The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-12-24
Thomas E. Shea
Seen at Bijou
in Modern Play

Thomas e. Shea. who appears III
repertoire at the BiJou theateF a. the
week attraction, opened tn1fE
engagement last evening with the pre-
sentation of "A Man and His VITA
4 well staged and fairly well acEE4
play of modern New York life.
Thomas E. Shea is an actor far ara
q bove any Of those who have appears
ed at the BUou during the prasene
season. His work last night WAS ~ j
the first order, and he handled ht9
lines with an ability that won th6
feartiest approval from the house. He
Is a master of emotional art and
drives home his scenes and ciinAxDe
with great force. Even as an f0dt-A
vidual attraction ne should be able
to draw many 10 the theater duftng
the present week. and, with the a11
OF his supporting company. he shctad
crowd the house certainly on th09e
days when Il Man and Ills Wife =
billed.
The company supporting Mr.. Shea
is In many respects excellent. WI
liam Dickermar. who appears only In
the final act as Jim Mendail. this hafo
of Seth Clarks's earlier days. deserves
All the praise that can be given him
for his work. Although his part n
short, it is good one, and the &c
tor probably received hand second
only TO that given Shea
Jack Armory, as Seth Clarke, W9s
good from the first and was accorded
an excellent hand. So also was James
J. Cassidy, as Charles Langley. end
". Lee Nichols, as Samuel GriSnL
But three women appeared In sA1
cast and one OF these had o very minor
part Miss Pearle Ford. as the E3tA~2
49, a.
ease and natusalness.
"A Man and His Wife," adveytinoA
as play of modern New York. deale
with the life Of a broker of that eiky.
Benjamin Clarke Thomas E. ah&At
is a self made man and finally mar
ries the daughter OF the man who:
made him and whom he later saves
from financial ruin.
or course there is the interloper
who. to break up the home. plots the
ruin OF the brokers' bank and his f0r~s
tune. He succeeds In causing 4 Sens
on the bank, but the broker npAn-I
ages 10 save some other stock 1t0S9
the ruins and this serves to ~ u
foundation for future success. Al Tie
crisis, when things have apparentlys
gone black before him, his wife ard
he are separated. The interi0p4Ts
through the persistency Of dek1D~|
tive and the wtfs. La finally bfouGAt
to book and the family IL reunited.
None of the scenery Is spectaGu3Ax
or gorgeous. but Il 10 true and in ke91s
ing with the settings which II o.
picts.
"a Man and His Wife" will ~
the attraction at the Bitou thsAser
Tuesday night, Tuesday, Weduat6ay
and Saturday matinee.
At the Empire.
Truly. the Empire has again styu44
it's stride. the stride that marked tA9
opening just one year ago this weA1s
the stride SO long and conststeutlx
maintained, made to shine out re-
splendently with over Night IN BCS-
ton" and now spurred tc its faStess
with The TiMc, the Place and the
Girl" 1t is certain that the newest
OF the musical comedy offerings thak
opened yesterday al this theater rn4de
good with vengeance before Arto
crowds, indeed immense crowds, when
the nature Of the weather yesterday
Is considered.
Those who saw The Time, the
Place and the Girl at the academy
need not be reminded that X carries
story, that really takes in the best
elements of Seven Days and, THO
! Meier Do Weil'' and 1t III but fair n
remark that both OF these stortee
became popular after The Time, The
Place and the Girl had displayed ~
attartciveness in nearly every Af10
city IN this country. And again, tAN
principals In this latest Offering are
artists beyond the peradventufo Of y
doubt, artists whose sphere Of wCek
need not be confined to musical cCEAs
edy, for, Jack Roche, Jessee A0N4-
ton. Theodore Rock, Alieyn MoryaSons
and. Jack MCGOWAN would 1T WAte
into the principal parts Of especially
any light comedy production.
Principal among the notable 4M6
| commendable features of the xh00
was hrst its snapplness. another NUM-
Der or portion OF the story being -
vealed before the audience fully ro4fs
ICED the first had concluded and ~
about interrupting newer scenes ~
| applause OF the earlier. Not 0fteus
| especially In musical comedy. dos "a
audience applaud the entrance Of 4
performer in q later scene OF the GAuA1
piece, and yet this is what was 0cD0
more than once last night. Mr.. R0chA,
Miss Houston and Miss Morrison -
| ing the favored ones. N
Such evidence of the popularity ~
| taAncQ Wy AuS ahGsAS as well ~
apparent favorable reception of tn6
musical comedietta speaks highly o.
| its value. Jack Reches splendid p6ks
| s0nality. hts clean-cut manner AN1
method, and hts excellent vocal ~
tainments made him stand out clamfS
| ~, as did the p-attiness. the dash ~
the SURPRISING work OF Miss HOuae6
Theodore Rock gave an exeellont tJ3s
personation Of the wealthy rUtif0G
farmer, Miss Morrison was the np01I
captivating of head nurse girls. an4
Jack MCGOWAN was the 'nesef ~
welP' to the life. 2
The song hits were many. The -
was undoubtedly The Hold Up Ho4e
ian interpolated number, betweAn 40
second and third scenes, sung w 31
MCGOWAN and acted out by the pe0e88
girls Others Of the tunafui ooy
numbers were Thursdays My I014
Day" which strain runs all throQ13
CONTINUED on Sixth PAgesl sgs3ss
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