New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-10-17
LITTLE WOMEN"
Delightful Decentralization of
Louisa AICott'S Famous Book.
CAST FITS THE CHARACTERS
A Successful Entertainment,
Quite Out of Broadway's
Usual Line.

Usual Line.
Two or three generations OF Americans
have been brought up" on Louisa NJ. AL
colts story, Little Women" The char
acters in that book are quite as familiar
| to hundreds Of thousands Of our people
as are any characters OF Dickens or
Thackeray, and some of them are even
more dearly loved. But how many Of the
readers from the late COS down to the
present time ever guessed that a stage
play could be made out Of the experiences
OF Meg and 10 and Beth and Amy? Very
! few, 1t is safe TO say. And yet here
J comes a play. and a successful one-a
| really delightful one-made OF the very
material which was so livable and Iowa
BILE and entertaining in the book, but
| which probably not a bakers dozen OF
readers have. in nearly half a century.
dreamed OF as likely to hold an audience
| In theatre.
Last nights. audience at The Playhouse
enjoyed itself thoroughly and testified TO
the enjoyment by liberal laughter and
warm applause. 1t was an audience that
knew the book. Happy the manager who
discovered, or was willing to learn,
that they who know the book are
legion-a profitable public. The au-
| dience applauded the characters as
they came on. 1t did not applaud
the actors as they came on because,
with perhaps two exceptions. the act
ors were unknown in New York. But the
characters were known intimately. There
| were tho little women" and theirs were
| Mr.. and Mrs. March. and Aunt March,
and Mr.. Lawrence and Laurie, Professor
Bhaer. John Brook, and Hannah. just az
you've always known them, walking, talk
Ing, dressing. doing Just as you've always
known them to talk walk. dress and do.
All Of them were like the familiar portraits
In your favorite edition. and each actor
fitted into his part as II he were made for
1t and had never played anything else,
| and never expected TO play anything else.
They had, all OF them. always been the
March family and Their friends.
But how can play be made OF this?
Miss Jessie Bonstelle will have TO answer
that question. She seems TO be tho re-
sponsible person. for while Miss Marian
De Forest dramatist, dramatized the
book. Miss Bonstelle's seems to havo been
Brady said In a neat little speech, was
the directing mind. Miss Bonstele
staged" the play, selected the actors
and gave TO the piece the thousand littlo
touches that brought before us all that
simple, friendly, wholesome Concord
group In their habits as they lived. But
Miss De Forest must be credited with the
making OF better characterization" than
usually falls to books which arc selected
for stage plays. 1t ia clear that these
two women loved the book. as thousands
of others have loved II and remembered
II. They have made a delightful play
out OF what must have seemed TO many
theatrical persons a most unpromising
bundle OF material.
II is, OF course, this play, as Tar re-
moved as possible from what is supposed
10 be the current Broadway taste whlch
managers are believed 10 interpret with
faith and curious results. II is SO simple,
so untheatrical. that any one may pehe'e
easily enough the protector OF the enter
taipment had q good deal OF dimculty IN
persuading anybody 10 produce H. NO"
that II IN produced, everybody VIII won
der why Il was not done before. because
It is successful. Rather odd, too, that thls
simple, charming presentation OF Ne"
England life during and Immediately fol-
lowing the Civil War time. play With
out "a punch" should be seen In
theatre where the greatest SUCCESS has
been q play which was punched" all
over the stage. But from the COMPARE
son any one Is free to draw what deduc-
tons he may.
No play has been more appropriately
staged" Mr. Brady gives Miss Bon
ste,le the credit Few plays have been as
apNopriately acted. OF course, there are
no smashing dramatic moments; there
IS no emotional acting: there Is no
grip" no thrill; there Is nothing to
stir cheers from the spectators. And SO
Broadway" will be amazed again that a
quiet play a simple play OF incident ana
simple character, can succeed as this play
seems bound TO succeed II the impression
Il made last night means anything. Tell
ing the story in this column would be
like carrying another cargo OF coal 10
Newcastle.
There are four acts 10 the play, and all
the familiar characters are In them. They
result Is a highly pleasing entertainment.
The play depends good deal upon the
10 OF Miss Marie Pavey. IL she Is at
moments rather more vixenish than Miss
Alcott's 10 IL is only at moments. 10
had temper you remember. Miss Pa
vey and all the rest catch the spirit or
the famous story: all Of them look their
parts, and, as the saying goes, live them.
Every one who has read Little Women
will enjoy the play and performance, and
those who have not read 1t will find
pleasant evening awaiting them at The
Playhouse, II they do not demand
punch" in every play they see. and II
they can survive an occasion without VIII
lains, intrigues and comic relief"
A. w.
CAST OF LITTLE WOMEN"
Mr. March ......sss.-....... Lynn hammond
Mrs. March. .....'..'''''.. s.SerIude berkeley
Meg .........s.sr..'. .....s....... AHco BRADY
10 .............. NiaI's IbNey
/