The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-11-27
Peg O My Heart

Peg O. My Heart" is pretty, quiet
little play with some attractive lines,
n pretty love story, a spoiled daughter.
a conveutioually overdone mother, q
grotesque son. a horrid hypocrtte OF
a husband. some more good lines. a
realistic thunderstorm, which sends
thrills OF alarm up the spinal columns
of those who dodge The lightning (like
this writer doesl. and a plain. COM
monplace, everyday, lovabla Peg"
Also two commercially behavahle pet
dogs.
Aside from the thunderstorm.
which brought the two real actors In
the play together, everything went
off quietly. If one were disposed to
criticise the play 1t would be that
there was too little action. One stage
setting answers the purpose of the
author. or the playwright. or the pro-
Queer, whoever Is responsible One
month and one day is consumed in the
time of action.
Peg" Is the daughter OF the sister
of a member Of the British aristocracy.
The mother married an Irishman OF
lowly mein, or ancestry. or learning,
or whatever you may choose to call 1t
He went 10 New York from the bogs
OF the Emerald Isle; made a little
money In ways: spent II. brought up
his daughter in the fashion of the
middle classes. and taught her to take
care of herself. Then the mother
died. Not in the play. She has been
dead fifteen years before Peg Is In
troduced 10 the public. Her father
is, 10 Peg, the greatest man on earth.
But her wealthy uncle and her aunt,
who Is not wealthy, but who attempts
to keep cup Appearances, take little
consideration of the iowly father and
, his daughter in New York.
Then the wealthy uncle dies. He
falls 10 leave any of his worldly goods
to his sister, Mrs. Chichester. who
sadly needs it, for the purposes OF
keeping UP appearances and to hold
and TO have her son, Alaric. a sap
head, and her daughter, Ethel. before
the people as they had been held be-
fore. The will of the venerable uncle
leaves all his money to his riece. Peg
who is to be taken in charge by some
one, trained into the conventionalities
of the snobbish British arissocracy and
educated at the price OF Ave thousand
pounds, or something like that.
Peg reaches the home Of her aunt
and the aunt. much against the grain
and with the consent Of her two
worthy children, takes the girl In
hand so that the five thousand might
help to get things straight again
But what is the use going farther
into the plot. The esteemed daugh-
ter. Ethel. who has been carrying on
secret alliance with Mr.. Brent. a
married man and neighbor gets int
her senses, through the assistance OF
Peg, and the best actor in the cast
Lionel Glenister, who takes n fancy to
Peg from the start, consents TO the
dictates Of his heart, ana both Pes
and Jerry (Miss Blanch Hall and Mr.
Gienister). save the day
T. Jerome Lawler. as Brent. was q
little stiff and stacy. Probably con-
ceived the character that way. Looks
like a good actor. Vivian Gilbert. as
Alaric, had little to do but stand
around and be young man just
from college-like. No man just from
college with few exceptions) ever
stood around just that way.
Miss Alma Chester as Mrs. Chiches-
ter could improve some by unbendins
/ Just a wee bit.
But what is the use criticisIng? The
play has had its run in the big cities
and has made its impression. The