The Topeka state journal., 1914-01-30
At The PLAY.

Miss Peggy O'Nei1, in Peg o. My
Heart" played at the Grand Thursday
night, finds .tseasy to be comic Her
wit Is quick aRd her playing I q apon-
taneous current of effortless fun rum
ming with q few Interruptions from
start to terminus There is sparkle IN
every scene, aud in places where the
lines lead close T. the brink Of tears.
q quick turn of-faAcy. usually on, Peg 3
and lights the faces in the audience
The play itself Is somewhat conven-
tional in its type 1t follows the old
the good girl with riches and . hus-
band, and it lacks the up-to-date white
slave episodes. It does some undis-
guised preaching, but it lectures good
old fashioned honesty and virtue and
unSelfisnness. And it does 1t in q
bright, interesting way. Perhaps it is
neither the clean play or its antithesis
that the average theaterg0er prefers
to witness. He usually likes q we'll
done story revolving around affairs of
nor too idealistic. That is what peo-
pie got at the Grand last night.
The play opens with a scene in
which the Chichester family of Eng
money in bank that has closed Its
DOORS Peg. the daughter of Mrs. Chi
chester's sister, who ran away to mar
ry thriftless and penniless Irish
man whom she Ndevotedly loved till
her death, is sent to her aunt to be
brought up in manner becoming the
! he1ress of a deceased uncle's fortune.
Ethel Chichesters whose part was
taken by Miss Jane Meredith, en-
bodied the naughty coldness and
| cynicism. Her carriage and gowning
were the perfection of modern fashion,
and the role was Interpreted in an
| understanding way.
Though this proud English family
stuff. with it's closeted skeleton and
, poor relations, has all been seen be-
fore many times, it was SO skil1fully
| handled that it had a semblance of
newness. There was this difference,
too, that charming Irish Peg, was not
(praised by the .Saints!) made over
into a LADY She was an individual
that could not be cOnventionalized.
and the play closed with Peg In the
absurd old costume she had appeared
in, her brogue unchanged and her
manner untamed.
Mr.. Roland HOgue played the role
OF Alaric, the SON Of the Chichester
family, and he played it we'll. An in
novation in his part was that he car
ried no monocle. For the sake of his
cousins five thousand a year, he was
induced to propose. to her. under the
condition that she give up the shaggy
old cur 6h0 DrOuGht TO England with
her. IF you don't mind" she said.
81 would rather have the dog"
There was subdued fun throughout
the play, all of it well within the
bounds of good taste. 1t was hard on
the English in places, but the types
were not entirely unfamiliar outside
of the theater; for the women Of the
Chichester family were not SO very un-
like some of the tin-horn aristocracy
of our own land, and the overfed but
Ter who was "all out in front of him.
SELF" as Peg said, is, a standard figure
in fiction and tho drama.
The supporting Company was salts
factory throughoYt Mr.. Martin sa,
lover, gave good impersonation of
the English good FELLOW who still could
laugh from his e7Aeart. The Irish
father, to whom his daughter was
Peg o. My Heart" did not appear in
the play, but his daughters descrip-
-tions of him and quotations from his
observations, visualized him in pecu-
liar way that made his nonappearance
a commendable and artistic thing in
the play.
The house last night was well filled,
and the company will play q return
engagement in Topeka. B.H.