The Washington times., 1910-01-04
kyrle Bellew Scores Hit in.
Role of Builder of
Bridges. "

IN this era Of problem plays it is re-
treshing to see a simple drama where
I everything goes Just as one would have
Il go, and the hero of the piece, after
many trials and tribulatiOns. wins the
girl and all ends happily. All this hap
pens IN The Builder Of Bridges" which
made its initial appearance at the Ma
tlonal last night, with KyrIe Bellew as
the builder
While this latest production from the
versatile pen Of Alfred Sutro lacks the
/ strong dramatic construction Of The
Walls OF Jericho" and others of is Xix,
there IS much TO commend and little TO
ind fault with in II and a more whole
some, pleasing play mas not been seen
in the Capital for many a day. That
this was the verdict of the first night
ers was shown by the insistent applause
THAI was given not only the star, but
time and again 10 the least important
members OF the cast. The play Is writ
ten with a painstakIng care for details
and each situation seems the logical
outcome Of preceding Incidents
There is just enough novelty in the
plot 20 give it unusual Interest, but the
author must have felt kindly toward the
world when he wrote the play. There is
something a bit homogeneous about a
Cirl, who could cOld-blOOdedIy play with
d good mans love for an crTing broth
er. developing into a true, lOvable wo-
man and this brother a confessed thief,
who hid behind his sisters skirts, show
ing manhood enough 10 confess his
crime rather than see her forfeit her
happiness but the author manages 10
make 10 all appear reasonable and de
veirps the theory that no man Is ali
Plays Serious Side
The serious side Of the play is light
ened by more than occasional humor
and the quaint philosophy or Mrs. Deb
ney IS but a small part Of the clever
lines The story Is that OF a girl who
is willing 10 sacrifice all to save her
brother from the consequences Of a
slip made in moment Of madness
when, possessed by the gambling fever,
he uses d -trifiug" three thousand
pounds OF SO that belonged 70 his en-
pIoyer- The sister, when she learned
OF the threatened exposure, appeals TO
the man she Is 10 marry 20 help them
out he. a coo headed business man
with small capital declines TO turn over
his small fortune and 90 into debt be-
sides. explaining that mis- love fO- her
viii not allow him to make the saCri-
fee
Now this reasoning rather appeals 10
the average American but not 20 the
girl. who Fs5rCvinE that The Builder OF
Bridges her br0cher's immediate super
making him love her with the sole pur-
pose % using him and then throwing
him aside with never thought Ot
not finally marrying her iIaDce- in the
end she falls in love with the man who
saves Eer brother. and --e discarded
lover instead OF ravlDg as one had been
led 10 suspect, takes Il rather calmly
and sideStepS. so that Il isn't so hard
after all FOR the author - make every
body happy except Pos. 7ly TIE two
confirmed old bachelors, : Henry and
Peter Holland
Bellew In Pleasing Role.
As Edward ThursfeId- BeIlew had
pleasing role A wholesome. big-heaTt-
ed man. whose life has been spent in7
the open. wrestling with big problems
that engineers face brought face 10
face for the first time in his life with
love. ne gives all and asks little His
portrayal OF the part IS Just " nat one
would expect of Kyrle BeIIew- Polished
and easy and with the same stage ap-
pesrauce that has long made him an
IDOL. ne slips into the part with the
same lack Of effort that ne has always
shown
In GLADYS Hanson he has p capable
leading woman. Despite the fact that
r5Ie character she takes r. one that
even. If not Tepulsive. Is one not attraC-
tive TO lovers Of fair play. she makes
Dorothy FaTinEay appear IN the best
posi- bic light II fault be found with
her work il would lie in tEo fact that
she does not make one realize what 2
naughty. naughty girl Dorothy is Mss
Hanson Is tail and statuesque. with a
delightful voice and a charming smile
and in the main takes advantage Of
every opportunity
The rest of the cast, and it contains
such an array as Mrs Thomas White, {
Dewitt c. jenkins Frank COnuOr- and
Ernest StaEaTd- are not IaEGirEE. -r
say the least for them and their good
work plays an unusually large par il
2 Of h
The fact that the play is a hit too much
on the fairy tale order, with Sacrifices
made 10 bring things 10 a happy end
ing, the audience had no fault 20 find. I
N. Il N