Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1914-03-31
"Where the Lane Turned. "

A little out OF the stereotyped form
was the play Of the above name, whicl
was put on at Grange Hall Thursday ant
Friday evenings under the suapices o
the Seneca Club. For one thing, their
are no one or two characters around
whose affairs the whole plot revolves
but the interest Is we'll distributed
among q dozen people. Again, from tht
time when the memory of man runnett
not to the contrary, plsy has almost
invariably wound up with some sort Of 8
song and-dance scene by the entire com
pany, 20 that when you see them begin
ming to gather in force you know that
though the climax came at the close Of
the next.to-the-last act, the end Is now
at hand, and you can reach for your hal
and be ready to start. This ending Ii
different.
where the Lane Turned" is clean,
bright comedy, of rural and society life,
with good characters very little over
drawn. Two boyhood friends are recon
ciled after years of enlargement, three
love affairs come to happy conclusion,
the villain very properly dies by his own
own hand but at pleasant distance from
the stage, the social climber gets into
the every best society" and everybody
is happy. 1t makes you laugh and makes
you feel just bit teary, and leaves a
pleasant taste in your mouth.
Mr.. and Mrs. Brandon were played by
Ernest j. Record and Mrs. T. s. Barnes
respectively, and they left nothing to be
desired In the picture they presented OF
a bighearted, homespun country couple.
Thrown upon their hospitality With seri-
Gus injuries from an automobile acct
dent was Jasper Fernley, millionaire,
(played by Arthur E. Forbes), Bran
don's boyhood friend but for years es-
tranged, and the reconciliation scene be-
tween these two was one OF the pleasing
scenes.
Others were also in Mr.. Fernley's
party, and their affairs were concerned.
His daughter, Miss Laura FerDley, was
played by Miss Airline Croker, and this
typical American girl, with her filial
care, her gracions disposition and her
touch of coquettishness, was finely por-
trayed. Sir Blashington Ingleby OF Lon
don, the guest of the Fernleys, was rep
resented by Donald 8. Briggs, and the
Euglishman's traditional slowness of
speech and mental action we're effective
~ displayed in his courtship of the mil
lionaire's daughter.
There was also the family physician,
DR.. Roger Austin. This part was play
ed by Harold T. Briggs, and he gave a
particularly good presentation OF the
earnest, devoted physician, as we'll as
the patient and faithful lover which cir
cumstances required him to be. Joyce
Carmody, the nurse, called to attend
Mr.. Fernley, was played by Miss Helen
Barnes. Some years before Miss Carmo-
DIV had been trapped into a marriage
with Vincent Grafton. She had after
wards fallen in love with DR.. Austin,
but fled from him-though of course
they are finally united. The character of
Miss Carmody called for the display of a
variety of emotions, which were effect
lively done.
There was also q third love affair, be-
tween Speedmore Gassaway, the chauf-
feur, played by Ralph Andrews in q
breezy and effective style, and Marie,
the French maid, whose dainty figure,
broken English and coquettish French
ways were delightfully."- presented by
Miss Florence Richardson.
Francis Shaw was Vincent Grafton,
the villain of the piece, and he showed
the almost incredible t1endishness OF the
character In a way which made 1t seem
real.
As Mrs. Smith-beg pardon, Smythe
II you please Mrs. Agnes Morton was
one who aspired to the livery best socie-
ty," end there was no question about
the earnestness of her desire or her zeal
in the pursuit. As her SOD, Thomas
Algernon Smythe, Harold Merrill was
the enfant terrible of the play-slso he
was Johnny-on-the-spot at important
times, and was right on the job, to the
delight of the audience.
There was q fair house Thursday
evening, and better one Friday. The
net proceeds of about S5S 90 will be used
by the club in the support of the public
reading room.