Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-06-04
At the TheaterS
"rhe Awakening OF Helena Richie'
at the Brnndeis.

"Ihe Awakening of Helena Richiev
at the Brnndeis.
Margaret Anglin and company in "The
Awakening Of Helena Richie" a play in
four acts, from the novel OF the same
name by Margaret Deland adapted by
Charlotte Thompson. The cast:
Martha king.........M Miss Sally Williams
Sarah :.......,,... Miss Gertrude Swiggett
Dr. William Hing\. ......M Mr.. Walter Howe
Dr Lavender ........ Mr.. John II. Crawford
Helena Richie. Miss AnRlin
sam Wright.....M Eugene Shakespeare
David Allison. Master Raymond HacRett
benjamin Wright."..M DIR. Halbert Brown
When Margaret Anglln broke away from
long association with Henry Miller; gave
over The Great Divide" and the promise
of other and easier roles in support of the
star, and announced her determination TO
produce The Awakening of Helena
Richie" and TO do other things on her own
hook, much waggng OF heads was engen-
dered and a great deal OF ink was spread
on paper to tell how well she might do as
a light comedy actor, but how far away
she was In temperament ami inclination
from the more serious drama When news
came back from Australia that she had
scored in her new play, more wagging of
heads and spreading of ink was INDUCED
by the quid nuncs. And finally she came
home to our shores, and for several months
she has been proving to Americans that
she has the capacity for earnest sincere,
purposeful dramatic work 1t may be that
her forte is for light comedy; Omaha has
not seen her often enough to Judge OF her
qualities in this regard. She surely pos
sesses the power for serious and authorita-
tive expression OF the deeper and stronger
passions that stir human life
AS Helena Richie she Is offering a type
of woman far to be preferred to those usu-
ally presented under similar circumstances
We have had long procession of those
fair ones who went "a-kenning wrang,"
and who were too weak to win back their
road to happiness by the only means
humanity possible.
Helena Richie found the way, and she
was given strength to follow it. Mrs.
Deland roresaw for her the calamity that
overlook Paula Tanqueray, and saved her
from 1t, not by any tour Of force, but
by the expedent open to Pinero or any
other creator of these puppets who are
moved about in the game of sex upon the
stage. But Pinero and his kind had not
the courage to adopt the one chance open.
Maybe the atmosphere Of Old Chester is
clearer than that of London, and for this
reason the ability to discern the choice be-
tween right and wrong is more readily ex-
ercised At any rate Helena is left at
last redeemed because she had the strength
to turn her back on the easiest way"
and set her feet on the stony path of right
Miss Anglin gives a fine idea of the
awakening" of the woman, showing how
her own sense of right and wrong was
finally adjusted till it met with the rather
narrow but eminently correct standard of
Old Chester and its mentor, the good DR..
Lavendar. She has some very strong
scenes. In fact the third act is fairly
tempestuous; Helena is called upon first
to renounce her lover and her chance for
marriage; then to make confession to the
old preacher, whose convictions would
admit of no compromise between self and
truth, to give up the boy she longed TO
adopt and for whom she had sent away
her lover; and finally to stand convicted
before her own conscience. 1t is a whirl-
wind of passion and emotion, and in 1t Miss
Anglin shows how much strength she really
commands. Not a passion is torn to tat
tiers, not an emotion is shrieked out in
gasping hysteria; no sofa pillows are tossed
about nor does the tide of sobbing disturb
the scenery. Here is an act that nine out
OF ten of our "emotional' actresses might
study with profit. Miss Anglin leaves not
a point untouched not a chord unsounded,
but all is done so reasonably that it seems
| real beyond imagination. Nor is it in this
alone she shows her art. In the lighter
passages she is equally good. Her joy at
the coming of her lover; her feverish eager
ness for his reply to her telegram; her bit
| ter disappointment when she finds he is
not as ready for the marriage as she, all
are parts of a we'll conceived and wrought
out character. Miss Anglin has justified
her own judgment when she deliberately
undertook to star" under her own man
| agement.
The supporting company is good. Mr..
Crouford is impressive at DR.. Lavender
and Mr.. Howe fully realizes the part of
| DR.. King. Mr.. Ormonde might leave a little
less of Pryor's intent apparent and not
! spoil the role. Mr.. Shakespeare acts Sam
Wright with commendable enthusiasm and
! taste, and Mr. Brown is strong as old
Benjamin Wright Miss Swiggett's Sarah
is perfectly conceived, and Miss Williams
gives most vigorous life to the uncompro-
| missing Martha. Little Raymond Hacketi
! is the Child actor" of the company, and
acts his role with such absence of self
consciousness as makes 1t one Of the many
-