The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1910-03-03
"The American Lord"


| From a North Dakota hotel to a
great estate in England is a far cry,
but these are the points to which the
audience is carried in THE American
Lord" which is soon to be presented
| in this city.
THE American Lord is a comedy
| in four acts, by George H. Broadhurst
and Charles T. Darcy, and the comedy
of the comedy is of the brightest,
most genuine and appealing variety.
The play tells the story of big-heart-
ed, hustling John Breuster, a North
Dakota hotel man, saturated with the
ways of the west and familiar with
the big things of that big country. He
can hold his own with the best of
'em in a friendly game of poker, and
what he doesn't know about ranching
and roping cattle and rounding up
horses is scarcely worth knowing.
| Breuster is popular in his neck o
| the woods, and the people of his poll
| teal party in that district are about
| to give voice to their appreciation by
nominating him for congress when he
| learns that he has become Lord Breu-
ster and is heir to a great estate in
England Breuster knows little Of the
real England, but he has met several
| remittance men, who have been sent
out to get a taste of ranch life in 'the
states, and he has formed no very
complimentary estimates of the Eng
| lish However, he decides to go to
England and claim his own.
| In his new home Breuster endeavors
| to impress his American way of do
| ing things upon the English, who stur
| Oily decline to be reformed He
| imagines he can teach them some
things about conducting an election
| in the tight little island" and he
wants to put electric lights in the viii
/ lage church; all, of course, to the
amazement of his neighbors. Life I'M
never dull and it is still further en-
livened by the arrival of a couple of
ranchmen from North Dakota, who
endeavor to get his promise to return
and "help the boys OUT in the APP
preaching election.
| Early in his life amid the new scenes
Breuster finds that with the estate he
has inherited a feud with the house of
of Wycherly, and the troubles incident
to this help to bring him almost to the
point of despair He is startled by
and by to discover that his daughter
loves the son of his hereditary enemy;
Lord Wycherly and next his son breaks
to his father the news that he is in
love with an English girl. To cap the
climax-not in self defense, but be-
cause he cannot help it-Breuster los
es his heart to a fascinating Irish
widow, Mrs. West brooke. From here
there is smoother sailing, and all ends
most happily for the american Lord
as it should.
The authors of the piece have
wrought out the play most artistical-
! ly. There are no dull lines; on the
contrary, it ripples and bubbles with
bright, scintillating lines and humor-
Gus incidents; and it is good and fresh
and Wholesome-a play that makes
one wish il would not reach the final
curtain so soon.
In the portrayal of the part of John
Breuster, Mr.. Charles B. Hanford, one
of the best known American actirs, is
particularly happy The part is as
manifestly suited to him as if the
play had been built around him, and
there is not moment when the audi
ence is not in thorough sympathy with
him.
Chief in Mr. Hanford's support is
Miss Marie Drofnah, a most engaging
and accomplished actress, who admir-
ably fills the role of Mrs. Westbrooke
in the play Other members of the
company are prominent in theatrical
circles, and the production is both
complete and adequate.
"rhe American Lcrd'' is the bill fol
Monday, March IA, at the Keylor Grand
Theatre.