The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-05-20
THE LHY' HAS
GREAT FIRST NIGHT
La VERNE COMPANY GIVES
SPLENDID PRODUCTION OF
DRAMATIC MAsTERPrECE.
NANCE O'NEIL STARS
HER WONDERFUL ACTING CAPTI-
YATES AUDIENCE WHICH PAYS
TRIBUTE WITH MANY EN-
CoREs-sUPPORT1 COM
PANY EXCELLENT.

PANY EXCELLENT.
| The first appearance of Nance
O'Neil, the famous American TRACE
last night by the largest audience
which has been in the Academy or
Music since the Lucille La Verne
Stock company opened its engagement
here three weeks ago.
| Miss O'Neill completely captivated
her audience. the applause which
welcomed her first entrance, as hearty
as it was, being .eeble compared with
that which brought her forth for re-
peated curtain calls, at the close OF
the second act. The first was greet
! ing; the second was tribute to her
| wonderful acting.
"The Lily" was .se play selected as
the vehicle for the expression of Miss
| O'Neirs talent and this little play with
a moral--a moral, however. not so
obtrusive as to destroy the enjoyment
of twas produced to the pleasure
and delight of q rather critical au-
dience. thanks to the excellence of the
support given the star. as well as 20
the work of the star herself Cath
crime Carter, Jean Shelby, Eda Won
| BueIOW, rTeueTtCk IIiChnldH dHu
Percy Aylmer are Richmond savorites
and Richmond thnatergoers have
| learned before this that the support
| ing cast brought here by Miss La
Verne is capable of working behind
the leading characters to the eminent
satisfaction of all.
( The plot OF the play Is well known.
The stern father. who learns his les
son too late; the selfish brother the
self-sacrificing sister, the high-minded
lover and the innocent girl, who
rebels against parental tyranny, were
characters portrayed with fidelity and
in a manner which. while it made
the work of the star a little less
noticeable than II would have been
had the contrast been greater, made
/ her work easier.
1t was Miss O'Neil, however. that
the audience had come to see and
hear and II was Miss O'Neii who re.
ceived the lions share Of the applause
and who made the performance of
The Lily" last night the equal of any
which has been presented in Rich
mond this winter. With perfect
voice, carrying to every corner of the
house. with the calm. quiet, assured
bearing--so fitted co the part of the
mother-sister. which she took last
night-with looks. spirit and the
power of expression. she made the
part of Odette de Maigny more i'm
portant than the number of her lines
would seem to call for, and gave to
the play the interest which not even
! the perfection of Miss Car.er's por-
trayal of sweet innocence, the excel
lence of Mr.. Beanc's Compte de
Maigny and Mr.. Hickman's Vicompte
could give.
}iahp,n ia IN II 20 4
upon the opportunity to see Miss
O'Neil for five nights and Miss O'Neil
Is fortunate in find such excellent sup
port upon her first entrance into
stock.
4 At the Colonial.
Sowing a wind of laughter in the
picture plays that yesterday began the
new weeks bill at the Colonial and
reaping a whirlwind OF the pleasure BILE
Indications as each of the five excel
lent acts succeeded each other to the
final number. The Burglars Union"
the quality of the bill as humor
rouser is undisputed.
Gedmin, the Russian shadowgraph-
list, one OF the very few artists In this
line who relies for his effects on the
nimbleness Of his fingers to supply
his brain pictures, opened the vaude-
Vile performance with a display that
proved enjoyable alike to the young
sters as well as the grown-ups.
i The pretty and appealing Grace sis
tiers, wearing a variety OF attractive
costumes. singing The Trail of the
Lonesome Pine" and proving them
selves to be dancers of class sell
dom found in sister teams, whirled
their way into a success that netted
them several encores.
Fred st. Onge as a funny man, to-
gether with dainty girl star, quite
featured the offering on BICYCLES and
unicycles made by the Fred ST. Onge
company, This trim girl with hair
as black as a ravens wing does some
difficult riding feats, some Arabian
tumbling that is pleasing to watch
while st. Onge devotes most of his
time to creating laughter There are
two other members Of the company
. which waA accorded a splendid recep-
ton.
Ray Conlin, unique and original In
his ventriloQuial style. filled In a long
period Of time with a talking and sing
Ing exhibition. during which he engage
!. but one figure. Working close to his
, audience and under the glare Of the
calcium. the rapidly Of the dialogue
and the humor OF 1t was so artisically
presented that he was forced to re-
spond with several bowa
But the big laughing success came
in the Offering OF The Burglars
Union" by Williams Thompson and
Copeland; Thompson. the blackface
comedian being = natural comedian of
the best type. The afterpiece they
use is cramned full OF bunny lines and
situations, kept the audience roaring
It's pleasure and earned them several
recalls.
Picture plays OF the serious and
comedy variety completed bill that
Is full of pleasure and cleverness
h At the Empirc.
I Quite welcome, particularly to the
night audiences that last night crowd
ed the Empire at both performances,
was the return to vaudeville Of the
stylish theater. And quite a. well