The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1909-08-17
Gives Sympathetic Imper-
sonation of Role Made
Famous by Russell.
MUCH SUCCESS DUE
TO FRED G. BERGER
Actors in All Roles Round Out Elk
eellent Presentation of
Old Comedy.

is Frederick Thomson as good as Sol
Smith Russell?"
That question viii probably be one
OF our most popular bromides before the
week Is far spent.
There are always some ready TO say
he was not and no one could be. and one
OF these is Mr. Thomson. A few others
say he was. but most OF us who saw
him in the trappings Of Noah Vale in
a Poor Relation" can't answer the
Z question. For he was not Sol Smith
Russell ct all but Frederick Thomson
IN q sympathetic sand painstaklng i'm
PRESERVATION OF a remarkable character
Did Thomson forget any OF his
lines?
That is one easier. He did not It Is
a safe wager that every member Of the
Columbia Players that he has been
berating for sixteen weeks were hoping
he would succeed and praying that he
would make a miscue just once. II
would have been fine object lesson
20 teach an eXaCting stage manager
that all actors are human. But the
lesson went wrong.
Marks Worthy Undertaking.
That the theater's manager left his
box office 10 direct the work on the
stage and that The stage manager took
of his working clothes TO become an
actor-no reflection meant on the actor
was enough to arouse wide interest "a
this weeks offering. But the produc-
ton was something more than the nrst-
night performance of a stock company.
It marked the Inauguration Of a plan
10 revive a comedy drama, wonderfully
popular In its time under the direction
Of the one man best equipped for the
d underta king. Several members OF the
Ice rHnH
the cast that viii tour in the play TINS
winter season,
Frederick ThOnson's portrayal or
Noah Vale deserves more consideration
than mere comparison Win that OF
Sol Smith Russell Had he essayed 10
initiate that actor his success last night
scarcely could have been SO pronounced
he very wisely chose 70 give his own m
Interpretation, and that Interpretation
bore the eaTmaTks of being the uuitlOh
Of great thought and care.
Not that Mr. Thomson did not remind
the Old-time playgoers OF Sol smith Rus-
sell in many scenes. he was not zoo
advanced to make use or mucn or the
stage business of the older actor and
seemed TO realize that effects Russell
had worked fifteen years 10 achieve
could not be improved upon IN teN
weeks rehearsal Though the methods
81 times were those Of Air. Russell no
less surely than was the costume ne
wore. the chara CteriEation was Ihom-
son own. AS such il must be recog-
nized as a distinct achievement
Revival Event of Note.
The revival OF the play must be Of
interest 10 students of stagecraft Il
seems in many ways an anomaly 10 the
younger generate Judged by the
standards Of today, or even By the lax
gauge OF its own time. it is hardly a
good Dlav II IS a prOOf such as we see
nd r1I1 =
Is the thing and not the craftsmanship.
The imprObability of the whole plot, the
tnpOssibility of many or the lesser CHAR
scteTs hardly mar the enjoyment. Tor the
appeal of human nature IS there 1t
has many of the same faults Of struc-
ture as The Music Master and IL IS
wonderfully like that later play IN many
WAYS Each IS an intimate study Of a
single character rather than of the &C
tion Of many, and as such must. Of me-
cessity, be structurally weak.
The task set for Frederick Thomson
is probably harder In its hnai analysis
than that of David Marield- Is ar
neld has some excellent opportunities
for acting and through these be can
drive home his conception. Thomson
mas rather 10 paint picture, and the
coloTinEs he uses must be- bits Of stage
symbolism rather than moments OF dra-
matte acting. His achievement lies in
the fact that his every motion carries
& meaning. that his silence is as elo-
The quaint, rich humor Of a Poor
Relation IS all its own. II is the
kind that does not always bring q laugh
sometimes not even smile. for there
Is generally a truth back of IT,
Actors Score.
Successful as was NJ. Thomson's work
not ali the honors fell TO him. Miss
Edith Luckett. as 'ScaIlops.' did more
than furnish a comedy element. she
helped Ill background without which
~. Thomson could not have drawn so
striking a picture Mss Niolette Kim
ball, as Eunice Faye. the head Of the
house" ana Miss Dolly Faye, as her
stepdaughter, did excellent work.
But the faVOrites were probably the
two juvenile actors. Master Tommy VIII
son and Miss Helen Brown. who took
the parts of Rip and Patch
The man who conceived the undertak-
Ing ana who gave 10 Its realization the
wealth Of his wears OF experience as
an associate Of Sol Smith Russell IA the
same play, deserves large portion of
commentator. Fred Berger has al
! ready scored an artistic success and II
the financial verdict when tine company
goes on the road rs as substantial
Washington plaVgoers will be the first
TO congratulate him again.
J. i. HiLDEBRAN