The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-02-13
ERehlhSS'

Nearly everybody who devours fiction,
regardless, has read Sir Gilbert Parker's
The Right of Way and If you happen to
have liked it immensely, remember that
you have enormous support in your opin-
ion, and DON'T be disturbed by this state
nent: The Right of Way, book and play,
are the sveriest rot, judged from an artistic
standpoint, and of the two the play is the
ton, 10 cali a mass meeting to denOunce
the writer, you will doubtless find plenty
of encouragement. The indiscriminating
general public seems TO have liked the
Right of Way. 1t has been running two
years with Mr. Guy Standing ana MI
Theodore Roberts as eo-stars and al
though 1t never made much of hit in
New York it seems to have done pretty
well elsewhere. Moreover the audience
at the Grand last night, where and when
it opened fer three performances, was de-
lighted with it. There were repeated
calls after every act and the comments
heard were all favorable. Everybody
seemed pleased and satisfied except the
writer. But that proves nothing. VINO
was it said the ma Orfty is always wrong?
Let US amend to read: the majority is al
ways when are in the minority.
IS an Impossible play, cheaply melodra-
dialogue and denouement. There isn't
line in it that remains with you over
night Except for the confession of Joe
Portugais," magnificently done by
Mr.. Roberts, there isn't a thrill in the five
has no real continuity. 1t doesn't hang
together, and it rings false from start to
of Mr.. Standing and Mr.. Roberts give the
two principal characters: But Charlie
Steele and Joe Portugais'' are the only
?esh and blood people in the play. The
rest are puppets jerked by string:
Arizona a number r. of Years v, ago and has
never been forgotten. here or elsewhere,
Candy makes even more of the char
acter of Portugafs, the Canadian river
man of primitive passions, dog-like de-
for so splendid a portrayal to be buried in
so worthless play: Mr. Standing is less
fact. to the writer, who. like most people
who have read the Gilbert Parker novel,
had a vivid mental picture of the CYNICAL
Mr.. Roberts, chance. The Character OF I
Charlie Steele" in the play, especially,
is not so convincing as that of the half
savage Canuck. The first two scenes give
him his best opportunities After the
scene shifts from Montreal to the old
French parish up the river Mr.. Standing
except display his undeniable romantic
beauty, and be a hero, be it ever so pain
tame Gator any other conventional hero
of a conventional thriller of the one
with the exception of the co-stars who
heard it, The Right of Way company has
that matter. The others in the cast have
nothing worth mentioning to do. and it
cannot be charged that the management
terial on unimportant roles. The play is
adequately staged and the last scene in
the heart of the Canadian woods won the
tribute OF spontaneous applause last
night But at that a knock is coming to
that lone tree stump in the middle of the
stage, back. 1t is too convenient to seem
probable. Why not lug in a lawn seat
and hammock? Amt it awful to have
mean disposition?
AS has been said the audience last night
enjoyed the play and was uncommonly
enthusiastic. Some competent judges who
go to all the plays here and gad about a
good deal pronounced it the best thing
that has been seen here this season
matinee was given this afternoon and
the company closes its local engagement
tonight The Right of Way is on its way
to Denver where it opens at the Broadway
next week.
Mr.. Guy Standing comes of a family of
actors who are all of unusual height
Forty-eight feet seven and One-haIf inches
OF actors is the record claimed by his
father, Herbert Standing the weII-knoyVT
Standing has seven sons, all on the stage
the best known of whom in America is
Guy Standing.
Not one of the family is under six feet
and one of the sons, now playing in Eng
land, is six feet three and one-haIf Inches
The elder Standing and threa of his sons
are known on the stage in America while
the other four have remained in F,neIand
where all of them were born.
Guy Standing was the first to come to
America, and before becoming a star in
The Right of Way" he acted with the
old Empire stock company of New York
al the living members of which are now
stars; with John Drew in THE Second in
Command. with Fay Davis in 1.-THE
embarrassing of julia with Mrs Pat
rick Campbell in her repertoire and with
Otis Skinner in THE Duel"