The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1909-05-06
1.-THE right OF WAY"
Great Drama Scored Hit at Winnipeg
Where II 10 Regarded as One of
Best Plays of Season.

The Winnipeg Free Press has the
Way, which will be at the local
theatre Saturday night:
Many centuries ago PLATE asked
what IS truth?' since that time the
same question has been asked count
less thousands OF times, with various
tntonations. and in somewhat different
phraseology, but with the same intent.
Sir Gilbert Parker makes one of the
two great characters he has created in
Fhe Right of Way reiterate the ever
lasting question "Who Knows?" wit
lacerated soul and torn fingers he
scales the rugged heights. treading
under foot the passions and evil pro-
pensitfes of mortal man, until he
reaches the summit where hope shines
with the glorious effulgence of the
dawn and in the revelation, the knowl-
edge, that comes to him that God is
Love-" he gets his answer. In Charley
Steele the author has elaborated a re-
narkable character. He is brilliant
and apparently cold, callous and utter
ly selfish, and beneath even his most
humorous remarks there In q depth of
yet, there Is a note Of utterabIe sorrow
in his voice, and his cry for REST" on
one occasion seemed the agonized ap-
peal OF a lost soul.
At the Walker theatre last night this
fascinating character was played by
Guy Standing, while his foil, Joe Por-
tugais, the French-Canadian habitant,
with his fierce, unrestrained. primor-
Al L2I
like representative in Theodore Rob-
erts. The two brilliant actors were
rewarded at the end of every scene
with perfect storms Of applause, and
time and again the curtaain had to be
raised and lowered. The two men are,
indeed, remarkable foils, the one for
the other, Steele. with the polish which
comes from the artificial surroundings
Of the great world, and Joe, natures
man, with all the elemental loves and
hates, uncurbed and unchecked. Faith
full an a dog to those he loves; bitter
as death to his enemies. Mr.. Standing
as Steele, gives one the curious impress
sion Of a man not quite sane, whose
mental makeup is not exactly the
same as other men: as If. as one of
the characters said. God had left
something out when He made him" +"
AS the result Of q blow on the head in
q broH, he loses all consciousness of
his former life and hi Transformation
TO q loving, eonsIderate man is in
sharp contrast to his other self. Then
we are treated to an even more subtle
change. AS the result Of an operation
on the skull. Steele RECEIVERS his
memory Of the past, but without losing
that Of the present. He then learns
that he Is supposed to be dead and
that his wife had married again. With
out going into the plot in detail (Which
is Unnecessary II may be added that
the purifying love OF a pure woman
brings out all that IL noblest and best
in him and the curtain rings down on
a happy ending. which may not be SO
artistic as Parker's conclusion, but
which Ia infinitely more satisfactory TO
playgoers.
1t is impossible to too highly praise
either Mr.. Standing or Mr.. Roberts,
both studies-and thorough studies
they are too-are well nigh perfect and
a more delighted audience has sell
dom left the Walker theatre than that
Of last night. As the picturesque habi-
ant, with his bright glittering eyes,
his uncouth, eloquent movement OF
shoulders and hands, his gutteral
broken English, his deep, almost fawn-
ing love for the man who had saved
him from the gallows, Mr.. Roberts
showed Ms acting which positively
shook one by It's wonderful force and
power. His hysterical description OF
the mruder he had committed of the
man who had led astray his sweet
heart, was bit Of realistic work
which made the breath quicken and
the heart beat faster. At the end OF
the scene it seemed as IL the audience
would never let off applauding. Sew
eral times in the course of the pIay
MIR. Standing also rose to considerable
heights. He showed us how fine ar
actor he was when he was last here
with Otis Skinner in The Duel and
the golden opinions he won then, he
has greatly increased by his present
performance. Both In the scene ir
which he pleads with the abbe to be
allowed to retain the priceless love o.
the girl who had given herself to hin
in spite of church or creed and thai
In which he lays bare his past life
He was most affecting and very human
Whilst the two stars practically dom.
mate every scene in the play a mum.
Der of small parts are most carefully
rendered, the most prominent bein,
Miss Grace Benham, pretty. sweet.
voiced woman; AvereH Harris as tn,
cure, and Walter Colligan, as a drunken
ex- priest. There are no fewer thar
twenty three characters in the cast
and there is no weak spot in the entir,
presentation. A most remarkable fea
ture in the production Is the artist,
scenery.
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