The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1909-02-16
Theatres.

The store you have confidence in
Boyces.
Theatres.
CHESTNUT "ROSEMARY."
Rosemary" an enchanting romance
of middle-aged mans love, a comedy
of exquisite beauty, of manifold charms
and of deeply appealing qualities-a play
in which John Drew and Maud Adams
appeared as joint stars-will be revived
by the Orpheum Players at the Chestnut
Street Theatre, Philadelphia; this week. 1t
was written by Louis N Parker and Murray
Carson and was first presented at the
Lyceum Theatre, New York, by Mr..
Drew and Miss Adams, under the direc-
ton of Charles Frohman. BY special
arrangement with Mr.. Frohman, Manager
Laferty was enabled to procure the play
for production at the Chestnut. The
scenes are laid in England and the period
is that of the Coronation of Queen Vic
toria. 1t is in three acts and an epilogue
at the time of the Queens jubilee fifty
years later. The story opens with the
misadventures of two youthful lovers,
whose plan of elopement is rudely halted
by an accident Dorothy Cruiksbank,
daughter of Captain Cruiksbank, r. N,
has left the home of her parents to cast
her lot with William Westwood, manly
young ensign In the merchant marine.
They had not gone far when their chaise
broke down and the lovers found them
selves stranded in a pouring rain at night
on lonely country road. The accident
occurred near the entrance to the estate
of Sir Jaspar Thorndyke, a bachelor of
40, and here Sir Jaspar finds them hud
died under a large umbrella. He per-
suades them to partake of his hospitality,
and they are hardly through his gates
when Dorothy's parents. who have also
met with mishap, appear on the scene.
Sir Jaspar comes to love the girl, but
honor dictates that he shall cast out of
his mind the thoughts Of his own deep
love and aid in a reconciliation with her
lover, with whom she has quarreled.
Fifty years elapse before we come to the
epilogue Sir Jaspar is now 80 years old
All the other figures in the drama have
passed out of his life, and we find him
back in the old room where he had said
good-by to Dolly and where she had
pressed into his hands sprig of rose
mary. The Orpheum players may be
expected to give it beautiful and artistic
presentation. William Ingersoll will
play "Sir Jaspar" and Marion Barney
Dorothy"
FoRREsT-"THE MERRY WIDOW"
"The Merry Widow" which is still en-
joying record breaking popularity at the
Forrest Theatre, Philadelphia, entered
upon the last two weeks of the engage
ment last evening No musical produc-
tion has so completely entranced theatre
goers and crowds of Observation-Disclosures
from out of town as this dashing Viennese
operetta by Frank Lehar The announce.
ment of the approaching close of the
brilliant run here of this worldwide mu
steal success. so splendidly presented by
Henry w. SaYage's original New York
Company, will undoubtedly bring great
crush on the box office. There will be
week here of 1.-THE Merry Widow" an
extra holiday matinee being announced
for Monday, February %, Washington's
Birthday.
CHESTNUT STREET OPERA HOUSE.
1.-THE SERVANT IN THE HOUSE,"
"The Servant in the House, " presented
by the Henry Miller Associate Players,
including Edith Wynne Matthison, Tyrone
Power, Walter Hampden, Arthur Lewis
has just begun its first presentation In
Philadelphia at the Chestnut Street Opera
House. This event is of unusual impor-
lance as it brings to Philadelphia one of
the most phenomenally successful plays
of recent years with exactly the same cast
that made it famous. 1t will be seen here
just as given during its recent memorable
run at the Savoy Theatre, New York |
The metropolis, where 1t was played six |
months, and Chicago, where eager
audiences filed big theatre nightly, for
ten weeks, have declared it the finest |
dramatic work extant" Other cities |
have enthusiastically endorsed this |
opinion. That it is an epoch-making |
drama there is not the slightest doubt,
and all who are interested in the develop |
ment of the stage as well as those who |
love to sit under the spell of a heart |
play should not fail to see it. |
Erroneous impressions have been spread |
about the classification of "The Servant
in the House." 1t has been called an al |
legory, a miracle play and a religious |
drama This is probably because of the |
presence among the personae of Manson,
a man who walks before God and the |
world as spotless as the Christ, whom he
in appearance as we'll as charac-
ter. Manson, humbly but with dignity, |
enters house where discord reigns and
hatred is coming in from without. By |
his influence, indefnable yet all powerful. |
he brings order out of chaos, contentment /
out of misery and perfect faith from fear.
He is not superhuman nor is he myster-
ious. His potency is but result of the /
of that germ of Divinity latent |
in every man. With Manson this has
been developed until he is Christ-like.
1.-THE Servant in the House" does not
personify distractions; therefore 1t is not |
an allegory. In it nothing is accomplish
ed by supernatural agency; therefore it is
not a miracle play. 1t contains not
word of sermonizing aud nothing is put
forward with the palpable design of driv-
ing a moral; so 1t hardly can be called |
religious drama. 1t is drama of to-day |
whose characters in the main are the
ecclesiastical conditions. All, save Man |
son, are going thro' the furnace of bitter |
personal experience, which is hardening |
their hearts and warping their souls. Man
son long ago passed thro' the fire and
emerged purified with clear vision and
strong will SO, he is in a position to |
lead the others through safely. This he
does, he himself becoming the centre of
stirring and dramatic situations which for
force and destinations have never been
surpassed on the stage. Using no occult
nor incomprehensible means, he cleanses
hearts of hatred, takes the load from
burdened consciences, restores brother to
brother, father to child and Te-unites hus-
band and wife in a union of trust and
understanding such as they had never
known before. Matinees are on Wed
nesdays and Saturdays