The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-03-31
GREAT ENGLISH ACTOR
Forbes Robertson, in "The Passing of
 the Third Floor Back"

Forbes Robertson. the foremost English actor of his day, will pay a welcome visit to the Jefferson theatre Wednesday mat inee and night. His appearance will he doubly welcome for the fact that he brings as his offering The Passing of the Third Floor Back" This play of noble purpose has attracted the whole hearted attention of English and American audiences these last three seasons, and the art of Forbes Robertson is sure in this city to evoke the gentle spirit it has laid upon the au- diences elsewhere.
 Forbes Robertson will have the splendid support of very capable company of specially imported English players and the combination goes to make the enter tainment a splendid one-eleyating, anus ing. pleasing.
 Symbolically inclined, '"The Passing of the Third Floor Back is an exquisite piece of dramatic writing. Conceived by Jerome K Jerome and Nisualized by Forbes Robertson, the play has worked itself into the averredly callous hearts of a ,nflich maligned body of theatre goers. It may be characterized as realistic "Servant in the House." but its execution has been accomplished with greater and more convincing finesse. The servant Tn the House" held you. 'The Passing of the Third Floor Back" wins you. Appreciate the distinction?
 The former relied on force, the latter on sympathy and love The play tells the story of a group of ill-tempered, lying, cheating persons, who are schemng out their lives in an English rooming place. The color tone of the band of humanity is unpleasant yellow and green shaoes of cowardice, jaundice, jealousy and trick cry. Among them comes a stranger, n white light of genteness, kindness and sympathy. He is regarded at first with suspicion He is so different. Then grad ually he insnuates the calm glow of his personality into each of them one by one, until he has brought out the best qualities in each. The grasping landlady becomes unselhsh and solctous for the wants of her hoarders; the slavey drags her skirts this side of the turing sands of immoral- ty; the painted woman realizes the power of her real narthcial self; the crook sniffs the pleasant fragrance Of honesty, and their fellows learn the value of the good that has been dormant within tn lem. Where there once %vas turmoil there now prevails contentment. and as the strangg. his mission done. slowly passes out of the door into the world beyond there streams through the opening the light of peace.
 A critic says: "A play such as this is an honor to any stage. It works while 1t en- tertains. Its moral is easily taken, sugar coated as it is with a very real interest. Forbes Robertson invests the leading character with a nicely realized spiritual air that obviates any necessity to resort to the 'artifice of make up to render 1t compelling The casting of the othcr . characters is well nigh perfect All in all 1t may be said that fThe Passing of the . Third Floor Back" is a play for both 1 church goers and people who never go to church. The latter class will. no doubt, like it as much. if not more than the former. Although this popular play is now nearing its 2000th performance, nc cessation is evident in the interest shown
 t"Everyones should see this great per formance without tedious moment in it. without a. false or superhuous motion in 1t. without a.wasted word or a meaning less glance: see it. following every line and gesture with unahated interest and then go and see 1t again, so that its many charms will unfold themselves all to you After that go again. get a seat far in front. if you can. and watch the effect on the audience. for that, too. is a study wortE while. You will see a smile spread ing from floor to roof and a smile that is not strained-a smile that does. not come from the hateful devices of writers and actors angling painfully for laughs. fai spreading smile. manifestlN such luxury that the smilers do not break it for ID. plause. which is usually withheld unt. the curtain quietly marks the end of the presentations. One would fain leave 'ht theatre a different being altogether after having seen this fine play and the nobl' Impression it makes is a lasting memory of gentle beauty"