The Washington times., 1909-04-28
Upholds Traditions of Play
Made Famous Forty
Years Ago.
LESS OF BURLESQUE
IN NEW PORTRAYAL
Fool Still, But Canny Fool-Un-
usual Audience of Old-Time
Theatergoers.

The name Of sothern has come to
spell Dundreary.
Since the night of October 10. 1858, all
that was OF the elder Sothern meant
Dundreary. Last evening Washington
saw Z. H. Sothern in the part at the
e Belasco Theater. The verdict was that.
while the son may stand for other
things. he is no less a Dundreary than
the father
That is not one-man opinion. It is
Z the verdict OF playgoers of thirty or
forty years who sat in the audience
last evening. Endorsed by members Of
the younger generation who could not
F. compare, but who could laugh.
Mr.. Sothern hopes" says the pro-
gram. that new generation may
through its recollection of his fathers
work, derive some entertainment from
this repetition Of the character created
by him" Dundreary is more than a
precious heritage, a family heirloom.
In the hands Of Mr. Sothern he
breathes. he walks Cor hops. and has
a being like the rest of us. The laugh
ter that z. A. Sothern noted on the
margin of his prompt book could not
have been much heartier a generation
ago.
why did we laugh? At this. for ex-
ample: "Oh, you'd like Sam. He's
rather an ass. but you'd like him. When
sam was a lad-he was bOrn-merely a
baby. of course. He was born-and
everything like that-had a bald head.
too. and ne was greatly annoyed.
don't mean being bald. but about being
born at all What / mean Is, he put
Ta IT,
ssIlied-there he was-aHd, Of course,
l. was too late to argue the point"
After all. that isn't screamingIy funny
+. at the breakfast table. But we laughed
so that we kept each other at the the
alter until HIS O'Clock. Examine the
play and you viii find another laugh
It's plot would not do credit to a Conan
comic opera What is it that made
Dundreary the talk of two continents
that led men to wear Dundreary coats,
TO affect DundTeaTy manners, 10 write
books OF the further adventures of
DuLdreary Though last night he had no
adventures 10 speak Of to carry the
elder SotheTn 10 a foremost rank among
actors of his day and, unaided. TO sus-
tain him in that position for twenty
seven years, and, finally. to add pres
tigs TO the name of one whom many
call the greatest actor of our day2
Dundrearys the thing. Written re-
written and revised by the loving hand
OF its creator. the lines of Dundreary
very nearly express the life work OF
one skilled IN the art of acting for
daughters sake. There is little repartee,
sire is no play Of studied wit To hold
attention by unbroken monologue is an
achievement in any branch Of acting.
et MT. Sothern does this time after
time and only seems to stop because
the hour IS late
The humor OF Dundreary is sheer
fooiery. IL is true. 1t may not be OF a
much higher type than an appeal TO the
ridiculous II Is founded on the con
junction OF unexpected ideas and fire.
quenty resorts to a play on words The
famous mother-in-law passage affords
nother-in-law to the hatcher legs
hanging in the water and everything
pleasant like that-he stuck a penlnife
into her and cut her up in slices and
ate her. He told me he enjoyed the
old woman very much. He was a SPLEEN
did fellow-full OF humor and fun of
mother-is-law. too"
IN the hands Of the younger Sothern.
OunoreaI-y may be a fool but he IS
not certain kind Of fool not often
mentioned in polite society. on very
short acquaintance. he appears to be
the ''wisest fool IN all Christendorn. 3"
Even an acute American cousin would
not always tell whether he was a lu-
matte or just stringing me-" Behind
this addle brain and asiainity there
Is streak Of quaint philosophy
IN the Dundreary Of the son. say
oid-timers. this feature f1nos a more
subtle expression. Among the MANY
who came TO pay tribute TO the young
, er out OF regard for the elder Sothern
was lady who saw the father in this
play nearly forty years ago. "He is
so much like his father" she said. that
! could hardly tell them apart today
Perhaps the son is a little thinner and
49, a little younger. IN every detail, as
remember II, his work IS Ike the Dun
drearv I saw forty years ago. 1t lacks
a little q TIE, srotesqueness II there
IS any difference and seems to have
taken on more refinement
''Not nearly so broad but considera bly,
more finished" was the verdict Of a
high school principal.
One hearer remark ed that it was curl
Gus that Mr.. Sothern. whose repertoire
included roles Of serious purpose should
waste his time on Dundreary That
man must have missed a lot that car
Red across the fOotlighfs 70 every other
part n the house. Aside from the as
sOciafions 0f the play one can believe
that Mr. Sothern chose 70 play Dun
drearv Tor Dundrea rvs sake. IN every
respect save IN Falling 80 work IN "a
a definite conclusion his acting as DUN
drearv bears the STAMP Of a finished
imDersonat ton. For this one fault the
author. not the actor. IS 20 blame.
Enuailv worthy achievements were the
RuSdi~o-nhe Of Albeit s. Fowson. the
: Asa Tronchard OF sydney Mather. the
s Murcott ~ Malcolm Bradley and the
COyle OF John Taylor.
J. r. HILDEBRAND.