Omaha daily bee., 1909-02-06
At the TheaterS


Wilham hutus NORWOOD. his elder son
Thomas Jefferson Morewood. his second
son ...............-... Thomas Meighan
Major Belamy ellsworth. man about
Tobias Ford. lawyer ......
Percy Brooke
Tuck Bartholomew. apostle Of manly
Cal 9iTsec. = mincr - SOFT BAILEY
Mr.. Holton. Morewood's bookkeeRer...
Gabriel Ravenelle
Clerk at the Colorado hotel .........--
Edward Donnelly
Bessie Brayton. a western product
Emily Donelson. living at the Morewood
house ..........l.... Vivian Martin
Frances Berkeley. living next door
IVY lEouNuan
Mrs Bruce-Guilfcrd. an Important
matron Belle Bohn
Mrs. Tromiey. second in Importance.
Isabel Garrison
Mrs. Peasley. the housekeeper ........--
Adeie CiarAs
William II. Crane and George Ade-and
the arrangement Of names Is purposely Sc
lected-make 8 combination that runs just
about as far ahead of the procession as did
Papa Norwood after he got under head
way. 1t is the thought OF one OF Amer
teas brightest wits interpreted by a come
dian whose natural bent as well as rich
experience equips Tim to see and develop
the humor Of the thought so as to make
the result most deIectable. The unction
with which Mr.. Crane approaches the
AIDE idea can best be understood by those
who have laughed with him through the
whole Of Father and the Boys" other
wise. it will not be known. for cold type
cannot express the action, the color and
tone. that give the comedy its warm life
and vigor. 1t is said to be Mr.. Cranes
best part; maybe it is. but some Of US
who have watched him for thirty years OF
longer hesitate to say which of the many
parts he has endowed with his own delight
ful personality is entitled to unauestioned
first place. But the present undertaking
is not 10 decide this momentous question;
rather, il is to give some brief praise and
acknowledgment Of the pleasure Mr.. Crane
and his excellent company afforded as
many people as could be housed at the
Boyd theater last night. To say that these
were swept along on a great tidal wave
OF never-fsiling fun is to state the case
tamely. From the opening to the closing
the comedy is continuous. healthy and
never dull. One bright. snappy AIDE line
succeeds another. ard the situations fol-
low in such logical sequence that it seems
like a chapter from actual occurrence in
stead Of merely the invention Of a man.
But George AIDE has always kept close to
reality in his work. and gets his fun out
OF things as they are. rather than as they
might be for the purpose Of making folks
laugh.
Lemuel Norwood has tolled and built
up an immense business so that when his
boys have finished school they can come
in and be his partners. and share with him
the triumphs he has achieved in the world
of business and the greater ones to come.
But the boys haven't quite come to thai
stage yet. and one strives to shine in So
ciety and the other elings with fondness
to his college athletics. And father can't
understand them, for he is behind the pro-
~oession. But the disappointment brings no
bitterness 10 him. and he decides to share
with them, and have a little fun for him
self Suddenly he gets the taste OF it. and
pursues the joke a little further for his
own enjoyment. He brings the boys to a
better understanding, clears away some OF
the dust OF business from his OWE mind.
uneovers a schemer and closes his vacation
with all things running at just about the
pace he would like TO have them. The first
act is in the private office of Morewood A
Sons, the second in the library of the More
wood home. the third at a fashionable race
track and the fourth in a tent hotel at a
Nevada mining camp. And against these
Backgrounds a series OF most engaging pic
lures is spread.
As the elder Morewood Mr.. Crane is a
little happier, perhaps. than he has been
since he was playing old Nick Van Alstyne
in The Henrietta" 1t ls a different tyne
OF business man. though. the one who does
not speculate or spOrt--the steady, plodding.
home-lovfns body who wants to accumulate
Tor someone else to enjoy. He has longed
10 have a good time. but has denied him
self for the sake OF his boys. But when
the time has come for him TO assert him
self he does II in such a royal way that
only the boys and their friends object. ana
they simply because they do not want
father TO make a show OF himself. But
father is going some. and he soon dis
tanees the field and gets so far ahead that
finally they ali beg him to settle down and
give the others a chance 20 catch up. The
humor Of the first act is quiet. and mingled
with just a touch of pathos as the father
makes apparent his disappointment In the
boys. In the second act IL becomes exub-
Grant, IN third IL is boistsroas and in the
fourth it 10 superiatively rich. And ali
through IL Mr.. Crane shines. tvinklss
beams. radiates nothing but ~Iauxh-waves
And last night when he was called before
the curtain and yielded to the insistent d.
msnd. a recent departure for him. for a
speech, he spoke in such vein as seemed
but a further projection of the role he was
playing No other comedian alive can DO
what he is doing.
His company Is worthy Of its head
Greater praise can not be bestowed. Indi-
v1duai praise is deserved b. all: Mas Dale
for her fine characterization Of the Nevada
girl set down In New York to earn her o.
living. and who did II by entertaining So
eiety because she couldn't spell well enouNb
10 run a typewriter; Mr.. Whiting for his
Pseudo-msjor; Mr.. Dodd for hts butler. ana
each OF the others for a well enacted eon-
eeptiOn of a character essential To tbs
proper telling OF the story.
The audience was Just such a. sssemblaaa
as the presence Of Mr.. Crane can draw 10
the theater. Its appreciation OF The plav
and the players was made apparent ana
the evening was one OF unaIloyed enjoyment
for all
~"GraUstarks "a the KruG.
Princess Yetive Of Graustark was aIw.v.
a fairy Interesting character. but in the
hands Of Miss stephanie LOnEfellow the
role Is most acceptable The piece. which