The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1911-05-16
THE STAGE
DETROIT OPERA HOUSE.

a
The lure 10 a man OF soit-'in va
<hIffons, pretuly dressed nair ana
frivollty as opposed to frowsiness anu
heavy sense OF duty, 10 the hsu
mcnt put up In the little domesuS
lnnxle. women In and out OF Inc fea'
cock and the Goose" which Miss Hen
rictta Crosman presented Monday
@vening. IN the Detroit opera mouse.
IA a BIT of craftsmanship for the
stage. the play has about as much
Weight as the aforesaid ehinons. IL
n "goosey play dressed In the me
feathers OF the strutting, shrillvoiceu
bird named In It's title.
Miss Crosman Is a delightful actress
+ no matter what her surroundings. She
IS attractive TO look upon, Win
s gracious and lovely womanhod that
ernbodies beauty of face and FORM
grace OF movement, musician voice
and a thorough command or the teen
mic OF the stage. Miss Crosman Is
ripened player whose natural glIts
have been developed TO highest per-
fection through brains and experience.
She has q charming comedy touch
and knows Just what and how TO ex-
ercise those essentially feminine at
tributes that appeal to the pubic
over and above all the finesse oil the
artistic.
THE Peacock and the Goose was
written by woman, its principal char-
acters are two women. and II Is COM
pletely a woman's play. An amusing
incident OF its progress was the atten-
tion and outbursts of applause that
came from q middle-aged woman in an
upper box who loudly applauded the
goose" and did not at all approve
OF the perfidious utterances OF the
s-peacock," anent the value OF good
clothes and a wholesale supply or
good palship" in the game Of holding
husband When the Goose declared
she would never forsake her two chill
dren and her housekeeping TO run
after her husband with her best frock
on and tennis racket in her hand
he was a tennis enthusiast--the lady
IN the box clapped her approval with
might and main, while the rest or the
audience laughed immoderately.
The Peacock and the Goose has
another feminine attribute in that IL
talks too much Ii talks and talks
without saying very much after all.
There are two small children OF len
FAINT terrible class, and, like the talk,
there Is altogether too much OF the
Youngsters in the three acts OF the
play. OF course, their presence gives
opportunity for several pretty pic
lures on sofas and in the middle OF
the floor, and for the utterance VI
much precocions patter, but even
with doting papas and mammas and
pleasant old parties who love chill
1ren. there comes a limit to the en-
durance of their childish presence.
ii II were not for the joyeusness
with which Miss Crosman enacts the
part of the Peacock IL is likely dis
aster would have o'ertaken both
birds early in their stage career; She
plays the role OF wealthy widow
who comes to visit younger sister
whom she has not seen in seven
years. She finds this sister devot-
"a wife and mother but one who no
longer cares for her pretty frocks,
her tennis or anything In fact out
eide OF humdrum domesticity. Hub
|by likes all sorts Of amusements, es-
pecially tennis and pretty girls, SO
Roes philandering with sweet young
thing who lives in the next house.
Sister Jess learns OF the situation
few minutes after her arrival and as
she Is nothing II not 'bossy" and re-
noorceful, and starts right In 10
bring her sister to her senses. She
ocrtainly accomplishes this and also
1nde herself second husband in an
old sweetheart who bobs up at the
right time again.
Throughout the three acts OF the
play there Is much to amuse, II not
70 stimulate, and, despite the pres
once of "the other woman or In this
instance called ''the understudy,
there Is not the slightest deviation
rom the path of domestic rectitude.
II IS all clean and pure II somewhat
dull and uninteresting.
In her support Miss Crosman has
the services Of Miss Claire Colweli
Is the goose; Miss Fay Wheeler, as
fhe 'sunderstudy;" Wedgwood NOVEL;
a. the husband; Albert Brown as the
old beau" Mac Macomber and Al
1ene Morrison, as the children.
The engagement is for the week,
Win q matinee, Wednesday and Sat
.urday. This Miss Crosmans engage
|nenf will close the regular season
the Detroit opera house. Members
the Friars' club Of New York VIII
one performance in the theater
in June.
ELLA NAE HAWTHORNE.