The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1913-12-11
FRIARS MAKE A
DECIDED HIT
"Virginir Rose" is Heartily
Lauded as a Strong Play
Well Executed"


messed by a large and appreciative
audience last Friday night at the
opera house, and is now receiving
the high need of praise which it de-
serves in the public comments which
are being made. The ticket receipts
were something over $173, and this
in the face of the fact that large
number of our citizens were at the
stock show and there was important
lodge work on that drew heavily
from the patronage.
There has never been as fine stage
settings nor as much dramatic talent
Grangeville in the past six years as
was shown in the rendering of this
touching southern play. The only crit
icism that could be offered was in
the "short weight" of the humorous
features, which the local theatre-goers
seem greatly to take to; and the fact
that the troupe made a decided sue
cess of the play with limited amount
of this demanded feature, only en-
phasises the players clear conception
of the parts and the superior manner
of interpreting the same. The stage
settings were planned and executed
by the players, Merrs. Chas. and q.
B. Parsons and Ivor Higgs being
largely responsible for the same.
The play daels largely with the ne
gro question; also the liquor ques-
tion as related to him; the race pre-
judice and the brutal negro assaults
and the meeting out of summary JUS
tice to him for the act. All of
which are brought out and discussed
from both sides.
The play opened on typical south
ern home scene, with the green sward
in front, a large lifelike oak tree to
the right, oleanders and Towering
shrubs in profusion and the full moon
rising and lighting up the beautiful
scene with it's silvery rays, while
broad white steps led down from the
large residence to the lawn. The
lights were SO arranged that the full
effect of this moonlight scene was
had, and only the low strains of the
piano were heard for a minute or so.
1t was very impressive and brought
murmurs of appreciation from the
audience. The second scene showed
the interior of Gov. Phil Rockwell's g
cnn6-
ing up such realistic flames that you
could almost hear the crackle and
feel the warmth 1t sent FORTH The
audience was kept guessing how this
was accomplished and the generally
pleasing effects brought about.
The play is of such a character
that it's success depended solely upon
the dramatic ability displayed by the
actors, there being love, pathos, trag-
edy, so interviewer as to require al
most constant nerve tension to the
close of the last act.
Director Walt Bunnell in the char
acter of Lyons, the distiller and cous,
in of Governor Rockwell, set forth
In a most effective manner the ends
to which the political machine
when headed by such men as the dis
tiller, will go to gain their purpose
Walt looked the part and acted il
in such a manner as to bring the ap-
plause of the audience.
Lindy, the mulatto nanny" was
impersonated by Mrs. Adah Lost
Rose in manner. beyond criticism
and In the closing Of the second act
where by the reading of an old letter
written by her sister when the lat
ter was sold to be taken to the fai
south, and she placed her little babe
In Lindy's care and bade it goodbye
for the last time, she reached the
climax in the confession that she
really was the aunt of Gov. Rockwell
a secret which she had faithfully
kept through the long years, ant
fairly brought the audience to theil
feet.
The part of Gov. Phil Rockwell
was a strong one, not only requiring
a gift at memorizing, but great dra
matte talent in its portrayal, ant
Harold Harris, who impersonatet
the sheriff governor, did himsel
proud in the excellent manner il
which he sustained the part in IT.
entirety; but at the close of the sec
ond act, In the scene where he dis
closed the fact that he had negr'
blood in his veins to Virginia Rose
to whom he was negaged, the aud
ience broke right in with round ate