The gold leaf., 1909-11-04

This play about which so much has
been written and said was presented
by the Henry Miller Associate Play
ers at the Grand Theatre Tuesday
night. About it opinions differ. AS
seen by some it is great, while with
Others it fails to satisfy Strong.
virile as it is "The Servant in the
House is not play that appeals to
the masses-it does not stIiFathe pop
ular taste. But there Is something
about it that is competing. The
more you think about it and study
the various characters the more you
are impressed with the central idea
that dominates the whole. There
may not be the beauty and charm
about it that you wish, but there is
strength and character instead, and
it leaves something for you to talk
and think about-there is no getting
around that fact. 1t takes on the
weird and sombre aspect at times
and one wishes for a bit of light
among the shadows.
An idea of the play may be gather
ed from this paragraph:
God is not otlooking-let us give as
little and grab as much as we can,
just seems to fit in this day. 1t is life
real life-we all live it, il We but
stop to think a bit. How we walk
over the body and bones of our fel-
low beings to gain for ourselves what
We most desire but we do not stop to
think, lest conscience creep in and
make us q bit uncomfortable
1.-The Servant in the House. has
been pronounced by competent critics
a wonderful play. Certainly it is a
remarkable drama-quite out OF the
ordinary cast of plays-and by its
production the author, Charles Ram
Kennedy, has been accorded an envi-
able position in the foremost ranks of
living playwrights. Imagine little
girl who never saw her father talking
to a drunkard and a scavenger and
telling him how much she wanted to
see her father and that she is sure he
is a fine-looking, kind and brave man.
Just imagine the emotions of this
drunkard when he knows all the time
that the sweet child talking to him
is his own daughter" This is one of
the situations in the play-and there
are others like unto it, though per-
haps none of them equal to that OF
the drain-man.
There is no love story interviewer
save the love of ones fellOwman-the
brotherhood of man being the lesson
that is taught-if we except the love
of a woman for her husband, which
in this case is more an ambition to
see him rise in position and power
than affectiOnate desire for him to be
good and useful There is little that
appeals to the emotions. 1t is play
of stern hard facts as one sees them
and it is only made good by strong,
hard acting. The producing compa
ny is a most excellent One-an eXcep-
tional array of capable and clever
actors. Each one played well his or
her part and if one seemed to excel
another it was because the more
pleasing or prominent character Of
fered the greater opportunity and
not because of the more faithful
portrayal of the role assigned. 1t
was fine character work all the way
through.
Following was the cast OF charac-
ters: Mr.. Henry Dornton as James
Ponsonby Makeshyfte, D. D., the Most
Reverend, the Lord Bishop of Lam
caster; Mr.. Arthur Behrens as the
Rev. William Smythe, Vicar; Miss
Millicent Mclaughlin as Auntie, the
Wears wife; Miss Donalda O'Neill as
Mary, their niece; Mr.. Darrell Stand
ing as Mr.. Robert Smith, a gentleman
of necessary occupation, (the scavan
ger or drain-man); Mr.. John S.
O'Brien as Manson,a butler; and Mr.
Arthur Goodsall as Rogers, a page
boy. Better acting has not been seen
on the local stage and whatever one
thinks of "The Servant ia the House"
as play only praise and admiration
is had for the splendid work of the
players.
The performance is ended, the cur
tain has gone down on the final act
and yet the audience does not seem
to realize that the play is finished.