The Washington times., 1910-11-08
NEW GIBSON PLAY
SEEN AT ACADEMY
Author Provides Some I'm
conscious Humor for
Society Folk.

Preston Gibson's drama OF contem-
porary social life" THE Turning Point,
had its Washington premiere at the
Academy last night.
A number Of society folk were pres
ent- The audience didn't lose many op-
portunities 10 show appreciation. When
Aline Anderson, betrothed 10 Fred Fer
guson for business reasons. clasps her
hands and groans, Il want to be with
real people-people with blood and
9earts and souls in their body" the
house rocked.
MI Gibson portrays the adventures OF
Brent Breckenridge, a young South
erner, easy going and without ambs-
ton. He has been forced to sell the
home Of his fathers TO Frederick Fer
gUson, who has been tipped of before
hand that coal abounds on the land.
However, the New York capitalist
obligingly overlooks the fact that there
Is no outlet 10 the coal lands except
through another piece Of Brecke nridge' S
properly until his money and that OF
a number OF his friends is sewed up in
the coal company which he immedi-
ately organized.
Gets Expert Opinion.
For a right Of way through this prop
erty he offers Breckenridge $1,000, which
Breckenridge first accepts and fifteen
minutes later, after having received a
great deal Of sage advice from a very
young lady, Aline Anderson, refuses 20
keep his verbal contract, which appears
10 be perfectly honorable.
The audience Is here tipped on by Mr..
Breckenridge, whose cardinal virtue is
not mOdesty, that this is the turning
point
In the meantime Fred Ferguson. the
villain. has been working overtime, and
besides telling Mrs. Pansy Parr some
naughty, naughty stories, has succeeded
in persuading little Barbara Byrd. a
pretty orphan with craze 10 see the
Great White Way, to accompany him
20 New York.
Breckenridge, having turned the point,
goes to New York. from his farm down
in Virginia, takes a number Of the
crafty lions OF Wall Street by the man
RIl- shakes the money out % their
pockets. lie organizes a coal comp"
and creates a furore In the financial
world
The Turning Point.
In the meantime. Aline Anderson, the
young lady who awakened Brecken-
ridge to his possibilities, and who Is
supposed 10 be desperately in love with
him. finds that her own money has
been tied up in the Ferguson Coal
Company without her knowledge Forth
with. upon the suggestions az heI
mother, she agrees 70 marry FeTgu-
son, thus adding another burden 10
that poor man, and 70 try 20 draw
wool over Breckenridge eyes TO tht
extent Of pcrsuading him 10 sell the
right Of way, which she had previous
~ advised him not 10 do. What made
them think that as the betrothed OF
Ferguson she was going 70 have more
influence in getting him 70 sell Il not
made clear Mr.. Breckenridge even
who is particularly aStute, could not
see II either and refused 20 sell
So. fooled at every turn, as a good
villain should be, Ferguson is lef- nc
resource but 10 borrow more money
from Mrs. Anderson. What good NOS
money is going TO do IS not clear eitn =
perhaps TO aeroplane the coal out -
these dear old mountains
But a little bird tells BrecEenridSV
and he comes and takes the money
Ferguson has Just borrowed from him.
and also makes him sign some papers
giving away most everything ne mas.
Tbis is what one gets for being a VII
lain.
When the curtain goes down on the
last act, Ferguson has dropped from
the game, probably out somewhere Try
ing to corral the price OF a sandWlch,
which seems like a poor reward aIIeT
having peddled most OF Mr. GIBSON s
cute little risque quips across the loot
lights.