The Detroit times., 1914-04-16
THE STAGE
eARRlck.

Garrick theater for a single perform
aLce, Wednesday afternoon. Inc
play is indissombly associated VIII
Mr. Soherns father the late a
i Sothern The son enacts the tather
! original role OF Lord Dundreary
The following program note Is IN
4 tcresting history our American
/ cousin, a four.act comedy BY Ton
\ Taylor. as presented In the Theatre
/ Royal. Haymarket. London, 1873. the
character OF Lord Dundreary VAS
written and created by Mr. Sotheru :
\ father. the late f. A. Sothern, and
+ played Dy him for over 20 years ~
America and England. This colnedN
f4as not been revived since the death
OF Mr.. Sothern's father in 1851 eX
cept by +. II. Sothern during the sea
son OF l90Sl9O9: and Mr. Sothern
ventures 10 hope that q new genera
ton may through his recollection OF
his fathers work. derive some en-
tewainment from this repetition OF
the character created Boy him THIS
play was originally produced In 1898.
The costumes 81 this revival, are OF
that period
The Garrick was crowded With an
audience that easily represented four
generations. for there was many an
aged head and many a youthful one
with bobbing curls tied With ribbon
or smoothly brushed locks above a
hoyish collar. Grandparcnl and great
grandchild were there and IL was a
gathering that must have gratlhed Mr..
Sothern for IL bore tribute not only
TO himself but 10 his father and the
fame and distinction OF that father ;
art undimmed In the passing OF near
ly a half century.
Unlike most revivals of old-time
plays that have gathered dust on
musty shelves, there Is no staleness
about Our American Cousin TO be
sure. Il is oldfashioned, its humor is
not the sort to please "Follies
taste, and its story characters ana
dialogue seem queerly obvious 70 a
modern audience, but there is some
thing about IL as fresh and exhllarat.
ing as the charming %oodsY scene OF
the dark house . =" thlId acis %iSh
SIS pastoral simbnclty OF pleasure and
pastime in Ihe dance on the green
for the lords and ladies OF the great
manor and the yokels and servants
OF the. house
The play has been given an eXqui-
site setting OF scene and costume by
Mr. Sothern. His company, always
one OF highest individual excellence,
lent peculiar distinction TO the vari-
Gus characters, in the comedy The
Asa Trenchard, OF William Harris, and
the Abel Murcott. OF J Crawley stood
out as artistic characteTigations.
George w Wilson. as Binhey, the but
Ter, and John S. O'Brien, as Buddi-
combe, Lord Dundreary's man. were
also exceptionally successful in the
presentation OF these characters.
The women OF the company were
admirably cast. with Alma Kruger in
the important part OF Florence
Trenchard; Millicent Mclaughlin, as
Mary. the dairymaid cousin. Ina Gold.
smith as Mrs. Mountchessington, and
Elizabeth Valentine and Dorothy Nor
rison. as Georgiana and Augusta, ner
daughters.
Mr. Sothern's Dundreary was as
clever and expert a bit OF work as
this admirable actor has ever done
In his comedy creations The audi
ence was in a continuous spasm OF
laughter over Dundrearys dandihed
appearance. HIS dyed whiskers. his
assinine utterances and his funny
mincing, tripping walk. Ii was a
characterization completely comic and
not for moment burlesqued.
In his presentation OF the character
OF Hamlet, Wednesday night. Mr..
Sothern found full scope for his won
derful bower as an actor. He por-
trays as few could the melancholy,
sensitive scholar, the man OF gentle
habits. 10 whom deeds of violence are
abhorrent, suddenly confronted with
the necessity OF avenging his fathers
death. He runs the whole gamut OF
human emotion-the Wild grief and
anger or The prince when first con-
fronted with the realization Of his
fathers assassination: his later
weakness and indecision. when the
native hue OF resolution IS sicklied
Ger with pale cast of thought" his
love for Ophelia his madness-all
the facets OF shakespeare many-sid-
ed character which by many critics
is said TO typify the strength and
weakness OF all mankind. are pre-
scented with marvellous fidelity. Soth-
ern's Hamlet is not a ranter. not a
hero but an imperfect human being,
in whom good and bad are strangely
intermingled
Miss Elizabeth Valentine plays an
Ophelia worthy 10 rank With Mr..
Sothern's Hamlet. and Miss Alma
Kruger as the faithless queen, moth
er OF Hamlet, shows herself an emo
tional actress OF rare ability.
J. Sayre Crawley as the guilty ning.
Claudius. does eXcellently. His enunci-
alton in particular Is unsurpassed
Frederic Lewis is a fine and up.
standing Horatio. and the work OF
George p Wilson as the trst grave
digger Is one OF the most artistic bits
In the performance.
Thursday evening. Mr.. Sothern VIII
present "Charlemange," a new ro-
mantle play OF the sixth century. writ
ZEN for him by Justin Huntley Nc
Carthy and presented for the hrst
time on any stage last week. IN chi
,ago "Charlemange" viii remain the
Offering for the rest OF the weeks en-
gagement I'm the Carrlck