The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-03-06
Amusen1ents
Ion. pr.u It lie Gre.A.

At laat John Drew has the right ve. hicle Not that he hasn't had Q mos' pleasing play each time he has ap' peared In Montgomery. but heretofore l it has been simply witty lines. some. | times forced wit, to set on to the oes' advantage what has oft times been styled as Mir. Drew's "characteristicei' ly correct manners and mannerisms w. Somersft Maugham, an English playwright, has supplied Mr' Drew with a play of real comedy It fs light plot, but 1t is easily and enter tainingly told, with no forced striving after lines that are witty and bright in themselves. The situations are full of originality and ingenuity. and sa- tire ever. and anon lends edge to the other side of the perfectly balanced sword of wit. r. % ,
 snobs and especially society snobs. have always been fair game for the shafts of the satirist. The man or the woman, who apes the manners and customs of the class above is always amusing. MT. Vaughan seems to have realized to the fullest the dramatic possibilities of such, . person while Mir. Drew takes adm irable advantage of every situation supplied by the clever author.
 So clean and polished are the lines OI Lne QI9y 5bpch Ah06y eASNt VI ~N~ Grand that the person who harps upon the immortality of the stage at the present time could In no place find a word, line, or insinuated meaning upon which he could successfully base an adverse criticism.
 The story in brief is: Jack Straw (John Drew) Is seen as a waiter in the Grand Hotel In London, and In order to teach family distinctly parvenu lesson, takes the part of the Prince of Pomerania, which he really Is, and Is introduced to the nouveau riche family. They, mother. father and son. are tickled to death with the idea of meeting a real prince and the mother (Rose Cogfilan) immediately throws her beautiful daughter at his head. In the midst of a big party the supposed bogus prince is denounced by the per- petrators of the. supposed practical joke, and the complications. follow swiftly and merrily. Of course Jack Straw Is the real Prince of Pomerania. and has won the love of the beautiful daughter of the parwenu family. .t
 MT. Drew has discarded c large per cent of his former mannerisms in his new play. and surprised his audience by his admirable presentation of real comedy. His former stiff, aloof man nsr, h!s stud!onsiy cultivated air of c0ndeScenSlon,' were LotaAy ADsent lAHi night. He laughed where, he formerly smiled in his "characteristically cor xsct" manner--in short he was an en- tirely different John Drew. but withal an infinitely more pleasing one.
 It is star cast with which Mfr. Drew has surrounded himself. Not a weak actor on the whole programs fact in itself worthy of comment. To Rose Coghlan must be given much praise zor last nights delightful two and half hours of merriment. Miss Coghlan's voice. her facial expressions were excrueiatingly funny. It Is i'm possible to imagine the role of Mrs Parker Jennings In more capable hands than Mss Coghlan's. Hersreading left nothing to, be desired in any of the situations. ....
 Mary Roland, famed the country over for her beauty, helped draw the ca- pacity house which greeted Mir. Drew Friday night. Tn comparison. her role Is insignificant. but lacking the oppor- tunity of her principals. Miss Roland left nothing whatever ito be desired In her presentation of the role of Ethel Jennings.
 Every member of the cast should re- ceive most credltabie mention. as they played to the fullest the possibilities given them by the author of the play
 The next attraction at the Grand will be The Man of the Hour" to be seen on Monday night.