered with
distinct vividness. The introduction
of an inhabitant from the planet Mars
IS conceded to be something out of
the ordinary. 1t provides subject for
the most thoughtful consideration by
those who see this play. touching up
on conditions that we know exist on
earth and what we believe may exist
in Mars, although upon the latter sub
ject nothing more than scientific de-
ductiens are forthcoming. ...
"eervant in the House"-GennetA
Used sensation when Henry Miller's
production of Charles Ran Kennedy's
play, THE Servant in the House is
presented in this city at the Gennett
theater on Thursday afternoon, Thurs
day and Friday nights.
New York, Chicago, San Francisco
and Washington critics have united
in declaring the play TO be the most
remarkable drama they have witness
ed and the best example of dramatic
art extant 1t tells of three brothers
who have drifted far apart on the sea
of life and who meet one morning in
England. One of the brothers has be-
come vicar in the church of Eng
land; the second is a scavenger, while
the third proves to be the mysterious
Bishop of Benares--the Holy City of
India. The climax of the play comes
when the scavenger, who has Journey
ed to his brothers home with hatred in
his heart against him is completely
transformed by his brother from In
dia. who he does not recognize. and
faces horrible death down in the sew
er that his comrades and brothers up
above may be saved. The play is said
to offer the most eloquent lines to be
found in any drama since the days of
Shakespeare. and the plot sets forth a
genine human interest story in which
scenes of pathos that wiring tears
from every audience are relieved by
CiCdu spar hlIuS COlUcuS- "A UONci
feature of the play lies in the fact that
it has no change of scene Every act
is laid in one room or the Vicarage.
and the curtain descends on each eli
max only to rise instantly for the be-
ginning of the next act. There are
but seven characters in the play and
every role is almost equally import
ant. Unlike the so-called "star"
plays. the minor characters require in
terpretations by trained and highly
talented players. For this reason
Henry Miller has provided what the
critics call IAN all-star cast The
play has been called daring" by many
because the mysterious Bishop Of Be-
mares. as the story progresses. Is rec
ognized to be reincarnation of Christ
Yet in all the cities in which the play
has been presented the clergymen
have made it the text for sermons in
which they frankly urged the members
OF their congregation to witness the
Kennedy play. At the special per-
Torrance given by request before the
University of Michigan faculty and
student body, the clergymen of Anne
Arbor adjourned church services d.
rectiy to the theater And this atti-