The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-09-30
over the house In vert

table storm OF applause, George u.
Roebuck. Virginia's youngest dramat-
list. and probably the youngest play
wright who ever staged his first pro-
ductton. scored a personal triumph In
the presentation at the Academy OF
Music last night of Beatrice OF the
Cunberands."
In the right hand box, close to the
stage. sat Roebuck's widowed mother
and Miss Beatrice Woodworth. to
whom the play had been dedicated
both In name and spirit. and who, 1t
! Is whispered in loud accents, is young
Roebuck's main source OF inspiration.
In other boxes sat the Governor and
/, Mrs. Mann, Secretary Ben owen, the
Mayor and Mrs. Richardson and others
high UP In the social and business life
OF Richmond. The house was sold out
from top to bottom, from the peanut
gallery to the pit, and never in the
history OF the drama In Richmond
mas there peen more enthusiastic au-
| dience or more unqualified success.
No Seat for Author.
There was no seat even for the au-
/, thor or his manager, Leo Wise, ana
+, the playwright fitted about hither
/ a. yon, shaking hands with this man
and that, bowling to all the women
present, receiving congratulations from
| his mother and sweetheart and super
intending the passage OF big bouquets
to the heroine.
There were at least dozen curtain
| calls. and one accident. The accident
happened to George. AT the end of the
third act. when there was a perfect
volley Of applause from the pit and
boxes and whistling from the gallery
of the lesser gods, George went man
! fully forth to receive his just acclaim.
His &c ,v1, h{c
shirt. and his knees bent and rocked
as II he had the ague.
Trying to Speak.
/ Ladies and gentlemen" he began in
the accustomed manner. less than one
week ago another distinguished play
+, wright stood on the planks OF this
stage to hurl press stuff at you, and as
I occupy that spotlight for the mo-
ment seem to hear a murmur. rising
like the restless waves Of the sea,
signing and crying. Who's looney
| now?'
That other distinguished playwright
told you in burning, dazzling words
that he had written his masterpiece
Tor the moral uplift of the white race.
Believe me. kind friends. when I say
that ! did not write to uplift the
m oonshiners of the cumberlands. but
LOT the money-the coin-the dollars
/. Neutrality-suspicious. .-Kind friends
the"
Just then big balloon with a trail
Ing anchor passed over Georges head,
and. catching hold Of the rope he went
I clean up in the air.
George had forgotten the rest OF
AIS carefully prepared speech. but the
! audience didn't care. 1t made the
mouse ring, and George was called
/, back four times The third ana fourth
:, ZINES ne was accompanied by the real
! beatrice Shyly the two stood to-
Setner. winking and blinking in the
spotlight at the thousands of eyes up-
turned toward them. George shufIied
on one foot. then on the other, scraped
[ and bowed. and murmured a refrain
OF thanks the audience could not hear
/ for Its own cheers.
! The girl bowed, too. and looked
!, from under her eyelids at the boy who
| had made her famous In night as
modern Juliet in strange setting
its delight.
Cheers for the Couple.
Way back in the peanut gallery
some one yelled three cheers for
George and his girl" and the house
came down with hands and feet. yell
ing itself hoarse. The boy and girl
smiled family, and backed off the
stage They ran back to his mothers
box. where she greeted her boy with
tears yelling in her eyes.
The story of the play, like that
of most plays Of the kind. is older
than history. as old as the world 1T
self Through 1t runs the strain OF
love and romance. OF deep-dyed VIII
lainy and dark-laid plots and the sue
cess of the waiting lover, with the
usual denouement. Beatrice is left
an orphan in the Cumberlands. and Is
afterwards sent to a Masonic home
for orphans by young mountaineer
doctor who befriends her. AT the home
she meets and falls in love with one
OF the orphan boys, and for while
less youth. And while she is away the
villain tries to steal a vast mine to
which she has fallen heir. She re-
turns home to find the doctor still
waiting. The old love is revived: the
orphan boy RECEIVERS valuable papers
showing her rights to the mine. and
is wounded in the struggle with the
villain. AS the curtain is rung down
on the last act Beatrice lies fondled
in the arms of her happy lover, and
all is we'll. as 1t should be. AS Beatrice,
hiss Marie Anderson plays like a real
heroine, without the affection usual
In beginners. showing that she had
been well trained for a pretty difficult
part
Herbert Curtis the star.
Herbert Curtis as Billy Fields. "the
boy from the outer world" who goes
aastray because OF unrequited love and
redeems himself before the final fail
of the curtain. was. Of course, quite
at home. and the audience remembered
him as favorite son Of Richmond
when he first stepped before the foot
lights. "A. w. Follses, who. by the
way, Is brother OF the Common
wealth's Attorney. does well as Lash
Wright. Blly's chum. and shows up
better than an amateur.
None is better than Virginia Garden,
as Martha Leighton, mother Of DR..
Leighton, Beatrices early friend and
finally her husband, and she comes
nearer affecting the real style and man
nerisms Of the mountaineer than any
OF the others. And so one could 60
down the list and say Of all that they
are good and that each contributed
much to the success OF the play.
AT the end Of the second act the
house wanted a glimpse OF Roebuck on
the stage, and at Its clamor he was led
forth by Herbert Curtis, When the
people saw the beardless how who has \