Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-03-21
Columbia.

Miss Adelaide Thurston, who made her
first appearance before a Washington
audience in Miss Ananias," at the Co
lumbia Theater last evening. is q dainty
actress with personal charm and jealous
ability. She quickly won her way into
the hearts of an exceptionally good
house that did not hesitate to show its
appreciation, even though her efforts at
times seemed enlisted in a hopeless cause
OF the play great deal might be said.
If 1t were necessary. Messrs. Conan and
Harris, who have taken chances In a
great many dramatic ventures which
have brought them success, have as
sumed with Miss Ananias' perhaps one
of their greatest responsibilities. 1t
starts of well along usual lines and
leaves q pleasant impression and ex-
pectancy at the close Of the first act.
But as it progresses 1t becomes involved
in conflicting motives and sentiments. IL
is a ''farcial comedy" whose fun Is
made at the expense Of a blind man and
the feelings of sweet, min1stering
angel, who has unwittingly fallen In love
at thirty-three with man VINO mas
ideals Of nineteen. Had the author for
gotten that there ever was such thing
as a farce when she wrote Miss An
anias'' the play might have been pleas
ing and consistent story Of sentiment
The company must be credited with great
energy and industry. Each individual
member of the cast worked hard very
hard, and with more or less intelligent
discrimination.
Nancy Lyle. who in her ministrations
to others has sacrificed her own life
and its love story. is made, through an
automobile accident, which batters up
Paul Lester and leaves him temporarily
blind, to assume q new responsibility.
SO gentle is her touch. so sweet her voice
and manner, that her patient falls In love
with her and tells her so. But blunder-
ingly he imparts to her the fact that in
his blindness he conceives her to be blue
eyed, golden-haired and nineteen, when
in fact. her eyes and hair are dark and
her age thirty-three. The misfortune
him to force her into the deception that
she is just what he imagines she is.
Later he gives her to understand that
while he might overlook great faults in
a woman, he could never overlook a lie.
however inoffensive and harmless it
might be. Her quandary arises when his
sight returns. In her desperation she
masquerades not as Nancy. but as her
sister Ann, a spinster OF uncertain age.
AS such she wins his love away from
situations, which the author painfully
attempts to make ludicrous. he capitu-
:ates.
I'm addition to Miss Thurston's pleas
ing portrayal VI tne httie "oinaH "Hose
first love story seems almost tragic until
unwoven. three excellent character por-
trayals embellish the play. Marion Ker-
by. as Gwendoline Beekman, an over
grown tomboy Of dynamite energy and
laughable freshness: Laura Bennett, as
Nanny Chloe. an antebellum negro SER
want type, and Constance Glover. as Ann
Lyle. Nancy's sister, furnish pleasing
afterthoughts of the play. Augustus
Phillips, as Paul Lester. the man in the
story, lost none Of his possibilities while
A. S. Byron, as Mr.. Beekman. Nancy S
cousin; Eda Won Buelow, as his wife;
Henry Carlin. as julius. Nanny Chloe s
son, and Eric Francis. as AIMS fiance
and afterward husband. did the best
they could with their roles.