The Detroit times., 1910-04-19
J. =. R.I LGoAI
DETROIT OPERA HOUSE.

Shylock upside down. or, rather, an
Y .nEtithesis of the famous Merchant OF
Venice, 2 Is THE House Next Door!
the current offering of the Detroit
Opera house. and Detroit's Hebrew
population turned out In force, Mon
day evening, to see the cleyerly
worked contrast between the gentle
charitable, intensely human Hebrew
and the snarling. bombastic, pessimis-
tic, Hebrew-hating English baronet
saved from being disgusting only by
the splendid art OF the English actor,
j. f. Dodson.
A male shrew, covering small
soul with his Haunted majesty oil
birth" Sir John Cotswold was pitt
ful figure throughout the play. OF shat
lowness, selfishness, unutterable con-
ceit and irascihility
The program calls il a comedy. pos
sibly In the same sense that the
Shakesperean comedies are named, In
that calls we'll that ends well" Which,
in this case, goes only so far as to
make the almost bestial baronet,
show some signs of humanity, before
the last curtain falls.
Ulrica Cotswold. his daughter.
splendidly played by stunning Olive
Temple, best Illustrated the pathos
and the humor of the situation in her
plea to her brother: Please don't
anger him. We have enough trouble
with him when everything goes
smoothly" Nothing went right with
Sir John. He whined and snarled
and stoTmed necessarily. at his tremo-
ling wife and daughter and butler. alb
ject slaves TO a tyranical old fossil.
Everything was too hot or too cold.
too stale or too fresh, TOO sweet, or
"bitter-bitter.
He squandered his fortune, mort
gagged his estates TO the money lend.
ers. and cursed them for loanlng him
the money. He rallied and stormed
az his son, for becoming an operate
star. ito sing for every cobDler's
clerk who has six shillings." in order
IN save his mother and sister from
being thrown into the streets.
But, bitterest of all. he hated al
Hebrews.
England is a small body of land
surrounded on every side by Jews,
he snarled
Sir Isaac jacobson he hated in
particular. For Sir Isaac descended
in a howell on the Cotswold estate. had
become a merchant prince; had been
krighted. had bought up the Cotswold
mortgages, and lived on the estate,
next door to Sir John.
His children and Sir Johns chill
dren fall In love, and their romance,
surviving insults and revilings by Sir
John, finally heals the breach.
IL Ian t, sth.x
charity. OF high ideals, and possessed
OF a retiring nature and a wonderful
courtesy, which allow him to deal
with Sir Johns idiotic rawlings. as an
all-wise parent would deal with a
cross, irresponsible child.
The curtain falls with Sir John.
finally recognizing Sir Isaac's splendid
attributes, and following his wife, his
daughter and his son, To The House
Next Door"
Miss Ruth Chester, as LADY Cots
void gave a heart-touching portrayal
OF the patient, sorely-tried wife Of the
tyrant; Frank Losee, as Sir Isaac,
shared the honors with Mr.. Dodson,
rising to powerful part with n ease
and grace that was distinct pleasure
To the audience.
Miss Lorena Atwood. as Lady Jacob
son. typical parvenu WIS all that
could be desired in the part Regan
Hughston played the part of the Jacob
son heir, and Miss Fania Marinoff
was the daughter. j. Malcolm Dunn
Played Cecil Cotswold. in love with |
Miss Jacobson.
w. n. Sans, as a British cad, de- |
sorting the sinking ship Of the Cots |
wolds and adopting" the jacobson |
family. was an all too-true picture. |
Herbert Standing. as a music hall
agent. interjected most OF the real !
comedy into the piece