The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-03-23

HACKETT'S PLAY PLEASED.
Barre Opera House Filled "From Pit to
Dome" Last Night.

The stage version OF "A Grain Of
Dust" the last book which David Gra-
ham Phillips gave to the literary world
before he fell a victim to the assassin ;
bullet iust year ago, was presented
in the Barre opera house last evening
TO an audience, the size of which easily
shattered the record OF season Of good
houses Lewis f. Shipman has trans
formed the book into play OF superior
merit, and the company which presented
James X. Hackett was received with
acclaim
As an interpreter of sober roles, Mr..
Hackett possesses conceded ability and
last night he completely justified the
eager anticipation which awaited his
coming. His appearance in the piece
few moments after the opening of the
first act was the signal for an ovation;
his way was already won, and the
enthusiasm with which the aud ience fol-
lowed his acting did not relax As II
character study, the figure of Haekett,
the lawyer-amoroso, was OF course the
Ioftiest part OF the piece The star Of
his supremacy never perceptibly dimmed.
The playwright has displayed equal skill
in drawing his picture Of "the girl"
and after his conception Of Norman per-
haps his strongest claim to a knowledge
of his art is the quiet little blonde typist
Miss Dorothy Halowell In the ingenue
role was Miss Izetta Jewell, who last
season led with Otis skinner. Her de-
lineation Of a difficult character forbids
criticism
Next to tie stellar role accepted by
Mr.. Hackett is +. NJ Holland, one Of
the better known older actors on the
American stage His achievement in the
piece was notable one and almost all
of TIE comedy came from his naive act
ing. Frazer Coulter as Isaac Burroughs.
Frank Burbeck as Edward Lockyer,
Vaughan Trevor as Clayton Fitzhugh,
Charles Stedman as James Galloway,
were a quartet with scarcely less abil-
itv Fred A. Sullivan and Daniel Jar
rett, ir.. were among the less prominent
male members of the company, but their
work helped wonderfully in giving bal !
anee to the production.
In the lesser feminine roles were Olive I
Harper Thorne, who so gracefully rep
resented Mrs Clayton Fitzhugh, Anne /
Crewe as Josephine Burroughs. and Ma
bel lnslce whose accomplishments were
quite empha tically brought out in
small character part.
Frederick Norman" is a brilliant cor
poration lawyer. whose success in pro-
fessionaI way is equalled only by his
position in society. His engage
ment to Josephine Burroughs, society
leader and the daughter of Isaac Bur /
he Hsaa iai 70 ie Ysaf Haf
abruptly terminated when he finds that {
his little stenographer seems to have 4
stronger claim on his affections. At this /
point the remainder OF the piece is really
revealed Norman marries the stenog-
rapher, the two are presently reduced TO
straitened circumstances. and the young
wife ayes-temporarily. Harassed on
every side by Isaac Burroughs. the fa
ther of his erstwhile fiancee. Norman at
last is offered an opening and he is
soon able to welcome the day of reckon
ng for Burroughs Dorothy Hallowell,
he returning wife. arrives at the climax
10 interpose for the fnancier. and the re-
adjustment of home ties is at last
reached.
Mr.. Hackett and his company OF splen-
lid actors were repeatedly forcedSto re-
pond to curtain calls. The enthusiasm
vas genuine and no one went away eN
pressing regrets. A part of the house
vas filled with out-of-town thcatregoers
many coming from Montpeierand points
llong the Wells River road. To accom-
nodate these patrons, anumber of spe-
fal cars were waiting after the play
md the Green Mountain express was
leld over for an hour before leaving
or Wells River and Boston 1t was
,robably the biggest house since Mildred
Holland opened the theatre more than
dozen years ago.