Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1914-12-22
EXCELLENT PERFORMANCES
Of FINE COMEDY-DKA NJ


After the st!lted platitudes and
formal sentimentality OF Jane Eyre"
| Manager De Witt Newing's selection
of I'm Mizzourn" for presentation by
! the Graycc Scott Company this week
serves not only as blessed relief. but
as thrice welcome Christmas gift to
the professional followers of his COM
pany's career. For Augustus Thomass
! famous comedy drama is real play.
red blooded. human and, withal. humor-
Gus slice o life" which is just as
fresh and delectable to-day as 1t was
when the dramatist first cut 1t out of
life with the skill of the super-crafts-
man.
But 1t isn't the sort OF play that ap-
pcals only to those who study crafts
manshiD and who look for points
the Kind generally krown as an ''ac-
tors play" On the contrary, or rather
In addition to that quality. il possesses
every Qualiay that makes for general
popularity. as was evidenced again last
night by the fact that the big audience
AT inc Bijou Theatre was thrilled, en-
t"rtained or amused during every mo-
inent OF its pcrforma nce---aftcr the
noisicSt theatre in Richmond grew
quiet enough for the audience to hear
and understand what was going on.
lncre was every reason why the
audience should enjoy I'm Mizzoura."
for not only is the play OF the kind
mat lends itself TO complete enjoy
men, but the company as whole
CAV" one OF the best performances that
IL has offered this season OF course
ucfc were few of the awk ward mo-
mcnts tina; are almost inevitably at
tcnIant upon AN opening. and several
Oh the actors made little slips in
sustaining their charactcrizations-
notably the lnan whose pronunciation
OF English is so nearly perfect that il
Is difficult for him to maintain the
sloNenly manner OF speech called for
by his part-but on the whole. the
performance was smooth and we'll
rounded. And, before passing on. II
Tho man in question were not such n
hne actor, his tr:iiing lapscs would not
even be noticed. much less mentioned
Miss Scott resigns the Iend-an UNI
pleasant part-;o Virginia Perry. and
contents herself with the extremely
amusing isis Hopkins" role of Isbeth,
which. II memory is not At fault, she
played years ago in Mr.. Citizens pro-
ductton. when Richard Bennett was
leading man. Everybody will remem-
Der, when 1t is mentioned that she Ia
moved from one lazy rocking chair to
another. Grotesdue as the part Is she
plays IL sincerely and with rare humor
MISS Perry makes the pctulant
spoiled and rather silly character of
Kate vernon personality. rather than
mere part; Mr.. Newing is literally
-e4''s is not strong enough
as 'I.isbeth's sweetheart. the country
boy who wants "a stiddy job" Miss
Crawford offers another of the rough
character representations at which she
has become so skillful; little Miss Ches-
mond Is laughable and unintclligible
negro boy; Mr.. Bassett Is sufficiently
Vflainous as the train robber and Mr.
Adams reads !ntell!gently, thought he
is not well fitted for the part OF the
sturdy express messenger
Mr.. Warner. the leading man of the
company, does not play opposite Miss
Scott this week. but plays the lover
TO Miss Perry. The part OF tho sheriff
or rural community Is better suited
to his methods than anything he has
had since The Man From Home" and
he Is quite acceptable in It,
And. in the language of the man in
the street, Mr.. Berthelet has spread
himself having provided production
that is ALMOST unnecessarily good, in
spite of the fact that he is confronted
with Little Snow White" next week.
Though the settings are so elaborate.
the changes were made SO quickly
even last night, that the curtain was
down by about 1890.
"In MiZZoura" Is indeed hapny
selection for Christmas week
Douglas Gordon
At the Lyric.
Once more, after an interval OF some
duration. the Lyric has an opening act
that really belongs in the show. in
,ohse and Sterling, man and woman