The Washington herald., 1910-09-27
THE NATIONAL.
.Your Humble seVsant."


night at the National Theater before a
large and highly appreciative audience
in the play by Booth Harrington and
Harry Leon Wilson. Your Humble Ser
want" II was a triumphant return TO
Washington for Mr.. Skinner. and Il was
an evening OF utter enjoyment, much APP
plause, many curtain calls, and speech
from the star. big success for Mr..
Skinner and his fine company; treat
10 Washington theater goers.
II has been the privilege OF the writer
OF this TO have followed the career OF
Mr.. Otis Skinner back over more years
than he cares to mention. Tragedy. ro-
mantle drama, comedy, poetic drama,
Shakespeare; but he has never seen Mr..
Skinner IN a better vehicle than this
one that suited him. temperamentally,
more perfectly. nor one that appealed 10
the hearts Of his audience with such
tense human and likable appeal as this.
Much OF the enjoyment of the play Is
due 10 the clever work OF its authors.
That is undoubted. And yet, II Is not
detracting from the marked ability they
have displayed, the clever eharcteriza-
tons they have Imagined. or the won
derful situations they have devised. TO
say that IL can easily be seen that IN the
hands Of a less genuine and sincere artist
than Mr. Skinner the play might easily
have fallen short OF The marked success
II has achieved
''Your Humble Servant tells a very
simple story 1t is a story that centers
about the career OF Lafayette Towers,
an optimistic actor. Before the play
opens he has been touring in Texas
when two OF his associates die OF the
yellow fever, leaving their child daugh-
ter 10 his care. He Is father mother,
guardian Instructor 10 her. He is not
an educated man. He is OF that type OF
actor that has so often been burlesqued
on the stage but he is genuine and his
love for Margaret bruce is genuine, I'M
selfish. true-perfect. When the play
opens Lafayette Towers is heading a
company that is playing a small country
town. The sheriff is in possession. for
they have been doing badly and tonight
they have their first real audience that
pays. With the company is a young lad
who has run away from college. Dick
Prentice. who has fallen in love with
Margaret In spite OF their financial
troubles they tell OF their engagement 70
Lafayette and-though IL wrenches him 10
the soul-he lcongratulates them heartily
and prays they may be happy. Dicks
father turns up and begs him to come
back 10 luxury and happiness: berates
the strOllers as vagabonds-as indeed they
h kr.t ~,
ager absconds with the funds and La
fayette. Margaret. and Dick IN motley
costume have 10 make their hungry way
back 10 New York on a canal boat
IN New York they are still living to-
gether. Each has got some small engage
ment. But Margaret had TO give up hers
because the juggler she was assisting
made love 10 her, Lafayette gets fred
because he overplays his small part.
There IS some bitter recrimination; much
regret on the part OF Dick ar the situation
in which he finds himself. and by a trick
Margaret succeeds IN making him 20
back 10 his father.
The third act shows the house OF Dicks
father, and by a strange chance Lafay-
cite Towers and his ward are engaged, in
common with lot OF other artists, TO do
vaudeville turn 10 entertain the guests
Thus Dick meets Margaret again. Again
he wants TO leave his fathers house for
her. but she. 10 save him from himself
and believing that he is only dazzled and
does not really love her. tells him, In
front OF Lafayette. that she loves her
guardian, and so Dick leaves her again
Then IL Is that poor Lafayette believes
that Margaret has been speaking the
truth about her love for him, and so he
dares 70 speak the secret he has held in
his heart so long. She does not love him:
tells him she was only pretending so rs
20 send Dick away. and when the actor
realizes what she means he falls In with
her mood Just TO save her pain.
Il thought Dick was still listening" he
says. Il overplayed myself again"
But II is with breaking heart he says
II.
The last act shows Margaret's dressing
room al the Manhattan Theater. II Is
the night OF her triumph as a star. Her
success is undoubted. No one congrat
ulates her more heartily or more sin
cerely than Lafayette, but he feels now
that HIS work is done. To stay In New
York would hamper her future career.
and so he announces that he has secured
an engagement and is OFF on the road to-
morrow. BIT by bit the child he has
reared and guarded so carefully comes
to see what It will mean 10 her II La
fayette should go. Bombastic theatrical.
egoustieal, irresponsible no may be. but
he has been her all. And so, at thu last.
in most touching and beautiful scene.
beautifully acted, she brings herself 10
hin-her success. her beauty and her
love
The character OF Lafayette Towers is. n
wonderful one II IS its fine human quail
ity that so touches one with its kinship
20 nature. It has about II something
strikingly Dickensesque-there Is some
or the 0embast Of Vincent Crummles:
more than hint Of Mr.. Micawber; much
OF the flavor Of our old Dick swivelIer
But it is touched. too. with an American
quality which tones all these qualities
and blends them into a new Individuality
hkable; an individuality that appeals 10 |
the best instinct.
And how Mr., Skinner does play itl |
That wonderful voice Of his with Gre !
resonant timbre that can at one moment
move you to laughter the next win YOU
TO tears. He did both last night. but
the smiles that he won from the audi |
enee We're smiles Of happy sympathy: |
the tears were tears OF heartfelt retoic- |
Ing that love does indeed triumph. that
justice reigns and shall endure
And with Il all Mr. Skinner invested
the part with such a fine air of vaga- |