The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-03-15
Otis Skinner in
 "Sire" Stirs Jaded
 Patrons of Theatre


 audience at the Park theatre last evening, Otis Skinner starring in the new comedy Sire" gave one of the most delightful performances it has been the good fortune of Bridgeport CTS to witness in many a moon. An ing company with every advantage of scenic appurtenance augmented the strikingly effective effort of the dis tinguished player. The play has been adapted from the original of Henri Lavedan by Louis N. Parker.
 Sire" tells a story of the French outbreak of 184S. Skinner portrays the role of an actor who is brought into 8 supposedly harmless scheme under which he becomes one of the many pseudo dauphins that overran France for many years. The scheme Doctor Cabat, the confidants of an elder gentle woman, Mile. de Saint Saibi In her childhood she met the dauphin, and her whole life, almost that of recluse. has been spent in the expectancy of his return and of advisers feel that just to see the exile king would restore what they believe is failing mentality, hence their plan.
 MT. Skinner's convincing persona- ton of Denis Roulette, the adven- turer-player will stand out in the
 
 when other stage pictures of the year grow dim. Denis is. thoroughly human actor, with the characteristic vanities, assurance and love of TO- nance of his ilk. He has seen others, those he knows have no claim upon success and fortune, forging ahead of him, and when this wonderful oppor- tunity of pandering to his self love presents itself, he cannot resist mak- ing the most of it. The aged gentle woman is brought into his presence, and with the consummate skill of the player. he deceives her thoroughly She pays him the most touching homage, and bids him welcome to her home, that he may be saved from further sufferings. The outlook is so bright that he overturns the plans of the abbey and the doctor, and decides to remain.
 Denis is first introduced in the home of tho gentlewoman as clock maker, for he is 8 jack of all trades.
 He strike, ,, up ,.ta irtatiOn sht t5on Y, with Il, the secret outside the trio who form ed the scheme. It is the discovery of the continuance of this f1irta ton that arouses the suspicious of the hostess. Yet Denis is not the rascal he might seem. While the harmless intrigue of the trio was under way, Denis in a of recklessness became a member of the revolutionary Red Hand.'' They discover him in hiding in the home. and demand his life, or cash. He refuses the money. The is followed by a touch ing appeal of the player for forgive ness, a scene in which Skinner shows the deeper character of the player. So effectively is the final scene work ed up that several curtain calls were demanded at the close of the play.
 The role of "Denis'' is somewhat lighter than the familiar characters with which theatre goers have come to associate MT. Skinner. It reveals him in a most favorable light. The part of Mile de Saint Silbi was play ed by Mabel Bert so that the pathos of the French woman became some thing palpable, and her f1eeting glimpses of hope for the dauphin's success carried their bangs of disap- pointment into the bosoms of the spectators. Izetta Jewel as ''Leonie' was seen to advantage Others in the cast included Margaret Sayre, Alice Gale, A. C.: Andrews. John Charles B. Wells, Edward Fielding, Arthur Row, Walter Scott, and Arthur Hyman.